Akuo Begins Construction Of 50 MW/200 MWh Electricity Storage In New Caledonia To Stabilise Grid, Support Renewables, And Meet Peak Demand
Source：solarquarter
Akuo, the French renewable energy producer, has announced the start of construction for one of the largest electricity storage facilities in France, located in New Caledonia. The facility, once operational, will be able to deliver 50 MW of power each day for three hours over the duration of its 12-year contract. To achieve this, Akuo is installing more than 200 MWh of storage capacity in the municipality of Boulouparis, in the South Province of New Caledonia’s main island. The storage facility is designed to stabilise the local electricity network and support a higher share of renewable energy in the island’s power mix.
Scheduled to come online in the third quarter of 2027, the system will store electricity generated during the day and release it in the evening, when demand peaks. With an effective capacity of 150 MWh, the facility will provide enough energy to meet the equivalent of Nouméa’s electricity consumption for approximately three hours. Beyond meeting energy demand, the facility will act as a network regulation tool, offering rapid responses to frequency and voltage variations. It will also use grid-forming technology, allowing it to establish the network and restart it in the event of a blackout. These capabilities are expected to strengthen network stability and enable greater integration of renewable energy into New Caledonia’s electricity system.
Akuo has a strong presence in Boulouparis, where it already operates three solar farms, including the Kwita Wije photovoltaic plant, which has a 6 MWp capacity and is supported by a 3 MW/3 MWh storage system. In addition to its energy projects, Akuo supports community initiatives, such as a social coffee resale store run by the Boulouparis Solidarité charity. The company has installed an educational greenhouse to encourage food self-production and regularly organises educational visits and workshops at the Kwita Wije plant for younger audiences to learn about renewable energy.
The new storage facility aligns with New Caledonia’s ambitious energy transition goals. The government aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2035, as outlined in the “Schéma de Transition Energétique de la Nouvelle Calédonie” adopted in August 2023. Achieving these targets requires accelerated decarbonisation of metallurgical sites, which consume two-thirds of the island’s electricity, and replacing at least 50 percent of fossil energy in the nickel sector with renewables. Expanding storage capacity is a critical step toward integrating more renewable energy into the grid and enabling the archipelago’s energy transition.
The project is a public-private partnership supported by Caisse d’Epargne Ile-de-France, Banque de Nouvelle-Calédonie, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Banque Calédonienne d’Investissement, and Bpifrance. Local customary tribes are also involved through the Wiwa and Wije groups, allowing these communities to benefit economically from the facility throughout its operational life. The project also benefits from tax exemption mechanisms, including local incentives from the New Caledonian government and the French national LODEOM system, which reduces costs for the network and encourages investment from mainland France.
Bruno Bensasson, CEO of the Akuo group, said that completing the project’s development and financing marks a significant milestone. He emphasised the importance of the storage facility in increasing the share of renewable energy in New Caledonia, supporting the transition of the mining sector to sustainable energy, and strengthening the overall electricity network. He also highlighted the commitment of Akuo’s teams and partners to delivering the project successfully.