H2 microgrid for game reserve backup power

Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

Enapter partner Elemental Energy has developed a pioneering H2 microgrid system that has enabled Jaci’s Lodges, a 5-star ecotourism operation in South Africa’s Madikwe Game Reserve, to move away from diesel generators to a more sustainable path.

South Africa’s ongoing energy shortages have forced many businesses to rely on diesel generators for backup power, especially in remote locations such as the Madikwe Game Reserve. Elementary Energy’s stationary 24/7 power solution combines solar power, short-term battery energy storage and long-duration hydrogen energy storage to remove the need for backup diesel generation.

Commissioned in August 2023, their 100kW H₂IPO system is powered by a combination of grid and 200 kWp solar energy input, features 40 AEM Electrolysers to produce on-site green hydrogen, stores the hydrogen in Hexagon Purus’s Type-4 cylinders and reconverts the hydrogen using Toyota’s Hydrogen Fuel Cells to provide backup power.

These fuel cells also generate hot water, heating the lodge’s rooms and pools, and unlike with diesel generators, the power supply is quiet. The lodge and Elemental Energy are working on upscaling the installation to cater for a larger power requirement from the combined group of lodges.