Nidec Industrial Solutions, part of the Energy & Infrastructure division of the Nidec Group, has signed the contract for the installation of BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) at a mining site in South Africa. The project aims to improve the environmental performance of the gold mine by reducing CO2 emissions while increasing capacity and production output.
Large-scale storage project in South Africa
In South Africa, the local power grid struggles to maintain electricity supply throughout the day, often causing energy-intensive industries or mines to turn to polluting generators to avoid high costs. Coupled with Nidec Industrial Solutions' BESS, the South African mining company is expected to build a solar farm on the site and ensure continuous operation while reducing the carbon intensity of the electricity. The energy generated from the solar source will be used in the batteries as well as in the mine's power supply.
The agreement, worth more than €50 million, provides for the installation of 43 converter blocks with batteries and power converters, with a total installed capacity of 40 MW and a storage capacity of 120 MWh. With an estimated lifetime of 15 years, they are expected to meet the mine's average daily electricity demand and replace the diesel generators previously used. The converters for the BESS will be manufactured at Nidec Industrial Solutions' manufacturing facility in Milan, Italy. Final assembly of the system into the containers will take place at the Roche la Molière plant in France.
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"The signed project shows that sustainable and powerful growth prospects are also possible for the mining industry," said Dominique Llonch, CEO of Nidec Industrial Solutions. "With this agreement, Nidec Industrial Solutions confirms its leadership in renewable energy and battery storage. Our systems are a strategic lever for energy efficiency that can drive the energy transition in the mining sector, and this project is undoubtedly a significant business opportunity for the entire supply chain."
More than 1.6 GW BESS solutions installed worldwide
Nidec ASI, as part of the Energy & Infrastructure division of the Nidec Group, is among the groups committed to economic recovery in terms of greater sustainability, and is growing in Europe and globally in the BESS market. Nidec ASI has been awarded contracts to supply battery energy storage systems in Sweden for a total of 82.5 MW, in Germany for a total of 11 MW, and in the Czech Republic for 10 MW. In addition, Nidec ASI will soon sign supply contracts for China and the U.S., reinforcing its ambition to consolidate its leadership position in markets outside Europe.
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Nidec ASI is among the world's top three companies with more than 1.6 GW of BESS solutions installed worldwide, from Italy, to France, Germany, England, Northern Ireland, Finland, where new projects are being developed, and the Maldives. In January, Nidec ASI signed a contract worth 2.5 million euros with Port Sud de France. This involves the realization of innovative power supply systems that will allow ships to obtain the electricity they need to operate at berth in port, without having to run the dirty and noisy diesel engines located on board. In Germany, in particular, Nidec ASI continues to be a key player in one of the world's largest energy storage projects, reaffirming its leadership in the supply of BESS systems to the utility sector in Europe through the construction of a multiple storage system to stabilize the German power grid (STEAG) with a total capacity of 94 MW. (Nicole Weinhold/hcn)
