Core Viewpoint - South Africa's government has secured nearly 1.7GW/11GWh of grid-scale battery storage capacity through various procurement plans, but the fairness and feasibility of these projects are under scrutiny [2]. Group 1: Procurement Plans and Capacity - Eskom is continuously procuring large-scale battery storage systems from private enterprises to enhance renewable energy penetration and alleviate load-shedding issues [4]. - The Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (BESIPPPP) has cumulatively procured approximately 1,744MW/6,976MWh of capacity as of May this year [4]. - Projects will receive net reliable capacity payments and net energy payments, with all projects required to be operational by 2027/2028 [4]. Group 2: Project Implementation and Challenges - Eskom plans to deploy a total capacity of 343MW/1,440MWh through its own projects, but only one 20MW/100MWh project has been connected to the grid due to financial issues [6][11]. - As of now, only two projects have been operational, accounting for 9.2% of the total capacity, with 33% having completed commercial closure and entered the construction phase [11]. Group 3: Controversies and Criticisms - The opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has raised concerns about the fairness of the BESIPPPP procurement process, prompting the South African Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to publicly defend it [7]. - The majority of the winning bids in the procurement process have been secured by international independent power producers, with local company Mulilo emerging as a significant winner in the second and third rounds of bidding [14].