Rendeavour finishes first project of its 30 MW plan for Kenya
The African property developer has completed a 1 MW rooftop PV array at an industrial park in Nairobi. The installation is its first solar project in Kenya and part of a planned 30 MW rollout at Tatu City, its new mixed-use development in the capital.
Engie finishes minigrid, expands PV home system business in Zambia
French power group Engie has started up its first minigrid installation in Zambia, while also announcing plans to expand Fenix, its PV home system unit for the African market. It did not disclose the specifications or size of the minigrid system.
UNDP issues tender for 10.5 MW of solar in Gambia
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is seeking proposals for two IPP solar projects with capacities of 7 MW and 3.5 MW, with the larger plant to host some storage capacity. The projects will be awarded PPAs with the Gambia National Water & Electricity Company (NAWEC).
NDB to provide $180m to Eskom for grid development
The New Development Bank has agreed to offer a $180 million loan with sovereign guarantee to Eskom. The utility, which is based just outside of Johannesburg, plans to build new infrastructure to integrate 670 MW of unspecified renewables into the South African grid.
African Development Bank approves $20m to back minigrids in DRC
The board of the multilateral development finance institution has approved a $20 million facility to back the deployment of renewables-based minigrid projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Guinea-Bissau launches 22 MW PV tender
The tendered project is expected to provide 500,000 people with access to energy, while more than doubling the country’s total installed power generation capacity. It includes a grid-connected 20 MW solar plant in Gardete and two 1 MW hybrid solar-diesel plants in Gabu and Canchungo that will also rely on some storage capacity.
Mali moves forward with another large-scale PV project
The government of the West African country has given a temporary concession to PowerPro to develop the first phase of the project. The plant will be located in the Sikasso Region, in the southernmost part of Mali.
IRENA, GGGI to jointly promote renewables
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) have agreed to collaborate on the promotion of renewable energy sources such as solar.
Off-grid solar could bring electricity to 740 million people by 2022
As RP Global starts work on 11 solar hybrid mini-grids on Lake Victoria that will supply electricity to 160,000 people, analyst Wood Mackenzie has released a report stating how increased capital flows in the sector may still fall short of securing universal electricity access by 2030. Nonetheless, off-grid solar is the cheapest and most viable solution for remote areas and attracts investment from fossil fuel majors and venture capital funds.
Floating PV offers alternative to grid outages in South Africa
A 60 kW floating array was deployed by New Southern Energy at the reservoir of a fruit farm near Franschhoek, in the Western Cape Province. A second phase of the project will also include storage.
