South African independent power producer Sola Group says it will combine solar generation with battery storage in a new private electricity project.
The company says the hybrid system will allow renewable power to be stored and supplied when needed, rather than only when it is generated.
The Naos-1 facility, which recently reached financial close with Sasol and Air Liquide, is designed to wheel electricity using co-located battery storage to control when solar energy is dispatched to the grid.
The project will generate up to 435MW of solar power and store 855MWh of electricity, enough to supply large-scale industrial demand, including after sunset.
The co-located battery storage will allow the energy produced during daylight hours to be retained and dispatched later to match customer requirements, particularly during evening peak periods when solar alone cannot meet industrial needs.
Sola’s commercial MD, Jonathan Skeen, said the system gives the company control over the timing of electricity delivery.
“Existing wheeling projects require buyers to take energy as it is generated,” he said. “With co-located storage, we can release energy when it is needed and increase the volume of renewable energy that buyers can secure.”
According to Sola, Naos-1 is the first utility-scale renewable energy project in South Africa to combine co-located storage with direct wheeling to private industrial users.
Many industrial users already procure solar or wind energy, but these sources generally offset only part of daytime demand. “Naos-1 shifts energy into evening or off-peak periods, better aligning supply with industrial demand,” said Skeen.
“Hybrid solar-and-storage projects are likely to make up a substantial portion of new private wheeling developments, though grid capacity and access will remain the main bottlenecks rather than financing or technology,” Skeen said.
The company said Naos-1 reached financial close less than 12 months after initial proposals and is scheduled for commercial operation in 2028.
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