Africa

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development of the Sub-Saharan country is currently seeking advice for its Decentralized Renewables Development Program, which includes an off-grid master plan for the electrification of islands on Lake Victoria and the creation of a pilot program for solar net metering.

The Accelerating Battery Storage for Development program is intended to leverage US$4 billion in new investments, and to support projects for utility-scale solar parks with battery storage, off-grid systems, including mini-grids, and stand-alone batteries.

Via an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Italian oil company aims to increase its presence in Africa’s renewable energy markets. It already invests more than half of its budget in the region.

The Energy Project Implementation Support Unit (EPISU) will help independent power producers (IPPs) improve the bankability of projects. The new entity is being created with the financial support of the African Development Bank.

The solar plant was built by the local IPP, Meinergy Ghana Ltd in Gomoa Onyaadze, in southern Ghana. The country’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said that further IPP projects will be brought online via competitive bidding, and that solar bids will have to be cheaper.

Tanzania-based mini-grid operator, Jumeme is tendering two 1 MW projects in the Rukwa and Katawi regions. The projects are being developed in the frame of the Micro Power Economy, Tanzania Roll out program, which is financially backed by the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF).

Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency is seeking consultants to conduct feasibility studies and develop a masterplan design for the ambitious program, which aims to establish a new energy infrastructure in the state of Jigawa. The program is backed by the African Development Bank.

South Africa-based Sun Exchange and U.S. minigrid developer, Powerhive have come together to step up minigrid deployment in rural Kenya by leveraging the crypto economy. The partnership is expected to catalyze up to $23 million of capital and fund around 150 new projects in the country’s power hungry areas.

The project, the capacity of which could range between 200-400 MW, is being planned by Dubai-based Almaden Emirates Fortune Power LLC, a joint venture of holding investment company, Emirates Fortune Group and Chinese solar manufacturer, Almaden. If built, the facility will more than double the country’s current power generation capacity, and help reduce energy poverty.

The 20 MW facility will sell power to Madagascar’s state-owned utility, Jirama under a long-term PPA. Construction on the plant started in late 2016.