Akuo Energy, a French renewable power producer and developer, is providing large energy storage systems to the South Pacific. It has commissioned a 29.2 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Tonga, several weeks after powering up a 19 MWh project in Martinique. The Tonga 1 and Tonga 2 projects total 16.5 MW of power capacity and 29.2 MWh of energy storage capacity, making this the largest BESS in the South Pacific.
Tonga 1 is a 9.3 MW/5.3 MWh system designed to improve grid stability, with a duration of just 34 minutes. Tonga 2 is a 3.3-hour system with 7.2 MW/23.9 MWh of power, designed primarily for load shifting. They have already allowed Tonga to double its renewable energy capacity with the recent addition of 6 MW in solar PV power, bringing the country’s renewable mix to around 20%. It is aiming for 70% by 2030.
The BESS also demonstrated its resilience during a…
Big Batteries for the South Pacific
