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The Islamic Development Bank has signed loan agreements totalling $51.7m to finance the last phase of Morocco’s rural electrification programme (Perg)

The 2.4MW Mwenga wind farm is nearing completion after receiving a $1.2m loan from the UK-funded Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP). REPP investment manager Camco Clean Energy said three turbines had arrived at the project site in Mwenga in the Mufindi district of Iringa region and installation and testing were expected to be completed by early May. Once operational, the wind farm will supply a private rural grid network developed and operated by Rift Valley Energy Group.

There are signs of movement, at last, on bidding for flagship solar and other renewables projects, to be installed at either end of the continent. 

South African independent power developer Pele Green Energy has selected US-based independent economic and financial advisory firm Castalia LLC to conduct a feasibility study to assess the viability of a 75MW solar photovoltaic power project in Free State province. The contract is being funded by a grant awarded on 23 May by the US Trade and Development Agency.

Ethiopia’s failure to sign an agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) negotiated over a four-month period in the United States has resulted in angry recriminations. The US Department of the Treasury has been facilitating preparation of the agreement alongside teams from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia and with technical input from the World Bank. Egypt and Sudan are concerned about how quickly Ethiopia will fill the reservoir for the dam and the potential effect it will have on the reallocation of Nile River water rights.

Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) has invited bids for a 100MW solar power project in Gwanda, about 130km north- west of Bulawayo. The contract covers the funding, engineering, procurement and construction of the Gwanda/Plumtree solar project. A company named Green Solar Europa, in a consortium with local firm Intratrek Zimbabwe, has already expressed interest in the project, according to local media reports. A site visit took place on 5 July and bids are due by 23 July.

Belgium’s Elicio and local partner Kenwind Holdings signed a 20-year power purchase agreement on 31 January for a 90MW wind project at Mpeketoni, in Lamu County. The Bahari Wind Limited project company will build, own, operate and maintain the $180m project, which will consist of 22 turbines. Construction is expected to start in 2022, once financing has been secured. The project was initially planned to be developed by Electrawinds and IFC InfaVentures, which signed a cooperation agreement in June 2013.

Five more projects have broken ground in recent weeks, including two of the largest wind farms approved so far under the renewable energy independent power producers (REIPP) procurement programme. News flow from first-round developers beginning construction on their projects forms a positive backdrop as the Department of Energy and second-round developers gear up to meet financial close next month.

The World Bank’s decision not to provide guarantees to the high-profile scheme as currently configured has led to recriminations from developers and the Kenyan establishment, but the project may survive in amended form

Uganda Electricity Generation Company has awarded ILF Consulting Engineers a contract to provide design and consultancy services for the 44MW Muzizi hydroelectric power plant. The Munich and Innsbruck-based consultancy will review the feasibility study and optimise the design before drawing up tender documents and assisting with procurement. The company will later act as implementation engineer and supervise construction. Muzizi will be a run-of-river plant on the Muzizi River in western Uganda with a 450-metre head and 12m3/sec discharge. It is being financed by the Agence Française de Développement and German development agency KfW.

State utility Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable (ONEE) has launched a prequalification tender for the minimum 75MW Noor Tafilalet solar photovoltaic (PV) project, which is supported by the World Bank (AE 303/10). Companies have until 4 September to prequalify to develop, build (including civil works and equipment supply), operate and maintain (for an initial five years) three PV units on a turnkey basis. ONEE expects the plants to come on line in Q4 16 or Q1 17; if appropriate, up to 100MW can be installed.

The Ministry of Power has signed an agreement with India’s Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) for the development of off-grid solar independent power projects across several locations, with the first to be in Bida, Niger State.

Ethiopian Electric Power is requesting expressions of interest from consultants to prepare or update feasibility studies for five hydropower plants. The work is being funded through the $122.5m African Development Bank (AfDB)-backed Mekele-Dallol and Semera-Afdera Power Supply for Industrial Development and Access Scale-up Project. Submissions are due by 8 March.Two lots are being tendered.

Decarbonisation of the global energy industry should mean a massive shift from conventional thermal power and even hydroelectric power to solar, wind and other renewables, as well as nuclear power, carbon capture and storage and biofuels, write Jon Marks and David Slater

Liberia’s Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) invites sealed bids by 25 October for the design, supply and construction of the 2.5MW Kaiha 2 small hydropower plant on the Kaiha River, near Kolahun, in Lofa County. The contract is to be financed by the World Bank under the Liberia Renewable Energy Access Project. The hydropower plant is the pilot project of the World Bank scheme, which is designed to expand access to electricity in remote areas and to promote the use of renewable energy, while reducing the use of imported fuel.