Cape Town readies battery storage, ‘dispatchable IPP’ procurement programmes

The City of Cape Town, which is in the process of procuring up to 200 MW of renewable energy from independent power producers (IPPs), expects to initiate a utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) programme in 2023. It is also working on the design of a so-called ‘dispatchable IPP programme’ that could deliver first power in 2026 as part of a broader strategy to improve security of supply and mitigate against intensifying load-shedding.