Almost 9 GW of utility-scale solar under construction in Africa
The Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) says utility-scale solar projects are under development in 45 of Africa’s 54 countries, with more projects pairing solar and storage and emerging from direct negotiations between private developers and host governments.
Somalia launches solar-plus-storage tender
Somalia’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals is searching for a developer to design, supply, install, test and commission a solar-plus-storage project in the northwest of the country. The deadline for applications is June 14.
Eskom seeking partners to set up independent renewables unit
Eskom has issued a tender for partners to help launch a standalone renewables division, in a bid to speed up clean energy development in South Africa. The utility says it will evaluate bids based on sector experience, financial expertise, and project delivery record.
Zimbabwe seeking contractor for 5 MW of solar
The Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) has started accepting bids for a turnkey engineering, procurement, construction, financing, and operations and maintenance (EPC+F+OM) contractor for a 5 MW solar project.
Tanzanian utility issues EPC tender for 100 MW solar plant
Tanzania Electric Supply Co. Ltd. (Tanesco) is seeking engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors for a 100 MW PV facility to be built in the country’s Shinyanga Region.
Trina debuts 5 MWh energy storage system
The Chinese manufacturer said its new utility-scale battery uses 314 Ah cells with a 15,000-cycle lifespan.
Compression-assisted adsorption thermal battery prototype for seasonal heat storage
Chinese researchers have developed a thermal battery prototype using composite sorbents and have scaled it up via simulation to operate in real world conditions. A compression ratio from 1 to 4 reporteldy boosts average output heat power by 300%.
South Africa targeting up to 5 GW of new renewables per year
The South African Renewable Energy Master Plan (SAREM) aims to deploy at least 3 GW of new renewables per year, increasing to 5 GW by 2030, while creating 25,000 jobs in the country’s renewable energy and storage sectors.
Nigeria proposes ban on solar panel imports
The Nigerian government plans to ban solar panel imports to boost domestic production, but the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, a Lagos-based consultancy, warns the country is unprepared for such a restriction.
Somalia extends deadline for solar-plus-storage tender
Somalia has changed the deadline for a tender seeking a developer for a 55 MW solar plant with a 160 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at the Jazeera power plant in Mogadishu. The new deadline is May 5.
