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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.
Madrid-headquartered Ric Energy has completed a 1.4MWp/4.5MWh solar PV mini-grid in Mzuzu in Malawi's Northern Region.
Goma-based renewables developer Nuru has raised $1.5m from Nairobi-headquartered investor E3 Capital, the United Kingdom’s Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP) and Agence Française de Développement subsidiary Proparco.
Early years electricity demand at the Magnis Energy Technologies group’s Nachu graphite production plant will be around 24MW, with mining and processing operations expected require some 135,000 MWh/yr.
Bamako-headquartered SolarX said on 1 March it had signed 15-year deals with Orange Côte d’Ivoire to install approximately 1MWp of aggregated solar PV capacity at two of its data centres, in Yamoussoukro in Côte d’Ivoire (CdI) and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. African Energy spoke to SolarX chief executive Karim Ghammache.
Construction is under way on the first phase of a solar PV plant at Zimplats’ Selous Metallurgical Complex.
Outgoing Eskom chief executive André de Ruyter has argued for increased support to exploit the potential for rooftop PV, other C&I power and solar home systems to help South Africa overcome its chronic electricity supply deficit. De Ruyter said up to 10GW of rooftop solar could be added by 2030 – but that depends on investors getting more incentives in a sector where government has previously been of limited support.
Sasol has signed a series of power purchase agreements – two of them in partnership with France’s Air Liquide – which will in total deliver 289MW of wind power for its Secunda and Sasolburg sites, as part of plans by the energy and chemicals company to ramp up its use of renewable energy.
Solar PV plants supplying São Tomé International Airport and Príncipe Airport are expected to enter commercial operations later this year, Portuguese project developer Cleanwatts told African Energy Live Data in mid-January.
Ivanhoe Mines has announced that output at its Kamoa-Kakula copper mining complex in Lualaba province saw a 215% year-on-year increase in 2022. The Toronto Stock Exchange-listed company said Kamoa-Kakula would soon become “one of the world’s leading producers” of copper. Hydroelectric power (HEP) forms a cornerstone of the company’s goal of net-zero operational greenhouse gas emissions at the mine.
French independent power producer (IPP) Voltalia has begun construction of the 148MW Bolobedu solar PV plant in Limpopo province.
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.
Eskom’s approval of Pan African Resources’s Elikhulu Tailings solar PV plant to connect to the national grid makes it the first embedded project over 1MW to get full grid compliance.
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.
Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) is aiming to take advantage of the improved operating environment since President Hakainde Hichilema took office in August 2021 to meet growing power demand from mining sector.