Chinese PV Industry Brief: News of 360 MW project win in Nigeria and TBEA benefits from poly shortage
State-owned China Xinhua Power Development has booked a $53 million discount on seven solar farms as developer Kongsun seeks to pay down debts, and Canadian Solar has landed a 45 MWh energy storage contract in Colombia.
European funding for solar mini grids in Kenya
Some 22 villages in Busia county will receive a total of 7,000 electricity connection points plus solar-powered street lighting and water services after InfraCo Africa invested $4.2 million acquiring 40% of developer Kudura Power East Africa.
A wave of big African solar is set to break
The Africa Solar Industry Association has recorded almost 2 GW of large scale project announcements since the start of last month with 18 countries planning new clean power infrastructure and including energy storage in the plants.
EU finance to back solar pumps and lanterns in Tanzania
European development campaign the Electricity Financing Initiative has invested around €1.26 million in a €1.5 million bond issued by domestic solar products supplier Simusolar.
ARE, SIAZ sign MoU to accelerate universal energy access in Zambia with renewables
The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) and the Solar Industry Association of Zambia (SIAZ) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support the transition to renewable energy sources in Zambia. One of the goals is to create at least five million green jobs globally.
Zimbabwe announces 66 MW of new PV projects
Solar is the main energy source among all independent power producer projects licensed by the authorities in Zimbabwe. The largest solar plant under construction in the country is a 25 MW facility in Matabeleland North province.
East African renewables developers and investors need matchmaking
Lack of grid capacity and renewable energy institutions are a common lament in sub-Saharan Africa but there is no lack of cash to invest, nor eligible projects in East Africa, as a recent event heard; the problem lies in marrying the two.
World Bank supports Burkina Faso’s rural solar electrification with $168m
The funds will be used to implement the country’s Large Scale Solar and Rural Electrification Project. They will also support the government in outlining an upcoming tender for 325 MW of solar coupled with 335 MWh of storage capacity.
Côte d’Ivoire launches tender for 60 MW of solar
The government of Côte d’Ivoire aims to facilitate the development of 60 MW of solar at two sites via a new tender. The projects will be built under the World Bank’s Scaling Solar program.
Togo renewables regime praised as 50 MW solar plant begins generating
The emirati developer behind the nation’s first private utility scale solar project cited the financial certainty offered by the host government under its national development plan.
