Page 38 - Energize March 2022

TECHNICAL

Power developments in Africa

Compiled by Roger Lilley, Now Media

Pre-qualification process for thermodynamic solar power PV-powered water
plants desalination plant for
Tanzania
Botswana is launching the pre-qualification process for the construction of two thermodynamic
solar power plants. The project aims at an installed capacity of 200 MW. Interested independent Tanzania is the recipient of a new PV-
power producers have until 11 April 2022 to apply. The call is for pre-qualification for the powered water desalination plant with a
construction of two concentrating solar power plants in Maun and Letlhakane in the Central capacity of 100 m3 per day. This project
District. This public-private partnership should also involve the state-owned Botswana Power is the result of a partnership between
Corporation which will purchase the electricity produced by the future plants. Six new solar Boreal Light, of Germany, and WaterKiosk
photovoltaic plants are also planned across the country. Africa, a company based in Nairobi, Kenya.
The recently commissioned plant is also
Call for tender: floating Ethiopia’s hydroelectric equipped with a wastewater treatment
solar power plant power project goes ahead system to ensure that no contaminants are
discharged. This project, by the Berlin-based
The state-owned company Côte d’Ivoire Ethiopia will generate electricity from its start-up, seeks to provide the Zanzibar
Energies (CI-Energies) is launching a call for hydroelectric scheme on the Blue Nile. The archipelago with drinking water production
tenders (open until 29 March 2022) for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is to facilities which are entirely powered by
engineering, procurement, construction and supply Ethiopia with 5000 MW, more than renewable energy.
maintenance of the 20 MWp Kossou floating doubling the country’s electricity output.
solar power plant. The project is to be built The project, which cost about US$4,2- Energy transition,
on the reservoir of the Kossou dam on the billion, has been criticised by Egypt and efficiency and green
Bandama River. The dam has an existing Sudan who see the dam as a threat to their hydrogen
hydroelectric power plant with a capacity water supply. Ethiopia says the project will
of 105 MW. This project, financed through provide much-needed additional electricity The Kingdom of Morocco and Finland are
a loan pledged by the French Development to power essential economic development. to work together on projects for energy
Agency (AFD), will join two other facilities The country’s economy has suffered from transition, energy efficiency and green
under construction, with a combined a regional war, rising fuel prices and the hydrogen. Agreements are being struck
capacity of 60 MWp. Covid-19 pandemic. for investments by Finnish companies in
the African nation which is being courted
Pushing for new oil and gas exploration by many European countries, notably
France, Portugal and Germany, to produce
Angola continues its aggressive push for new exploration as well as expansion in refining green hydrogen locally and export it to the
capacity. Angola is sub-Saharan Africa´s second-largest oil and gas producer with a current international market. For its part, Finland,
production capacity of about 1,1 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) and 17 904,5 million cubic which has skills in hydrogen development,
feet of natural gas. The country’s oil and gas sector accounts for about one-third of its GDP and is keen to include hydrogen in its energy
more than 90% of total exports. The country will engage in direct negotiations with interested mix, and will work to prepare the ground
explorers to reduce red tape and promote seismic acquisition and exploration. for investments by its companies.

Green hydrogen Clean power for the G5 Promoting decentralised
development in Niger Sahel countries renewable energy in Africa

The Republic of Niger has signed an The African Development Bank Group has The African Development Bank has agreed
agreement with Emerging Energy approved the Desert to Power G5 Sahel to commit up to US$164-million to promote
Corporation (EEC), a leading German Financing Facility, covering Burkina Faso, decentralised renewable energy in six African
energy solution provider, to work together Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. The countries. The Bank’s LEAF (Leveraging
to explore and develop commercial green facility is expected to result in 500 MW of Energy Access Finance Framework)
hydrogen projects in Niger. Both parties say additional solar generation capacity and programme will help to spur commercial and
they believe that hydrogen is crucial in our facilitate electricity access to some 695 local currency investments to scale up the
march toward a net-zero emission future. 000 households. The Bank is offering up to activities of decentralised renewable energy
EEC says it will invest in various project US$379,6-million in financing and technical companies in Ghana, Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya,
to decarbonise oil field operations and assistance for the facility over the next seven Nigeria and Tunisia. Through LEAF, at least
refineries in Niger using carbon capture years. The facility will focus on utility-scale 18 decentralised renewable energy projects
technologies. Green hydrogen will be solar generation through independent power will be financed. These projects will benefit
produced in Niger by electrolysis, using producers and energy storage solutions to millions of people and businesses and result
renewable power. reduce more than 14,4 million t of CO 2eq. in the reduction of 28,8-million t CO 2eq.

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