East Africa Computer Room Communication BESS Power Station

This thesis project, carried out at Northvolt Systems, aims to analyze the existing and readily used communication interfaces for a specific set of mobile BESS applications. The analysis is performed by a literature review of typical mobile BESS applications with the identified corresponding communication interfaces.

The mobility and flexibility of the system enables novel applications and deployments where BESS previously were unused due to the non-flexible solutions. The system is modular, meaning that the energy storage capacity can be quickly adapted depending on the application case, in contrast to larger and bulkier solutions.

Experience in the African context is even more limited with very few grid-scale BESS projects that are operational. As an emerging technology it is expected that technical performance will continue to mature and improve. Already, rapid and significant improvements have been seen across most performances metrices.

BESS efficiently absorbs excess energy generated during low-demand periods, mitigating grid congestion and instability issues. Instead of curtailing renewable energy independent power producer (REIPP) output, which results in energy wastage, BESS provides a more economically viable solution.

Because of its relatively recent inclusion in power systems, most international electricity markets consider BESS an emerging technology, despite some technologies already being commercially established and successful. Experience in the African context is even more limited with very few grid-scale BESS projects that are operational.

BESS are of particular interest as they offer dispatchable storage with sizing and locational flexibility i.e. allowing deployment at varying scales in proximity to the location where grid flexibility is needed. This focus on BESS is also cognisant of the World Bank Group's USD1 billion global battery storage programme, announced in 2018.