Sterling & Wilson signs pact to build solar battery storage plant in Niger

Engineering firm Sterling and Wilson Pvt Ltd on Thursday said it has signed a contract to construct a solar PV battery storage and diesel genset-based hybrid power plant in Niger in West Africa.

Engineering firm Sterling and Wilson Pvt Ltd (SWPL) on Thursday said it has signed a contract to construct a solar PV battery storage and diesel genset-based hybrid power plant in Niger in West Africa.

The company has signed the contract with France-based engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company Vergnet and SNS Niger of Niger.

In a statement, SWPL said its "Hybrid and Energy Storage division (HES), in consortium partnership with French EPC company Vergnet and SNS Niger, has signed an EPC contract to construct a solar PV battery storage and diesel genset based hybrid power plant in Agadez, Niger, in West Africa".

The consortium will also be responsible for a two-year operation and maintenance (O&M) service of the power plant.

Battery-based energy storage enables generated electricity to be stored and delivered at any given time, providing stability to the grid, and enabling energy delivered on demand. It will also aid flexibility and agility to better integrate solar and diesel energy into the electricity grid of the city and ensure quality power.

"Tendered by the Nigerian Electricity Company (NIGELEC), the project consists of 18.9 MWp solar + 11.55MWh/3.0 MVA battery energy storage system (BESS) + 6.54 MVA (2.18 x 3 MVA) diesel generator and 20 kV substation, and evacuation line up to the Nigelec Substation in Agadez," the company statement said.

The project also includes the rehabilitation of the electrical network of the city of Agadez, which does not allow the evacuation of electricity to and within the city, and the electrification of the neighbouring hamlet of Tibinitene.

In the statement, Deepak Thakur, CEO Hybrid and Energy Storage, Sterling and Wilson, said, We are delighted to have secured another prestigious opportunity in Africa after successfully commissioning Nigeria's first solar storage hybrid power plant, which is also Africa's largest battery energy storage system. Hybrid energy solutions is a huge opportunity as many power generation and distribution companies in places like Africa are moving into renewables."

The company did not disclose the financial details related to the project.