Project finance and transaction advisory firm Cresco Group Africa has recently supported South African mobile telecommunications corporation MTN in acquiring a hybrid energy system solution that incorporates diverse energy generation and storage sources, including gas, solar photovoltaic power, diesel generation, grid power and a battery energy storage system.

The five-tier hybrid system enables MTN to avert the negative impacts of loadshedding on in-house business processes and accommodate the process of loadshifting.

“An optimal energy mix is key to a functioning and sustainable grid. Unfortunately, South Africa has limited technology options, and, in some cases, technology is not . . .  advanced enough,” says Cresco Group Africa director Robert Futter.

Cresco Group aims to generate clean energy for large corporations in a timely manner using realistic application designs and installation.

The group also helps organisations to adequately “decipher” the most effective ways of generating and storing the power that they collect from various sources to allow for the continuation of business without being affected by grid instability and loadshedding.

The company is also dedicated to helping clients understand various viewpoints, which often contribute to what Futter refers to as “energy noise” being offered by so-called energy experts.

In doing so, Cresco Group intends to enlighten its clients regarding facts about energy and power generation technology, and the most appropriate options available to address related issues.

“In our typical engagement with clients, we do some energy one-on-one training, which covers key issues, myths and realistic scenarios and interventions that can be achieved,” says Futter.

Cresco Group Africa also enables companies to move towards net zero, meet decarbonisation targets and renewable energy (RE) goals – factors that are becoming increasingly more important in worldwide.

Going forward, using its database of more than 200 real-life projects, Cresco Group has prepared an outlook for the energy market until 2040, which includes projects, such as RE penetration levels, grid emission factors, the all-inclusive cost of energy scenarios and a potential day-ahead pricing of energy.