- Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, and Togo have expressed interest in joining the BESS consortium.
- BESS is critical in increasing grid reliability and accommodating variable renewable energy sources for economic development.
Nigeria and several African countries have expressed interest in joining the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Consortium, launched on Saturday during COP28. Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, and Togo formally expressed interest in joining the consortium. These countries are expected to receive support from BESS consortium resource partners, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Africa50 and Masdar.
According to The Rockefeller Foundation, Battery Energy Storage Systems are critical in increasing the reliability of grids and accommodating variable renewable energy sources needed to power economic development. In many cases, a combination of BESS and renewables is already cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives. The BESS consortium is a multi-stakeholder partnership to ensure BESS benefits transform energy systems across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The consortium is on track to meet its target of securing 5 GW of BESS commitments by the end of 2024 and deploying these by the end of 2027.
By developing advanced energy storage solutions through collaboration and innovation, BESS could revolutionise Africa’s energy landscape. According to a statement issued by AfDB, a multi-stakeholder partnership initiative of the Global Leadership Council commits members to join the BESS Consortium. These members will participate in efforts to reach energy storage commitments of 5 GW through the end of 2024. This will, in turn, provide a roadmap to ultimately achieving 400 GW of renewable energy by 2030.