Search results

A source familiar with the project told African Energy the Memve’ele hydroelectric power plant has achieved full operational capacity.

United States-based Bitgreen is reportedly aiming to raise $10m-20m in debt financing for the 27MW Betmai hydroelectric power (HEP) project, using its blockchain fundraising platform.

The National Council on Privatisation (NCP) has given its approval for the development of the 1,650MW Makurdi hydroelectric power (HEP) plant.

Construction of the Polihali dam is due to start in November, with work on the transfer tunnel starting the following month, providing fresh momentum for the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

Damming at the 130MW Kandadji hydroelectric power (HEP) project has been completed. The plant, Niger's first HEP,  is expected online in 2026.

Winch Energy has completed and commissioned three solar PV and storage mini-grids in Alikalia, Kondebaya and Sambia-Bendugu villages. The mini-grids were installed as part of the second phase of Winch’s 24-site mini-grid project in Sierra Leone

Engie subsidiary Ausar Energy has launched construction of a 400kW solar-thermal hybrid plant at Ndjolé in Moyen-Ogooué province. The plant is the first of eight planned solar hybrid plants with a combined capacity of 2.2MW being developed under an agreement signed between Engie and Gabonese financial institution Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) in August 2018.

 The state Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) has told African Energy that two solar photovoltaic developments have been commissioned: the 1.9MWp of aggregate generation capacity at the Ile de Romainville Democratisation and the 5MWp Ile de Romainville South PV plants; the latter also features 3.4MWh of battery storage.

The West African Power Pool secretariat in partnership with the government of The Gambia has invited expressions of interest by 28 October from consultants to undertake a feasibility study for a solar PV park with a total indicative capacity of 150MW with battery storage. The proposed project, which would be the country’s first utility-scale solar park, is earmarked for a 225-hectare site close to a 225/30kV substation under construction at Soma in the Greater Banjul area.

Gridworks, a company launched by the UK government-owned CDC Group, announced on 2 December that it has reached financial close on a R106.7m ($7.5m) investment in South African commercial and industrial (C&I) solar company Mettle Solar Investments. The transaction has been in the works since before Gridworks was launched at the Africa Energy Forum in Lisbon in June and the commitment was first announced in July.The deal will see Mbuvi Ngunze appointed as Mettle’s chairman and Gridworks chief executive Simon Hodson and director Chris Flavin join the board of directors.

State power utility CI-Energies is seeking a consultancy to provide project management services for the development of the first of four planned floating solar PV plants on existing hydropower reservoirs in conjunction with battery storage. Expressions of interest are invited by 30 July to assist with studies and the procurement and supervision of a pilot hybrid project as a model for the rollout of the schemes.

Construction will start at the 25MWp Bangui Solar PV plant, which includes 25MWh of battery storage, in April, and commercial operations are expected in June 2022, the World Bank Group (WBG)’s Boris Ngouagouni told African Energy. Ngouagouni said Covid-19 had not significantly delayed the project. The WBG signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with China’s Shanxi Construction Investment Group Company in December.

The 35MWp Kahone and 25MWp Kael solar PV plants procured through the World Bank Group’s Scaling Solar programme in Senegal will be commissioned this month

The 35MWp Kahone Solar PV and 25MWp Kael Solar PV plants are expected to be commissioned this month, Katja Damman of France’s Engie told African Energy. The projects are part of utility Société Nationale d’Electricité du Sénégal’s (Senelec) commitment to gas and renewables.

Large renewable procurement in South Africa and ambitious hydrogen production plans in Egypt are expected to bring huge amounts of privately-owned, utility-scale solar capacity on line in the next three years. Meanwhile commercial and industrial solar remains a high growth potential market, according to analysis of  new data from the African Energy Live Data platform.