Page 31 - Energize August 2021

TECHNICAL

Power developments in Africa

Compiled by Roger Lilley, Now Media

Award-winning company to expand Solar mini-grids for Nigeria

The global Seed Partnership (promoting entrepreneurship for sustainable development) Mini-grid provider PowerGen has teamed
has just unveiled the nine winning companies of its 2021 award, including six African ones. up with CrossBoundary Energy Access
Uganda’s Peec Energy is one of the six African Seed Award winners. The company provides (CBEA) to build and operate mini-grids
remote monitoring and smart metering solutions for solar mini-grids and solar home systems powered by small-scale solar PV plants
in rural communities. Peec Energy’s system, founded by Philip Kyeswa in 2016, benefits with battery storage systems. The project,
3800 households. The Ugandan company plans to expand into Rwanda and Congo to reach which involves the construction of 28 small
500 000 connected households. solar power plants with battery storage
systems, will electrify 55 000 homes in rural
PPP signed for new solar Government department goes Nigeria. The two partners estimate that
power plant for solar power these mini-grids will prevent the emission
of 2000 tonnes of CO 2 equivalent per year.
The installations will also boost economic
Independent power producer Legendre Babatunde Fashola, the Nigerian Minister
activity in rural areas, with small businesses
Energie, a subsidiary of the French group of Works and Housing, has inaugurated
gaining access to electricity.
Legendre, has signed a contract for a a 1,52 MW off-grid solar power plant
50 MW solar power plant in Fana with at the headquarters of his ministry in
the Malian transitional authorities. The Abuja, the Nigerian federal capital. The First part of West Bakr wind
electricity produced will be fed into the grid new facility supplies power to five blocks farm linked to grid
of the state-owned company Électricité du housing the Federal Ministry of Works
Mali (EDM). The solar power plant will be and Housing and the Federal Ministry Lekela Power is connecting the first
built under the BOOT (Build-Own-Operate- of Environment and Lands. The new part of its West Bakr wind farm to
Transfer) model, a form of public private solar power plant is expected to save Egypt’s national grid. A joint venture
partnership. The plant will be connected to about US$657 000 annually by reducing between the British investment fund
EDM’s 150 kV substation in Fana, 1,3 km fuel consumption from 764 000 litres to Actis and Mainstream Renewable
from the site. The project will cost more 167 000 litres per annum and reduce Power, the IPP is connecting 20 wind
than €50-million. associated CO 2 emissions. turbines from its West Bakr wind farm
to Egypt’s national grid. The remaining
First unit of hydropower station commissioned 76 turbines will be delivered before
the end of 2021 by Siemens Gamesa
Zambia commissioned the first unit of its 750 MW Kafue Gorge Lower hydropower station Renewable Energy. Once complete,
recently. The power station is located on the Kafue River in the Chikankata District, Southern this wind farm will generate 250 MW,
Province. It includes a 140 m dam and a power plant with five 150 MW generator units. enough for 350 000 Egyptian homes,
Zambia has seen increased demand for electricity for mining, agriculture, tourism, industry, reducing emissions of 550 000 tonnes
education, healthcare and homes. Over the last seven years, the current administration has of CO 2 equivalent per year.
overseen the addition of 1350 MW of power generation, bringing the total to an installed
capacity of 3250 MW. Countries to link electricity
networks
Solar home systems to bring New West African solar projects
power to households The African Development Bank will
Electricity access solutions provider loan US$71-million to Ethiopia for an
Burkino Faso, a country with a population MyJouleBox has raised €3-million for its electricity interconnection between it
of over 20 million, will soon benefit from expansion into West Africa. The company and its neighbour Djibouti. Co-financed
a rollout of pre-paid off-grid solar home plans to deploy 36 MW of solar PV systems by the World Bank, the project involves
systems which will give 2 million people to provide electricity to 55 000 new the construction of new infrastructure,
access to electricity. The system will be customers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal including a 190 km double-circuit
supplied by bBoxx which will receive and Togo. The company says its projects 230 kV, 400 MVA transmission line linking
payment from users through existing will accelerate electrification in West Africa, Galafi, Djibouti and Nagad, Ethiopia. This
mobile payment solutions. The company while reducing emissions by around interconnection should enable Djibouti to
estimates that the project will create 40 000 tonnes of CO 2 equivalent per year. benefit from low-cost electricity generated
500 jobs. According to Power Africa, The funds come from several investors, from renewable sources in Ethiopia, such
only 20% of Burkinabes have access to including EDFI ElectriFI (Electrification as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam,
electricity, and only 5% of these are in Financing Initiative), a European Union which will have a large power plant capable
rural areas. The country has an installed funding mechanism and the French of delivering 6450 MW. First power is
capacity of 568 MW. investment fund Gaia Impact Fund. expected next year.

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