TotalEnergies and its partners have brought a hybrid renewable energy project into operation near De Aar, the Northern Cape, adding solar generation and battery-storage capacity to South Africa’s electricity grid under a 20-year power purchase agreement with Eskom.The project, known as Hydra, combines a 216MW solar photovoltaic plant with a 500MWh battery energy storage facility. TotalEnergies said it is expected to generate more than 400GWh of electricity annually. Under the agreement, it will supply 75MW of dispatchable renewable electricity to Eskom. Dispatchable electricity refers to power that can be supplied to the grid when needed, rather than only when it is generated.TotalEnergies Hydra Solar & Battery Project (Suppl) Hydra was developed by a consortium comprising TotalEnergies (35%), Hydra Storage Holding (35%) and Reatile Renewables (30%). It was procured under the government’s Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP), which was introduced to secure dispatchable generation capacity to strengthen electricity supply.Hydra is TotalEnergies’ first hybrid renewable energy project in South Africa and builds on the company’s earlier investments in the country’s renewable energy sector.The French energy company previously participated in the 86MW Prieska solar project and is developing wind and solar facilities that will supply Sasol and Air Liquide under long-term corporate power-purchase agreements.Hydra reached financial close in December 2023 before construction commenced. Its entry into operation comes as developers increasingly adopt hybrid renewable-energy projects that combine generation capacity with battery storage to improve the reliability and availability of electricity.“We are delighted, with our partners Reatile Renewables and Hydra Storage Holding, to bring the Hydra project into operation,” said TotalEnergies Southern Africa MD Magali Pailhé. “It enables us to supply dispatchable renewable power to the South African grid, thereby strengthening the country’s energy security while decarbonising its electricity generation,” he said.“This project reinforces our renewable production capacity in South Africa, the continent’s largest power market in terms of electricity consumption,” Pailhé said.Business Day