Niger joins the Scaling Solar club
The government wants 30% of its power from clean energy sources by 2035 and the 50 MW of solar targeted by the World Bank would make up two-thirds of that ambition.
UK and Norwegian governments back solar-plus-storage in Mozambique
A solar array planned in the Tetereane district of Cuamba has been described by its developer as the nation’s first independent power project to feature utility scale storage.
Universal electricity access by 2030 remains a distant dream
Energy efficiency, electrification of heating and transport, and the provision of clean cooking facilities are all going in the wrong direction as the Covid crisis deprived millions in sub-Saharan Africa of electricity use, according to a report by the IEA, IRENA, WHO, World Bank and UN Statistics Division.
Romania sees first green bonds
World Bank arm the International Finance Corp has now extended almost €76 million of credit into two sustainable lending facilities launched via Raiffeisen Bank.
Abu Dhabi deepens investment in Uzbekistani solar
Masdar’s latest, 400 MW solar project win followed hot on the heels of the award of the contract to develop a 457 MW solar field elsewhere in the central Asian nation.
South African bank secures continent’s ‘first green loan’
The private-sector arm of the World Bank says it will lend up to $150 million to Johannesburg-based Absa Bank for green project funding.
What will African nations require to produce competitive green hydrogen exports?
A robust national strategy, a portfolio of renewable energy assets, public subsidies and, ideally, existing gas pipelines will all favor African nations aiming to become exporters in the energy storage medium, participants heard at a recent two-day green hydrogen conference.
IFC says green recovery could drive $2.5tn renewables market this decade
The private-sector arm of the World Bank, which claims to leverage $3 of its own capital and $8 from third parties for every dollar invested in its blended finance funds, has attempted to quantify what devoting Covid recovery funds to green investment would mean for emerging economies.
Tender for 32 MW solar project subcontractors in Chad
The planned power plant marks the first phase of a 60 MW scheme 30km north of the capital, N’Djamena. The overall project is being developed by UK-based Private Infrastructure Development Group and French company Smart Energies International.
Uzbekistan announces tender for up to 900 MW of solar
The central Asian nation and the International Finance Corporation have signed a mandate to develop up to 900 MW of solar capacity through public-private partnerships.
