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Bushveld Energy and South African investment firm Nesa Investment Holding have signed a shareholding agreement for a 3.5MW solar PV system and 1MW/4MWh vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) system.

Norway’s Scatec ASA now has a choice of green hydrogen (GH2) projects in Egypt. Just months after signing pioneering agreement with fertilizer producer Fertiglobe, Scatec has signed up for a multi-gigawatt export-driven scheme in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, alongside The Sovereign Fund of Egypt, Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) and New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA). Abu Qir Fertilizers and Chemical Industries – now run by former Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) chairman Abed Ezz El Regal – is also studying a GH2 and ammonia project.

Canadian miner Aya Gold & Silver has announced a MD67m ($6.4m) deal to acquire state resources agency Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (Onhym)’s 15% interest in the Zgounder silver project and five permits adjacent to the mine.

French developer Total Eren and AIM-listed Chariot are partnering to develop a 30MWp solar plant to supply the Karo platinum mine in Zimbabwe’s Great Dyke.

A solar power plant with battery energy storage at Centamin’s Sukari gold mine is set to be fully commissioned by year end, replacing diesel generators. London-and-Toronto listed Centamin is also evaluating proposals from independent power producers (IPPs) to supply grid power to the mine.

Crossboundary Energy will deploy solar PV hybrid power plants at breweries in Enugu and Oyo states, continuing its growth in Nigeria following a recent $60m deal with Engie.

Canada’s Em-one Energy Solutions has been awarded a contract to construct the 3.1MW University of Abuja solar PV, diesel and battery plant.

Mining giant Anglo American (Anglo) and France’s EDF Renewables (EDF) have formed a joint venture company Envusa Energy (Envusa) that will develop renewable energy projects to meet Anglo’s energy needs in South Africa, with excess power supplied into the grid.

Egyptian Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Regulatory Agency (EgyptERA) is growing into the role envisaged for the power sector regulator in the landmark 2015 Electricity Law. The electricity industry regulator has been busy with the issuing and renewal of generation and distribution licences to private businesses, which are opening significant niches in Egypt’s huge energy market – chipping away at the huge role still played by state-owned enterprises gathered under the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) umbrella. EgyptERA has recently awarded a licence to private sector renewables developer Karm Solar to run a mini-grid supplying resorts and hotels in the Red Sea resort of Marsa Alam. It has also renewed licences for Emac Utilities and Services’ diesel-fired scheme at Port Ghalib and for industrial park operator Al-Tajamouat Investment Egypt – Taqa Power’s Global Power Company subsidiary, which has industrial and tourism-related clients, and real estate developer Amer Group.

Starsight, CrossBoundary, Daystar and Blue Camel are among a growing number of operators who are building a major corporate business as companies seek secure electricity supply, writes Marc Howard.

While imposing macroeconomic problems continue to weigh on developers, Zimbabwe is seeking ways to attract investment to independent power producers and commercial and industrial (C&I) projects. And among recent schemes to overcome being ostracised by international capital markets Zimbabwe is looking to use its wealthier C&I power consumers to provide corporate guarantees to raise capital for new projects.

Starsight Premier Energy Group (Speg) has commissioned a 3MWp rooftop solar PV plant for timber firm Timsales Ltd in Elburgon, Nakuru County, Kenya.

Metals miner Pan African Resources continues to scale up investments in renewable energy projects to supply the group’s mines, having commissioned the 10MW Elikhulu Tailings Solar PV in May 2022. African Energy takes a closer look at Pan African’s power generation plans.

Toronto Stock Exchange-listed developer NextSource Materials has confirmed that the solar-hybrid-storage development for its Molo graphite project in Madagascar has been completed. Nairobi-headquartered CrossBoundary Energy developed the solar/diesel hybrid plant, which also includes battery energy storage capacity.

The African Development Bank (AfDB)’s $50m package to develop the Dekemhare 30MWp solar PV and 15MW/30MWh battery storage plant, approved in April, was a notable exception to the position of most multilateral and bilateral financiers, who prefer to avoid Eritrean projects.