Renewable Batteries Helping Rural Tanzania Grow
One of the many small but important steps forward for the African continent is taking place in Tanzania, which is also home to a new hybrid PV-battery energy storage-diesel minigrid project. It aims to provide power for around 400 households in a remote island village of Lake Victoria.The development of mini- and microgrids can be a key platform in the development of electrification on the continent.
An already aging grid infrastructure in many developing nations is also driving the adoption of distributed grid technology and energy storage systems. By 2030, it is estimated that $45 billion will need to be invested to provide universal access to modern electric power — and energy storage has the capacity to play a key role in those investments. Energy storage will not only enable better use of both new and existing resources but also protect against threats such as natural disasters, according to the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All initiative.
Energy storage can not only provide back-up power in case of power outages but also help electricity grids run at average rather than peak load, therefore reducing the chances of outages to begin with. Small-scale storage allows consumers to buy power from the grid when it’s cheap and plentiful; then they can use their own stored energy when it’s more expensive. This would help balance demand and reduce strain on the system in rural and isolated communities.
Tatiana Vedeneva