Senegal’s state utility Senelec has signed a 20-year capacity change agreement with Egyptian/UAE developer Infinity Power to supply a 40 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) at the Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye (PETN) wind farm.
Situated 70km north of Dakar, the wind farm achieved completion in 2021, currently contributing 158.7MW of power. The BESS is anticipated to supply 175 MWh of energy, encompassing approximately 45 shipping containers measuring 40 feet each. When fully charged, the system is projected to discharge its 40 MW capacity for over four hours. Its primary function is to optimize wind energy utilization within the power grid, offering ancillary services like frequency regulation, reactive power support, and efficient energy charge and discharge.
The United States Trade & Development Agency (USTDA) provided funding for the project's feasibility studies and analyses. Norway’s DNV, which played a role in developing the PETN wind farm, conducted a feasibility study for the BESS. The construction is slated to commence in early 2024 at the Tobene substation in Thies, with operational activities expected to commence in 2025.
