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French independent power producer Qair Group has inked four power purchase agreements (PPAs) with the Central Electricity Board (CEB) to develop four so-called Stor’Sun solar PV and battery storage plants.

The World Bank Group (WBG) has launched a new $311m fund for renewables in Chad, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo.

A credit facility from the African Guarantee Fund and GuarantCo has unlocked local financing to double the size of the Ambohipihaonana solar PV plant, while adding battery energy storage capacity.

South Korea’s Hyosung Heavy Industries has started construction of a battery energy storage facility at Elandskop in South Africa's Kwazulu Natal region. Elandskop is the first phase of Eskom’s wider battery energy storage system (BESS) project, which includes the installation of about 199MW of capacity, with 833MWh of distributed battery storage at eight sites countrywide. 

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has provided funding to carry out feasibility studies for a battery energy storage system (BESS) and a pump storage hydropower plant. Consultants are invited to submit expressions of interest by 27 January.

Dubai-based Amea Power has announced plans to increase operational capacity at the Blitta solar PV power plant in Togo.

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.

Increased use of energy storage should offer arbitrage opportunities for independent power projects (IPPs), by allowing them to dispatch power at times when demand – and prices – were higher, panellists at the Africa Investment Exchange (AIX): Power & Renewables conference in London in mid-November noted.

A feasibility study has confirmed the technical viability of Ncondezi Energy’s planned 300MW solar PV plus battery storage project in Mozambique’s Tete province. A preferred site has been selected but not yet announced. Ncondezi said it is close to cross-border interconnectors.

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.

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.

Uncomfortable financial disputes are expected to dominate the 27th United Nations Climate Change (COP27) conference, to be held in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm El Sheikh on 6-18 November. African nations may achieve progress in some areas – perhaps by forcing the vexed question of compensation for loss and damage onto the agenda – but the meeting will likely once again fail to identify a way forward for electricity supply industries (ESIs) across the continent.

The pioneering 26.5MW Cabeólica wind plant – sub-Saharan Africa’s first commercial utility-scale wind project – will be expanded by 13MW following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the government. 10MW/10MWh of battery storage will also be added.

A consortium of two US firms, Sterling and Wilson Solar Solutions and Sun Africa, have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian government to develop, design and commission 961MW of solar PV projects along with 455MWh of battery storage.

The United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has signed a commitment to lend $25m to the 20MWp Golomoti solar PV and a 5MW/10MWh battery energy storage system (Bess).