Eos Energy Storage, LLC, a manufacturer of safe, low-cost, and long-duration zinc battery storage systems, recently announced an expansion of its partnership with Nayo Tropical Technology Ltd., a West African mini-grid engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company. Eos will deploy additional units of its signature Aurora EnergyBlock systems, rated at 125 kW/500 kWh, to four rural microgrid projects in Nigeria in the first quarter of 2021.
In July, Eos announced it had entered into an agreement with Nayo to bring safe, environmentally-friendly, low-maintenance, easy-to-deploy energy storage to the African market for the use of residents and local businesses in rural locations. This new contract expands on the success of that program by combining solar photovoltaic (PV) generation and energy storage to provide reliable electricity to homes and businesses in remote Nigerian communities, in addition to reducing dependence on diesel generators.
Eos' microgrid battery energy storage system can store renewable energy that can be released at a later time and under severe weather conditions, giving rural locations and remote environments a reliable solution for energy storage and generation. High temperatures can be a challenge for other battery technologies, as they require heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, which get overworked and fail frequently in hot climates. Eos' batteries do not require HVAC and can operate reliably in hot places without it.
"Eos was quick to prove that its positively ingenious energy storage solutions are uniquely suited to harsh environments and rural deployments with our last deployment," said Dr. Balki G. Iyer, chief commercial officer of Eos. "We are proud to expand our partnership with Nayo with a follow up in the first quarter and we look forward to serving the energy needs of additional communities in the future with Nayo as our partner."
Eos claims its microgrid battery energy storage system is easy to install, has minimal auxiliary power requirements, the ability to power through grid outages, simple maintenance, and long-term product life. Remote project sites can often be a challenge, as they can be far from a supply chain and labor pool, but the low maintenance requirements of the Eos battery make it a fitting solution despite these limitations.
"Eos' technology fits our exact needs for energy storage," said Okenwa Anayo Nas, chief executive officer of Nayo. "As a follow up to the first storage project, we were quick to move forward with additional installations. With Eos batteries, our projects are delivering on their promise to bring energy to remote villages across Africa. We appreciate the low cost per kilowatt hour and flexibility of Eos' solution."
Nayo has more than 25 new mini grids in its pipeline to deploy across West Africa, which Eos plans to support as the industry grows over the next two years.
