Sandock Austral Energy (SAE) is a dedicated and experienced energy project developer that specialises in turnkey solutions development. Its competitive advantage resides in its unique ability to optimally integrate various niche technologies to deliver a truly bespoke market offering.

“Sandock Austral Energy seeks to provide bespoke energy solutions in line with global and local sustainability priorities,” said Rob Shongwe, CEO of SAE.

The company places particular attention on the development of greener and renewable energy technologies and solutions, therefore contributing to the nation’s socially and environmentally conscious economic growth agenda.

“Fundamentally, SAE specialises in the engineering, development, financing, construction, and commissioning of complex systems configured of various components that can be dependent on any range of energy carriers and/or sources. With the current challenges countries face to limit global warming, we pride ourselves in providing our clients’ requirements in both brown and green energy fields,” Shongwe said.

SAE’s expert technical capabilities cross most mainstream energy carriers and sources. This ability, together with its 360-degree approach allows the company to place asset and resource optimisation at the heart of its design philosophy whilst maximising client benefit.

SAE is proficient in developing systems comprising or incorporating the following:
• Independent Power Producer (IPP) – Renewable Energy Systems
• Utility/Grid Scale Energy Project Development & Advisory
• Power Plants EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction)
• Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) for Renewable and Legacy Plants
• Oil & Gas (- Blue & Green Hydrogen, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production
• Solar energy: ground mounted, roof mounted and floating systems
• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) - Lithium ion Battery & Redox Flow Battery
• Bioenergy; Biomass & Biofuels - Torrefied Pellets
• Green & Blue Hydrogen Systems
• Wave & Ocean Energy Systems
• Wind Energy

Dispatchable Solar Solution is a pre-wired and assembled solar plant in a 6-meter container. This mobile solution comprises solar panels and an inverter for quick deployment on-grid and off-grid. It is scalable, and as many solar modules as needed can be connected to create a mobile solar power plant.

Sandock Austral Energy owns the intellectual property on a novel battery energy storage system (BESS) and is manufacturing a lithium-ion battery energy storage facility in Durban for residential, industrial and utilities.

“These are the first indigenous batteries in South Africa. We own the intellectual property, and we will put Durban on the map because of this initiative,” Shongwe commented.

The BESS ranges comprise:
• PACK ENERGY STORAGE - The pack energy storage is available in 2.9kWh, 5kWh and 11.7kWh. All pack energy storage supports both 24 and 48VDC. The Pack Energy Storage Power System Unit can be configured for home energy use.
• MICRO-GRID ENERGY STORAGE - Micro-grid energy storage is available in 160kWh and 520kWh. These systems support 48, 144 and 288VDC. The Micro-Grid Energy Storage Power System Unit can be configured for home/industrial energy use cases.
• GRID ENERGY STORAGE - Grid energy storage is available in 2MWh. This system supports 1kVDC. Four Micro-Grid Energy Storage Power System Unit work together via a serial link and can be configured for industrial energy use cases.

The BESS has a dispatchable product range that can used by utilities and large industries during loadshedding. It stems from the 160kW, 520kW and 2MW units, which have been customised to be mobile units that have network integration switchgear so that there is minimal modification to the clients’ infrastructure when connecting.

SAE offers a wide range of energy trading advisory services and transaction facilitation solutions through a network of financiers, traders, legal experts, analysist and project developers, for crude oil, electricity, natural gas and wind power commodities.

SAE supports each stage comprising the Carbon Offset Administration System scope including project approval and the listing of credits:
• The granting of an Extended Letter of Approval (ELoA) for project developers of offset credits
• Credit listing in the Ownership Repository
• Credit ownership transfer
• The retirement of credits to gain an offset certificate (i.e., to offset the liability of an entity that is eligible for the South African carbon tax) SAE has a Virtual Power Station with a project currently under development for one South African Metro and three micro-grids for over ten private residential estates in West Africa.

“Our virtual power station is testimony to the vast product and service ranges that are incorporated to create the platform. It enables us to perform both energy and carbon credits trading on the platform,” concluded Shongwe.