SYSTEM TYPE
2.2MWp HYBRID
CRITICAL LOAD
COLD STORAGE
ENERGY SAVINGS
40%
Supply Chain Resilience

MPUMALANGA International
FRESH PRODUCE

LOCATION
MBOMBELA, MPUMALANGA
MISSION CRITICAL
Food Security Infrastructure
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FOOD SECURITY

Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market is the critical supply hub serving restaurants, retailers, and communities across the Eastern Highveld region. It is the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

Every day, millions of Rands of fresh produce—fruits, vegetables, and perishable goods—flow through these cold storage facilities. A single hour of power failure creates a cascade of losses: spoiled inventory, broken supply chains, and communities without fresh food access.

Critical Dependency

Before In4solar's intervention, grid failures threatened the entire regional food distribution network. Temperature-sensitive produce couldn't be stored safely during load shedding.

INVENTORY AT RISK
R2.8M
Average daily cold storage value
CRITICAL TEMPERATURE
2-4°C
Required cold chain temperature range
SPOILAGE WINDOW
4-6 hrs
Before temperature breach occurs
ANNUAL SPOILAGE (PRE-SOLAR)
R4.2M
Grid failure-related losses (2023)
"We weren't just losing money—we were failing the communities that depend on us for fresh food. Every load shedding event was a food security crisis."
— OPERATIONS MANAGER, MPUMALANGA FRESH PRODUCE
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HYBRID

In4solar engineered a 2.2MWp solar PV system with a 3MWh containerised battery energy storage system (BESS), purpose-built for cold chain resilience. The system delivers triple protection: daytime solar offset, intelligent load management, and critical backup power during grid failures.

2.2MWp
Solar Array
High-efficiency panels across the entire market roof, edge to edge
3MWh
Battery Storage
Containerised battery storage that keeps the cold rooms running through outages
100%
Cold Chain Uptime
Guaranteed refrigeration continuity during all grid outages
✓
Intelligent Load Prioritisation
AI-powered system prioritises cold storage loads during battery discharge, ensuring temperature-critical infrastructure receives power first
✓
Seamless Grid Transition
Sub-100ms automatic transfer switch (ATS) prevents any temperature control interruption during power transitions
✓
Real-Time Temperature Monitoring
Integrated cold storage temperature telemetry with automated alerts for any variance beyond safe thresholds
✓
Extended Backup Runtime
3MWh of containerised storage runs the full cold storage load for 8 hours, longer than typical load shedding

System Architecture

Triple-redundant power topology for mission-critical cold storage

Solar Array
2.2MWp DC
Containerised BESS
3MWh Storage
Grid Connection
Bi-Directional
Cold Storage
Priority Load
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SECTION

SITE GALLERY

Completed rooftop array across the market building
Panel rows on the curved market roof
Rooftop array from above the loading bays
Market frontage and rooftop array
Rooftop array from the side
18-Month Performance

ZERO

SPOILAGE EVENTS

Since system commissioning in Q2 2024, not a single kilogram of produce has been lost to grid failure

63
Grid Outages Survived
100%
Cold Chain Uptime
R4.2M
Spoilage Prevented

BUSINESS IMPACT

INVENTORY PROTECTION
R4.2M
Annual spoilage prevention value—completely eliminating grid-related losses
Zero cold chain failures in 18 months
ENERGY COST REDUCTION
40%
Operational cost savings through solar offset and demand charge reduction
R8.4M annual energy savings
BACKUP RUNTIME
8 hrs
Guaranteed cold storage operation during extended outages
3MWh containerised BESS deployed
SUPPLY CHAIN RELIABILITY
99.9%
On-time delivery rate improvement to downstream customers
Regional food security strengthened
In4Solar rooftop array at Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market

Scale your operations with In4solar.

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