Minister of Energy Jean Mathanga says the $20 million (about K35 billion) Battery Energy Storage System (Bess) at Kanengo in Lilongwe will help to stabilise the national grid by managing renewable energy fluctuations and improving power reliability. “Bess is the shock absorber our national grid has desperately needed.” Developed by Escom with $20 million (about K35 billion) support from the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (Geapp), the project is expected to strengthen energy demand management and support Malawi’s transition towards a more resilient electricity system. Koech said the project generated important lessons from design, procurement and construction, which would be shared through the Southern Africa Battery Energy Storage System Centre of Excellence at Mzuzu University. “Grid digitisation means we take the national energy utility grid and map the network to create what we call a digital twin,” she said.