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Demand for commercial and industrial (C&I) power projects is surging, particularly in eastern and southern Africa. In key markets such as South Africa and Kenya, customers have opted for C&I solutions that not only offer cheaper tariffs but also greater reliability than the grid. These imperatives have also prompted a shift to C&I in the West African market, where the sector has seen considerable activity this year although market players still deem it to be ‘early days’.

Work has begun at the solar PV plant being developed by CrossBoundary Energy (CBE) at RioTinto’s QIT Madagascar Minerals (QMM) ilmenite mineral sands project. The project is being developed on the basis of a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

The latest figures from African Energy Live Data suggest that Q1 2020 saw the lowest generation capacity additions in Africa for at least 20 years, with no new on-grid generation from February after coronavirus halted construction and commissioning

The Anglican Diocese of Central Zimbabwe has installed a 157kWp solar PV plant and 300kWh battery storage system at St Patrick’s High School in Gweru, Midlands province. The plant is the first phase of a proposed 5MW solar PV project that will meet the school’s electricity needs, with excess electricity sold to the national grid via a net metering scheme.

The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET) has denied local media reports in Nigeria that it had signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Mabon Power for 40MW from the Dadin Kowa hydropower plant.

Energy and mineral development minister Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu has said South Africa’s Eskom Uganda will no longer operate and maintain the 200MW Kiira and 180MW Nalubaale hydroelectric power (HEP) plants, when their 20-year concessions are concluded next year.

President Lazarus Chakwera has called for a timely completion of the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the 350MW Mpatamanga hydroelectric power project. The project’s implementation has been delayed for lack of a bankable ESIA.

Namibian Stock Exchange-listed Alpha Namibia Industries Renewable Power (Anirep) has secured a contract to build and operate an 18.5MW solar plant at Kokerboom in Keetmanshoop, with Canadian mining company Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb as the off-taker.

Biovea Energies has begun construction of the 46MW Ayébo biomass power plant, a 2x23MW project fuelled by palm oil residues mostly collected from farmers in the Aboisso area.

Additions of renewable power generating capacity are proceeding more slowly than expected in markets with weak grids, such as Nigeria and Malawi. In response, developers are assessing potential solutions including increased baseload capacity and ancillary services agreements.

Supermajor Shell has acquired Nigerian commercial and industrial (C&I) developer Daystar Power for an undisclosed sum. The Lagos-headquartered firm’s co-founders and management team will remain in situ. Daystar also announced plans to expand into southern and eastern African markets.

Kenya Electricity Generating Company and Akiira Geothermal are planning the co-development of several new geothermal projects in KenGen’s first joint venture deal with an independent power producer (IPP), company officials told African Energy – and other IPP deals could follow for the state generation company.

Galvanised by the possibilities presented by green hydrogen (GH2), the Cairo authorities have drawn up an extraordinary vision for transforming the Egyptian energy sector and economy in the coming decades. The plans include tens or possibly hundreds of gigawatts of renewable power, barrages of electrolysers, an entirely new export-focused energy infrastructure, plus renewables-powered sea water desalination projects to break the millennia-old dependence on the River Nile. Most of the technology, financing and fully worked-out strategies have yet to be put in place, but the government aims to sign the first commercial deals at the COP27 summit in November. African Energy gives details of this policy in a series of articles

Total Eren and Cairo-based Enara Capital’s agreement to develop a green ammonia plant in the Suez Canal Development Zone (SCZone) is the sixth Egyptian green hydrogen (GH2) project to be agreed in the past three months. With Masdar, EDF, Amea Power, Maersk and Scatec already pursuing schemes, the pace at which these deals are being put in place demonstrates Egypt’s determination to establish a leading position in GH2 exploitation – and to make this part of a broader energy hub strategy.

Far-reaching amendments aimed as enabling a competitive market for electricity preceded another infrastructure-heavy State of the Nation address from President Cyril Ramaphosa. The devil will be in the detail as the industry pores over South Africa’s latest draft bill and the president’s statements about upcoming generation procurement, writes Dan Marks.