CONSULTING ENGINEERS
AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Construction
GOLOMOTI SOLAR PV AND BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE PROJECT, MALAWI
T he Golomoti solar PV plant is the first with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Malawi. Golomoti Solar is being co-developed by JCM Power, a Canadian independent power producer (IPP) and InfraCo, an investment company of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), with JCM Power managing the execution of the works. Golomoti was Zutari’s first EPCM appointment in solar PV. The solar power plant entered the commercial operation phase in early 2022. The project’s success was possible due to several partners, including USAID providing critical development funding, Innovate UK’s Energy Catalyst programme providing grant funding for the batteries and IFU providing JCM with debt funding. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, where only about 10% of its population has access to electricity. Completed in 2021, Golomoti is a 28,5 MWp solar PV and BESS project. The solar plant is coupled with a 5 MW/10 MWh battery storage system and will provide the Malawian power grid with 20 MW of much- needed power. In early 2022, the project entered the commercial operation phase. Co-developed by JCM Power, a Canadian independent power producer (IPP) and InfraCo Africa, the project is the first utility-scale grid-connected hybrid solar and battery energy storage system in sub-Saharan Africa. Zutari was the Engineer for the project and was extensively involved throughout site identification, concept development, tender development/ procurement, preliminary design and detailed design through to project execution. In addition to the complex ground conditions of the Golomoti site, designing the PV array was complicated
by the need to preserve a large, majestic Baobab tree. Instrumental in designing solutions for these challenges was the application of Zutari’s 3D modelling and the company’s latest computational design tool, 7SecondSolar. Developed in-house, the tool allowed optimisation and design to be carried out efficiently, resulting in savings in both cost and time. The Malawi PV project showcases the future of project delivery where digital tools enable high performance, resulting in technical excellence. Golomoti marks a significant milestone for the region as energy storage provides an important tool for integrating increasing amounts of renewable energy into a utility’s networks. By including the BESS, the project reduces variation in output during cloud cover, supports controlling voltage and frequency of the grid and dispatches energy in the evening peak. The ground conditions on-site were complex and changed with the seasons from hard ground to soft sludge. The team applied an innovative approach to testing the foundations and ground remotely due
PROJECT INFORMATION
• Client: JCM Solar Corporation Limited • End date: December 2021 • Main Contractor: HEJ Engineering
• Consulting Engineer: Zutari • Geotechnical: Geoconsult
60 21 st Best Project Awards 2022
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