ACTOM has acquired local battery manufacturer JUEL Batteries as it expands its battery energy storage system (BESS) capabilities through its Static Power business.
The acquisition was announced at Enlit Africa 2026 on May 20 with JUEL Batteries set to be rebranded as ACTOM Static Energy.
The move positions ACTOM to expand beyond its traditional industrial standby battery business into commercial, industrial and utility-scale lithium-ion storage applications.
According to Richard von Moltke, General Manager of Static Power, the acquisition follows growing demand for lithium-ion battery solutions as industrial customers transition away from conventional lead-acid and nickel-cadmium systems.
He said ACTOM identified the need to expand its battery offering as lithium-ion technologies gained traction across standby power and energy storage applications.
JUEL Batteries was selected following an evaluation process focused on technical capability, engineering standards and alignment with ACTOM’s localisation strategy. The acquisition also strengthens ACTOM’s existing standby power offering while creating a platform for expansion into larger-scale storage applications.
Local assembly underpins expansion strategy
As part of the acquisition, battery production has been relocated to ACTOM’s Power Transformers facility in Pretoria West where the company has invested in additional manufacturing and assembly equipment.
Von Moltke said the expanded facility is expected to increase production capacity tenfold while creating room for future expansion. He said local assembly will allow ACTOM to reduce exposure to exchange rate volatility while increasing the South African content of its battery storage systems.
According to the Von Moltke, less than 50% of the final battery value is imported.
Commercial and industrial demand accelerates
Speaking to Energize, Louis Heyns, Managing Director of ACTOM Static Energy, said battery storage demand in South Africa is shifting beyond residential backup applications towards commercial, industrial and utility-scale deployments.
He estimates that South Africa currently has between 2 GWh and 3 GWh of installed battery storage capacity against a solar generation base of about 15 GW.
“Government procurement through the Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme has already awarded 1 744 MW of grid-scale BESS capacity across three bid windows with Window 3 alone representing a R9.5 billion investment commitment. The National Transmission Company of South Africa is separately procuring ancillary services, including frequency regulation and instantaneous reserves, where fast-response battery storage is expected to play an increasingly important role,” he says.
Changing electricity tariff structures and growing interest in energy arbitrage are creating new opportunities for battery storage systems that allow users to store electricity during lower-cost periods and discharge it during peak pricing windows.
According to Heyns, industrial customers are increasingly seeking systems that combine energy optimisation with uninterrupted power supply functionality.
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