Sub-Saharan Africa

The planned solar capacity should be fully operational by the fourth quarter of 2023. Titanium products provider Tronoxhe will purchase the electricity.

Canadian company First Quantum Minerals will commission 430MW of photovoltaic and wind generation capacity from Total Eren and renewables-for-African-mining specialist Chariot Transitional Power.

Elsewhere, the Fraunhofer ISE research institute has unveiled a new tool for high-resolution power-to-X kinetic analysis, and German entities have signed partnership agreements with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

Through two different procurement exercises, the archipelago’s Central Electricity Board seeks to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.

Previously announced plans by the solar developer to pay a deposit to secure gas from a connected business expired on Friday and the company has now said it will focus on a form of the energy carrier powered by renewables.

The international development entity has already invested $1 billion in local, off-grid electricity networks over the last decade – and attracted a further $1.1 billion in matched funding – and has predicted mini-grids could supply electricity to 490 million people by 2030.

South African platinum miner Sedibelo Platinum wants to deploy a 40MW hybrid wind-solar plant and a 35MW photovoltaic park to power its operations across several sites. The plants will be owned and operated by Sturdee and will supply power to the mining facilities via power purchase agreements.

Huawei and Meinergy plan to build a facility that could end up being Africa’s largest solar-plus-storage project. Huawei will supply its storage tech for the installation.

Solar energy has many strengths, and impactful characteristics witnessed at varying levels around the world. While homes and industries in the western sphere are using solar power to diversify their current energy sources and add some renewable to their existing mix, families and entire communities across Africa are using much smaller solar systems to get electricity in their homes for the first time. That vast gap is noticeable in every aspect of life, including education, income, health, and more. Solar energy already has life-changing effects when looking to bridge gaps between developed and developing countries.

A business based at a Namibian mine has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement which will back the construction of a 5.4MW solar project. Elsewhere, the AfDB wants to roll-out solar panels to provide electricity access to six million people across six nations over the next six years.