AfrElec - Africa Power Monitor

Fire at a South African power station raises fears of rolling blackouts

A fire over the weekend at a South African power station left questions over whether the country’s power supply would face interruptions once the week started.

GE energises Africa’s first fully digital high-voltage substation

GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business has commissioned Africa’s first fully digital high-voltage substation at Thiès in Senegal.

Ethiopia must break down policy and financial barriers to achieve universal power access

Ethiopia’s power sector must overcome major policy and financial barriers if it is to meet the government’s target of universal access to power.

Global wind sector bounces back, but need faster expansion to meet climate goals

The global wind sector has bounced back strongly since the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

IRENA, Hydrogen Council to scale up hydrogen

Hydrogen producers are to harness the energy expertise of the International Renewable Energy Agency in a bid to develop green production and to make a significant contribution to global net-zero goals.

Cleaner air can contribute towards climate goals

The World Bank has warned that air pollution is the world’s leading environmental risk to health, costing $8.1 trillion, or 6.1% of GDP, in 2019, and has identified coal-fired power plants and diesel vehicles as causes of poor air quality.

South African deputy finance minister has proposed debt-for-climate swap

South Africa’s Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo has proposed that South Africa’s struggling state-owned utility Eskom’s debt should be forgiven in exchange for a rapid move to green energy.

AfrElec: Engie, Scatec to produce green hydrogen in South Africa

France’s Engie has signed a contract with Release by Scatec, a subsidiary of Norwegian independent power producer Scatec, to produce green hydrogen for the Mogalakwena platinum mine in Limpopo Province of South Africa.

SA regulator approves 2,500-MW nuclear plans

South Africa’s power regulator has cleared government plans to build a new generation of nuclear capacity in the country.

Sungrow wins solar hybrid deal at Egyptian mine

Inverter supplier Sungrow is to supply equipment to Juwi Renewable Energy for a hybrid 36-MW off-grid solar farm and a 7.5-MW battery energy storage system at the Sukari gold mine in Egypt.

Amotech Africa wins GE Grid deal in Kenya

GE Grid Solutions has appointed Amotech Africa as its local distributor and channel partner for Kenya in a bid to expand distribution of electricity grid solutions.

UN’s GCF to fund climate mitigation in Ghana

The UN’s Green Climate Fund is to fund nine projects in Ghana to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation as part of the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions scheme.

Solinc East Africa wins Trina Solar distribution deal in East Africa

China’s Trina Solar, one of the leading global PV and smart energy total solution providers, has announced the appointment of Solinc East Africa in Kenya as an official distributor to supply Trina Solar’s products and solutions in East Africa.

NNPC, Kaduna State sign MoU on gas supplies and utilisation

Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Kaduna state government on increasing natural gas deliveries and consumption.

Ghana’s energy minister says government supports GNPC’s plan to acquire stakes

Ghana’s government fully supports Ghana National Petroleum Corp. (GNPC) in its effort to secure stakes in key offshore oil and gas fields, Energy Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh said earlier this week.

AfrElec: Eskom outlines ambitious $7.2bn investment in wind and solar

South Africa’s Eskom aims to invest ZAR106bn ($7.2bn) in 5.6 GW of new solar capacity and 8.2 GW of new wind projects over the next decade in a bid to reduce emissions and lessen coal’s dominance of the economy.

Egypt earmarks $2.74bn in public investments for the power sector in the current FY2020/2021

SA Minister Mantashe hits out at Eskom’s coal closure plan

South African Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has dubbed Eskom’s plans to gradually close coal-fired power plants and build renewables capacity as “economic suicide.”

JPMorgan Chase backs South African black-owned enterprises

JPMorgan Chase has launched a $20mn to back black-owned enterprises in South Africa in welcome news for a country that is suffering from slow economic growth and regular power cuts.

Green energy offers key FDI hope for Africa

Renewables energy offers the best opportunities for foreign direct investment in Africa as the continent recovers from the pandemic.

Global power sector emissions rise, threatening green commitments

Rising demand for electricity across the world outpaced growth in green power output in the first half of 2021, creating increased consumption of coal in power generation and a corresponding rise in CO2 emissions.

India’s NTPC leads Indian global solar drive

India’s NTPC Ltd has secured three major projects in Africa and the Caribbean as part of the Indian-led International Solar Alliance’s (ISA) drive to improve access to power across the developing world.

Falling costs of small modular reactors could make nuclear competitive

Small modular nuclear reactors could play a crucial role in meeting Paris Agreement emissions reduction targets, increasing the pace of the electrification that is a mainstay of the energy transition.

China Three Gorges buys into MENA green markets

China Three Gorges has bought Alcazar Energy Partners’ (AEP) renewables portfolios in Egypt and Jordan as the Chinese giant expands into the Middle East and North Africa.

Turkey’s Desiba Energy agrees deal with Gabon to install 20 MW solar park