Thebelele Battery Energy Storage System and Associated Infrastructure near Theunissen, Free State Province

Thebelele Energy Facility (RF) (Pty) Ltd, is proposing the installation and establishment of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and Associated Infrastructure to accommodate the storage of energy. The BESS is proposed to be up to 100 MW/400 MWh. The associated infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, an on-site substation; roads, fencing, laydown area; and an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) buildings. The proposed Thebelele BESS is proposed to be bid as part of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) bid window 3 for the Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (BESIPPPP). The development area of up to 20 ha has been identified for assessment for the proposed development and will be located on Portion 0 of the Farm Mooivlakte No. 199, Registration Division Theunissen, situated within the Masilonyana Local Municipality, Lejweleputswa District Municipality, Free State Province. The town of Theunissen is located approximately 20 km south from the proposed development.
The Thebelele BESS will save and store excess energy during periods of low demand and will provide energy to the national grid during high demand periods.
The proposed Thebelele BESS and Associated Infrastructure will include the following infrastructure:
• Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), of up to 100 MW / 400 MWh, required for the storage of excess energy / electricity.
• Inverters and transformers.
• Low or medium voltage overhead or underground cabling to connect the components to the proposed on-site (IPP) substation.
• An on-site (IPP) substation up to 33kV/132 kV.
• Support and building infrastructure which includes offices; parking area; Operations & Maintenance (O&M) building; control centre; warehousing and workshops; ablution facilities; and security infrastructure.
• Site access roads will be up to 10 m wide while internals access roads will be up to 6 m wide. Three (03) access road alternatives have been identified for assessment.
• Temporary and permanent laydown areas.
• For safety and security reasons, the facility will be required to be fenced off from the surrounding farms, with a fence height of approximately 2.5 metres.
Once built, the project is intended to connect directly to the existing Eskom Theseus Main Transmission Substation (MTS) through a power line of up to 132 kV (either single or double circuit), of approximately
14 km in length. This grid connection will be assessed via a separate and concurrent BA process.

Province(s): Free State