Sub-Saharan Africa

The Mozambican Energy Fund and the Belgian Development Agency have kicked off a tender to facilitate the construction of five solar minigrids to improve rural electricity access in the southern African nation. Prospective developers have until the end of the month to express interest.

The electricity company wants a solar module fab at its Tana Power Station in Murang’a county. The factory would have an initial annual production capacity of 10 MW.

The African Development Bank has agreed to invest $200 million to improve electricity access in Nigeria by building minigrids throughout the country.

Benin has obtained a $21.1 million loan from the investment and development bank of the Economic Community of West African States and Burundi will benefit from a $160 million World Bank donation, $100 million of which will be dedicated to solar energy.

The Climate Investment Platform launched by three multilateral bodies in September is now open for business and renewables companies in developing nations could qualify for help with clean energy facilities, renewables-related grid improvements and energy efficiency schemes.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the world’s most natural mineral rich countries, yet it is plagued with poverty, inequality, corruption, human rights violations and many more challenges. Mining for materials like cobalt is at the center of these. According to state-owned miner Gecamines, over 22% of the country’s GDP is generated in the mining sector, while 70% of the world’s cobalt is produced in the country.

A British-Nigerian team of researchers claims to have developed a code-based approach for solar modeling and simulation which could facilitate better decisions in PV tech research. The model can reportedly be applied to the study of solar thermodynamics, cell material characteristics, PV system design and power monitoring potential.

Reports of module under-performance at the Mulilo Sonnedix Prieska solar project have prompted a response from South African company Artsolar, one of the module suppliers for the plant. The project is said to be experiencing serious problems due to premature module degradation. Divian Govendar, CEO of Johannesburg-based Artsolar, said the company has not been required to replace any modules at the site.

A study has attempted to provide detailed analysis of the beneficial impact off-grid renewables, led by solar, are having on people in the world’s least developed countries.

Plastic manufacturer Miniplast will buy electricity from a 704 kW grid-connected solar array owned and operated by Norwegian developer Empower New Energy AS.