Off-grid solar sector witnesses sales of 4.1 million products in six months
Industry body Gogla and the World Bank’s Lighting Global program said the last six months set a record for off-grid solar deployment. Solar home systems and other small off-grid appliances are being used in ever larger numbers.
Eswatini 40 MW solar tender attracts 13 approved bidders
The regulator received 26 proposals overall for a project intended to make the kingdom less dependent on power imports from troubled South African utility Eskom.
20 MW solar-plus-storage project tender at Zimbabwe gold mine
Canadian business Caledonia Mining Corporation plc wants to build a power plant at its Blanket mine near Gwanda, in southern Zimbabwe.
Is Eskom turning to solar?
The South African utility has issued a 20-strong tender for 50 kW solar inverters and mounting structures, to be used in four power plants. Although it is unclear whether the tender marks the energy company’s first step into solar energy, the procurement follows the recent publication of South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan. Eskom is reportedly developing a renewables-linked large scale storage project which may explain the need for inverters.
Namibia launches EPC tender for 20 MW solar project
The nation’s Central Procurement Board, on behalf of utility NamPower, has announced a tender to select an engineering, procurement and construction services contractor.
Burkina Faso gold mines to get 13 MW solar-plus-storage
Renewable energy is rapidly being adopted by mining companies as the combination of off-grid power and cheaply available renewables offers a strong business case.
Completion of 390 MW Benban projects crowns impressive quarter for Scatec Solar
With power production up 133% year-on-year, revenues and EBITDA also rose significantly.
South Africa plans to allocate at least 6 GW of large scale solar by 2030
That would take the country to 8.28 GW of generation capacity by the end of the next decade with the government stating up to 6 GW of small scale capacity could be required on top. By that stage, however, coal would still amount to 43% of generation capacity and gas and diesel a combined 8.1%, under the new Integrated Resource Plan.
The weekend read: A bump in the road for pay-as-you-go solar and self-sustainability
Two high-profile bankruptcies this year could serve as a warning for the potential pitfalls of pay-as-you-go and small scale, off-grid solar. However, Marcus Wiemann and David Lecoque of the Alliance for Rural Electrification say such business models can lead to long-term success and have a key role to play in providing power to the 1 billion people throughout the world who still live without electricity.
Cronimet finishes 1 MW rooftop PV array on Namibian mall
The German developer and independent power producer claims it finished its latest solar project in the country about one month ahead of schedule.
