Energy Storage Potential for Solar Based Hybridization of Off-grid Diesel Power Plants in Tanzania

In rural areas of Tanzania electricity is mainly produced by diesel plants. To reduce generation costs the introduction of photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage is a viable option. For an implementation strategy, diesel plants are localized with a geospatial analysis and the potential for hybridization with PV and battery systems is investigated by simulating a PV-battery- diesel system. Thereby a maximal potential for 23.6 MWp PV and 56.8 MWh of battery capacity resulting in a cost reduction of 17 ct€/kWh is discovered. Battery costs should be below a threshold of 475 €/kWh to become a significant part of the hybrid system.