Background
An energy company in North Africa initiated the development of a 400 MW / 800 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) to strengthen grid reliability, enable renewable integration, and provide dispatchable capacity to the network.
Given the scale of the project and the complexity of utility interconnection, the client required a comprehensive engineering approach to advance the system from concept through construction while ensuring compliance, safety, and system performance.
Challenge
Delivering a utility-scale BESS of this size required a fully coordinated, utility-compliant design across:
- Medium-voltage collection systems
- Interconnection infrastructure
- Protection and grounding systems
- Storage equipment integration
Without detailed modeling, issued-for-construction (IFC) design packages, and technical oversight across procurement and construction, the project faced:
- Interconnection approval challenges
- Design inconsistencies and potential rework
- Equipment mis-sizing and protection coordination risks
- Construction delays and safety exposure
At this scale, the challenge was not limited to system design; it was ensuring that all engineering elements aligned to support a buildable, compliant, and interconnected asset.
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Solution
EPE delivered an end-to-end Owner’s Engineer programme, providing engineering oversight and design development from early-stage studies through construction.
This included the development of IFC-ready electrical designs for the 34.5kV collection and BESS systems, supported by detailed modelling and system studies using ASPEN, ETAP, PSCAD, and PSS®E platforms.
The scope of work included:
- IFC electrical design for 34.5kV MV collection system and BESS infrastructure
- Utility interconnection and system studies
- Protection and grounding design
- Point of interconnection (POI) feasibility analysis
- Procurement support through technical specifications and RFP packages
- Construction administration and shop drawing review
- As-built documentation and model updates
Design packages were delivered at 30/60/90 IFC milestones to ensure coordination across disciplines and alignment with construction sequencing.
Key Insight
At this scale, the primary risk was not individual system components but alignment across the full project lifecycle from interconnection studies through detailed design, procurement, and construction execution.
Ensuring consistency between modelling assumptions, equipment specifications, and field implementation proved critical to avoiding rework and maintaining progress toward energisation.
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Result
The client received a complete, utility-compliant design and study package that:
- Enabled confident interconnection of a 400 MW / 800 MWh storage asset
- Supported efficient permitting and procurement processes
- Reduced construction and coordination risk
- Validated equipment sizing, protection systems, and safety performance
This integrated approach accelerated project execution while maintaining reliability, safety, and long-term operational performance.
Why It Mattered
Utility-scale BESS projects play a critical role in grid stability and renewable integration, but their successful delivery depends on coordinated engineering across multiple systems and stakeholders.
This engagement ensured that a large-scale storage asset could progress from concept to construction with a clear, compliant, and technically aligned pathway to interconnection and operation.