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A consortium led by CDC Group’s Gridworks announced on 26 November that it had been selected as preferred bidder for the Essor Access to Electricity (A2E) Initiative in Democratic Republic of Congo. Gridworks has partnered with Eranove and AEE Power for the project.

The United Kingdom’s Renewable Energy Performance Platform on 11 December announced that it had signed an agreement to invest £1m equity in renewable-powered battery rental company Mobile Power.

Bboxx and French utility EDF have announced a partnership to distribute solar irrigation pumps in Togo. EDF affiliated company SunCulture will supply the pumps which will be integrated with Bboxx’s payment and management technology to allow the cost to be spread over time. Togo has had success attracting investment into its off-grid sector through the Cizo programme. Bboxx, which has head offices in Rwanda and London and operations across Africa and Asia, was the first solar home system (SHS) company to become part of the programme that aims to provide power to 300,000 households over five years. 

The G5 Sahel countries have received new support for solar generation in the Desert to Power scheme promoted by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The AfDB’s stated ambition is for the G5 Sahel countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, Mali and Niger – to harness their potential to create “the world’s largest solar zone”. The AfDB aims to increase on- and off-grid solar generation capacity by 10GW, to transform the livelihoods of some 250m people across the 11-state Sahel region.

Lesotho’s Department of Energy is inviting expressions of interest from consultants to prepare 16 mini-grids for tendering and identify a further 14 mini-grid sites.

Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has invited public comments on the draft energy (mini-grid) regulations 2021 ahead of their publication later this year. EPRA has set a deadline of 9 June for suggested amendments, which will become the new legal framework for mini-grids.

A 10MWp solar PV plant to supply the Elikhulu tailings retreatment plant in South Africa is due to be commissioned Q3 2021, Pan African told African Energy

Construction of Winch Energy’s solar PV and battery storage mini-grid development on Uganda’s Bunjako Island will be completed by the end of September, Winch Energy country manager for Uganda Alex Wanume tells African Energy Live Data.

Construction of the Korhogo solar PV plant is expected to begin in Q2 2022, developer Madagascar-based Groupe Filatex chief operating officer George Conde told African Energy.

Covid-19-related restrictions have delayed commissioning of the 56MW Shema Power Lake Kivu methane-to-power plant (previously known as Kivu56), project director Tony de la Motte told African Energy.

Burundi’s first utility-scale power development to come online in over three decades started up in October. The 7.5MW Mubuga solar PV plant will boost the country’s on-grid generation capacity by just over 10%, according to African Energy Live Data.

Solar products company Greenlight Planet Kenya has secured a Kenyan shilling-denominated financing facility worth $75m from a group of commercial banks and development finance institutions – Standard Bank Group, Citi, CDC Group and Norfund – it was announced on 26 October.

Local developer OnePower has reached financial close on its 1.7MW Sotho mini-grid portfolio project. Using ZAR107m ($7m) of senior debt and ZAR43.2m ($3m) of equity financing from the European Union’s Electrification Financing Initiative (ElectriFI) and the UK’s Renewable Energy Performance Platform, the portfolio has become one of largest project financed mini-grid initiatives in Africa. OnePower chief executive Matthew Orosz spoke to African Energy about the details.

The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) and Shell-seeded Nigerian impact investor All On announced on 21 January that 13 Nigerian-owned companies had been selected to receive funds worth $100,000.

Mini-grid financing facility CrossBoundary Energy Access has raised a $25m senior debt facility. CrossBoundary is looking to raise $150m in total to finance a portfolio of mini-grids primarily in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia.