Page 42 - Energize October 2022

Power developments in Africa

Compiled by Roger Lilley, Now Media

Hydroelectric power plant on the cards Another African hydrogen
project underway
IFC, Scatec, EDF and the government of Malawi, will develop the 350 MW Mpatamanga
hydropower project on the Shire River. The generation facility is composed of two plants: a 309 British company Chariot will implement its
MW peaking plant and a 41 MW downstream plant. The project is expected to contribute to Nour project in partnership with Total Eren, the
reducing energy shortages and enhancing energy security in Malawi. The 309 MW plant with its subsidiary of French multinational TotalEnergies.
reservoir storage is designed to provide much needed energy during peak demand, and overall Chariot’s project involves the production of
grid stability with its ability to ramp production up or down to meet actual demand. hydrogen with electricity generated from
renewable sources in the Mauritanian desert.
Off-grid solar power sector Egypt considering European The overall project involves the construction of
gets boost clean energy imports solar and wind farms with a capacity of 10 GW.
This clean electricity will be transformed into
The funding partners of the Covid-19 Off- Egyptian and European authorities are green hydrogen via electrolysis. The project will
Grid Recovery Platform have announced an considering exporting clean energy from also provide a cost-effective and transportable
additional US$20-million in funding to support Egypt to Europe. The discussions could lead energy solution for export to the European
the recovery of the off-grid solar power sector, to a project to supply Europe with electricity market to replace CO 2-emitting fuels.
which was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 via a 1000 km long power line linking
pandemic. The Global Environment Facility Egypt and Greece. The power line should Kesses solar PV nears
(GEF) is providing $13-million, while $7-million be capable of injecting 700 MW into the completion
will be provided by the Sustainable Energy Greek electricity grid. Cairo already exports
Fund for Africa (SEFA), a special multi-donor electricity to Jordan through a 13 km long Voltalia and Trina Solar are completing the
fund managed by the AfDB. The platform will 400 kV submarine cable. The power line construction of the Kesses solar PV power
support companies that install green mini-grids, crosses the Gulf of Aqaba, with an exchange plant in Kenya. The 55,6 MW project is being
solar home systems, clean cooking systems and capacity of 550 MW. Egypt is also working developed by the Spanish energy company
other renewable energy solutions. on exporting electricity to Iraq and Cyprus. Alten Energías Renovables. The construction
phase of the Kesses solar photovoltaic
Solar water heaters reduce fossil fuel use power plant is now complete. The plant,
located in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, uses
Tunisia is distributing thousands of solar-powered water heaters to help reduce energy consumption 103 936 panels on 928 single-axis trackers.
in a country suffering an economic crisis. Tunisia wants to reduce its fossil energy consumption Production of 123 000 MWh annually is
by 30% by 2030. As part of this strategy, the government has equipped 400 000 households with expected, enough to supply the electricity
solar-powered water heaters. The project has enabled the State to save about 650 000 tonnes of needs of at least 245 000 Kenyan households
oil equivalent (natural or liquefied gas). The initiative aims to create a sustainable market for solar while diversifying the East African country’s
thermal applications and to install 200 000 m² of solar thermal collectors in the country. electricity mix.

Namibia going green Egyptian hydrogen project Solar power plant gets battery
planned storage
HDF Energy has announced a green hydrogen
project near the city of Swakopmund in Fortescue Future Industries is in talks Malawi’s Golomoti solar project is being
Namibia. Its facilities are expected to be with the Egyptian government to install developed under a public-private partnership
operational by 2024. HDF will use Namibia’s a hydrogen production plant capable of (PPP). The project is going ahead in the Dedza
solar potential to participate in the converting 9,2 GW of clean electricity. district, 92 km from the capital Lilongwe. JCM
implementation of the partnership signed These negotiations, which began in Power’s 20 MW solar PV power plant will be
between this southern African country Cairo, are part of Fortescue’s strategy equipped with a 5 MW/10 MWh battery storage
and the European Union (EU), for the to set up an installed capacity, for the system. The project was made possible with
development of the green hydrogen industry. production worldwide of hydrogen and the support of several development finance
The project involves the construction of an its derivatives, of 15 million m3 per year institutions, including the United States Agency
85 MWp solar photovoltaic power plant. This by 2030. In addition to the production of for International Development (USAID), which
electricity will be converted into hydrogen in hydrogen and green ammonia, FFI is also funded the development phase of the project.
an electrolysis unit. The company says it can exploring the possibility of setting up local The UK government’s Innovate UK Energy
produce 142 GWh annually, enough for 142 manufacturing facilities for solar and wind Catalyst programme provided a grant for the
000 inhabitants. power generation equipment. installation of the battery storage system.

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