Automation technology group ABB has commissioned an integrated solar-diesel microgrid installation – the group’s first microgrid in South Africa – at its 96 000 m2 Longmeadow facility in Johannesburg.

The Longmeadow site hosts ABB’s head offices and logistics and manufacturing centre.

The microgrid made use of power fed from the national grid and a solar photovoltaic (PV) installation, as well as a backup feed from four diesel generator sets and was designed to ensure uninterrupted power supply to keep the lights on and the factories running during any planned or unplanned power outages on the main grid supply.

Special adviser on energy to the Presidency, Silas Zimu, and ABB Power Grids division president Claudio Facchin inaugurated the microgrid at ABB on Wednesday.

Speaking at the event, Zimu noted that the microgrid “goes beyond innovation . . . beyond the promises, and to have a company as big as ABB investing in South Africa, not only investing by having a production facility but also looking at alternative energy, is . . . a good plus for [South Africa]”.

He stressed the need for innovation, underscoring the opportunity for offgrid renewable-energy, as it was key to providing electricity. He further suggested the need for energy planners to understand that “people follow electricity”, as seen from the population growth and urbanisation in South Africa.

The microgrid technology deployed at Longmeadow was fully containerised and predesigned for this type of application. The solution comprised a 1 MVA/380 kWh, battery-package PowerStore, ABB’s dedicated control system for microgrids – the Microgrid Plus, and a 5 000 m², 750 kW rooftop PV field to boost renewable energy and provide continuity of supply during disruptions or transitions from grid to island operation.

The PowerStore grid stabilising system addressed frequency and voltage fluctuations, while the Microgrid Plus distributed control system (DCS) managed the supply of power and balanced the fossil-fuel and renewable-energy sources in accordance with loads, in a coordinated manner, enabling access to utility-grade power.

ABB grid automation MD Massimo Danieli explained that the lithium-ion battery bank could support the entire facility at full load for about 20 minutes.

A cloud-based remote service system would be deployed for the operations and maintenance of the microgrid in keeping with ABB’s Internet of Things, Services and People approach.

The grid was expected to increase renewable-energy use at the Longmeadow facility, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1 000 t/y and electricity costs by 50%.

“This innovative microgrid solution helps address a real-world challenge by providing stable and cost-effective continuity of power supply while minimising environmental impact,” Facchin said.

He added that penetration of growth markets like Africa and leveraging innovative technologies like microgrids to improve power reliability were “key elements” of ABB’s Next Level strategy.

ABB South Africa MD Leon Viljoen agreed, highlighting that only 24% of people in sub-Saharan Africa had access to electricity. Further, about 25% of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa faced rolling blackouts, some of the countries daily, while  only 28 GW of electricity was installed in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa. Additionally, the power tariffs were on average $0.13/kWh.

“[Therefore,] there is a lot we need to do to ensure Africa has energy and power. Without power, there is no economic growth.  It is our responsibility to make sure these things happen,” he stressed.