Search results

Chairman Vickson Ncube tells African Energy that the Zambian state-owned power utility is aiming to agree a new deal with power suppliers by June to prevent its debt burden rising further, writes Chiwoyu Sinyangwe in Lusaka.

The future of electric power generation in South Africa is no longer in the hands of state-owned utility Eskom. Although it controls more than 80% of installed capacity, including 45GW of coal-fired generation, changes in the electricity supply industry are now being driven by the installation of many gigawatts-worth of captive solar photovoltaic (PV) generation, following the removal of licence restrictions.

The latest financial results issued by South Africa’s state-owned utility Eskom show the dire situation of the country’s electricity supply industry (ESI) is not improving.

State-owned Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) is seeking a consultant to conduct a feasibility study on a proposed 40MW floating solar PV plant on the Kamburu hydroelectric power (HEP) plant reservoir.

A solar PV and battery energy storage plant has been commissioned at Danzi, 18km north-west of the capital Bangui, according to the World Bank Group. The plant is a significant addition to CAR’s under-developed grid, which had a total of 49.65MW online prior to Danzi’s commissioning, according to African Energy Live Data. During the Danzi commissioning ceremony, President Faustin Archange Touadera lamented “the lack of investment over the past 40 years” in CAR’s electricity industry. The lack of interest among private and foreign investors is not surprising, given CAR’s long-running civil war and poor governance.

SolarAfrica has outlined to African Energy the latest timeframe for the first phase of its 1GW SunCentral solar PV wheeling project in South Africa's Northern Cape. The project is among the first private projects to be issued with an Eskom budget quote since the utility changed grid allocation rules and gave priority to shovel-ready generation projects under the Renewable Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP).

War-torn but entrepreneurial Somalia is edging back towards normality, at last securing membership of the East African Community and reporting some progress in tackling Al-Shabaab militants. The government also has longer-term ambitions to exploit ample renewable energy potential and offshore oil and gas resources, writes Dominic Dudley.

Kenya Electricity Generation Company (KenGen) has invited expressions of interest (EoIs) from consultancy firms to carry out detailed feasibility studies on setting up a plant to manufacture distribution transformers and motors.

The funding provided by the United Arab Emirates for the 3.5MW Bosaso solar plant is the latest element in a long engagement in the area by the Gulf power.

At a COP28 signing ceremony, Dubai-headquartered Amea Power announced what promises to be the Horn of Africa’s largest ever wind development – in a country where private project development has proved highly problematic.

State utility Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower) has called for expressions of interest (EoI) from consultants to provide transaction advisory services for the World Bank Group’s Namibia Renewable Energy Scale-Up Support Project (NRESUSP).

The World Bank Group’s soft lending International Development Association (IDA) has called for expressions of interest (EoI) from consulting engineering firms to advise on the procurement of solar PV and storage as part of its Comoros solar energy access project (Paesc).

State utility Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) has started work to connect the 2.1GW Julius Nyerere hydroelectric power (HEP) plant to Chalinze substation in Pwani district, via a 400kV power transmission line built by India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

A tender has been issued by Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) for the 55km Mariakani-Dongo Kudu line and three associated projects. Ketraco has also requested expressions of interest (EoI) for consultancy services for the Kenya Transmission Network Improvement Project.

It is unlikely electric cars will come to dominate African roads for decades, but in the likes of Kenya and Benin battery-powered buses, motorbikes and industrial vehicles could have a radical impact on urban environments and commercial operations. Investors are lining up to support e-mobility projects in the most attractive markets, but in many jurisdictions the lack of capital, infrastructure and policy support and the high cost of vehicles are holding back what could be a revolution, write Tonderayi Mukeredzi and Jon Marks.