Africa

Globeleq’s acquisition of the 41 MW plant significantly expands its renewable energy footprint in Mozambique. It also comes just weeks after the company began commercial operations at a 19 MW solar and 7 MWh storage project in Cuamba.

Mozambique government troops have grappled with an insurgency since 2017. Although this national security matter could deter foreign development and investment, the presence of independent power producers currently working in the region prove some companies do not deem it a risk, according to the head of the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA).

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, explains that the climatology of Africa leads to very different seasonal generation patterns from what European solar producers experience. Data analysed by Solcast, via the Solcast API, shows this seasonal variance from summer to winter in 2023.

In its latestt monthly column for pv magazine, the International Renewable Energy Agency explains that, in order to realize Africa’s vast potential, we must ensure there is adequate investment and infrastructure development to support renewable energy. In the coming years, this means urgently overcoming the structural barriers across three priorities: infrastructure, policy, and institutional capabilities.

Gambia’s Sustainable Energy Services Company is launching a tender to install 1,100 PV systems, ranging from 2 kW to 240 kW in size, on 1,000 schools and 99 health facilities.

Eritrea has launched a tender for a 30 MW solar plant, featuring an undisclosed amount of battery storage and a 66 kV transmission line. The project could become the largest PV installation ever constructed in the country.

Liberia Electricity Corp. (LEC) is seeking consultants to develop a 15 MW/10 MWh solar-plus-storage installation at Roberts International Airport near Monrovia, Liberia’s capital city.

In a new monthly column for pv magazine, SolarPower Europe describes how Mozambique may take full advantage of its huge solar potential by implementing its recently launched Renewable Energy Auctions Programme for large-scale projects, while also pushing for more off-grid renewables in remote areas.

National utility Keny Power is tendering solar microgrids that will be located in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Lamu, Narok, Kilifi, and Kwale.

Namibian utility NamPower is seeking an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor to build a solar farm in Rosh Pinah, a southern mining town. The project was originally designed for wind power generation.