Senegal

Germany’s development bank, KfW, is financing a new minigrid project in Senegal with a $138.8 million loan.

For the many millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa who lack access to electric lighting, sunset brings an almost enveloping dark. But Light Libraries is one handy solar-powered program that brings an affordable end to darkness for school students. pv magazine sat down with Sofia Ollvid from SolarAid to discuss how these libraries work.

Turkish developer Citus Power built the solar array with Sungrow inverters and Trina modules. It is able to operate in both on- and off-grid mode.

Attendees at an online event dedicated to rooftop solar in Central Africa called for customer incentives, tax exemptions for solar kit, feed-in tariffs, installation standards, affordable finance, grid connections and recycling policies across the region.

With pressure mounting on the world’s governments to turn their back on the fossil fuel, China and peers in South East Asia, Europe and South Asia could help deliver a coal-free future at the COP26 climate summit planned in Glasgow in November.

Engie energized two facilities with capacities of 35 MW and 25 MW, respectively, in the central part of Senegal. The two plants will sell power to the local grid under a 25-year PPA at a price of XOF25/kWh ($0.046).

Politicians across the continent will have to decide between their heavily-indebted state utilities or embracing the energy transition, according to one energy analyst.

With Chinese manufacturers having warned they will pass on escalating component costs, and shipping expenses soaring since last summer, the rising price of solar is forcing some installers to redraft quotes, pv magazine has discovered.

Pending final closing, the Electrification Financing Initiative has announced it is considering private equity investments of €1.5 million to two French firms operating in Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso and Senegal, and $1.5 million to a Tanzanian business operating in Tanzania and Uganda.

The Senegalese Rural Electrification Agency (ASER) is seeking bids for the construction of 133 mini solar power plants across 177 rural villages.