South Africa’s energy narrative is evolving. Where it was once focused on deploying new renewable power plants to address generation deficits, the conversation has now shifted toward flexibility, the ability to store, shift and dispatch electricity when and where it is needed most, says Pele Green Energy (PGE) GM Nicolas Lecomte. “As renewable-energy capacity grows across the country, maintaining grid stability despite intermittency has become essential. With South Africa moving toward a more decentralised and decarbonised energy system, battery energy storage systems (BESSes), particularly those using lithium-ion technology, are emerging as one of the most critical enablers of this new era.”