AfrElec - Africa Power Monitor

NNPC head sees AKK pipeline boosting Nigerian economy

Mele Kyari, the group managing director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC), has said he expects the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) natural gas pipeline to give a boost to Nigeria’s economy.

Russia denies any delay in Egypt’s El-Dabaa nuclear project

Local media in Egypt have reported that the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant (NPP), which is being built by Russia, has been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

KenGen aims to build 682 MW of geothermal in four years

Kenyan state generator KenGen aims to install 682 MW of new geothermal capacity over the next four years in a bid to meet rising demand and achieve a new source of cheap electricity.

IRENA points to resilient and sustainable potential of offshore wind

Offshore wind has the potential to accelerate the energy transition and allow G20 countries to build a resilient and sustainable energy system.

Oyster Bay wind farm begins operation in South Africa

Enel Green Power RSA’s 140-MW Oyster Bay wind farm, in South Africa’s Kouga municipality in the Eastern Cape, has begun commercial operation.

Eni, Kenyan Ministry of Petroleum and Mining sign MoU on biofuel processing capacity

Italy’s Eni is moving forward with plans for the development of biofuel processing capacity in Kenya.

AfrElec: Nigeria’s PowerGen secures $9mn project financing for mini-grid project

Nigerian power developer PowerGen has secured project financing to build 28 distributed renewable energy (DRE) systems using solar PV and battery technology in rural areas.

EU takes carbon pricing initiative with CBAM

Net-Zero by 2050 could cost $173 trillion: BNEF

Achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 will require as much as $173 trillion in investments in the energy transition, according to BloombergNEF’s (BNEF) New Energy Outlook 2021 (NEO).

Fitch Affirms African Development Bank at AAA; outlook stable

Fitch Ratings has affirmed the African Development Bank's (AfDB) long-term issuer default rating (IDR) at AAA with a Stable Outlook, the rating agency said in a statement.

IEA warns that only 2% of post-pandemic spending is green

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that only 2% of post-pandemic spending commitments by governments, totalling $16 trillion, will fund green energy projects.

TRANSCO CLSG cross-border line switched on in West Africa

The Transmission Company Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (TRANSCO CLSG) has switched on the cross-border power line from Man in Cote d’Ivoire to Monrovia in Liberia.

Private investment needed in Rwanda to meet sustainable development goals

Rwanda could be in danger of missing its sustainable development goals as the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the economy into recession in 2020, the World Bank has warned.

SA C&I sector starts to make inroads into solar PV market

The South African solar PV market installed 1,313 MW during 2020, broken down into 813 MW of utility-scale systems and 500 MW of distributed generation.

Global investors turn to green energy and away from fossil fuels

The world’s largest global debt and equity investors are continuing to invest in renewable energy despite the pandemic, driven by the wealth of investment opportunities, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said.

APGC calls on NNPC to supply gas to Nigerian gencos

The Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), a Nigerian industry association, has urged NNPC to assume responsibility for supplying fuel to natural-gas fired thermal power plants (TPPs).

AFRELEC: Hwange expansion makes solid progress

Zimbabwe’s Chinese-funded $1.5bn expansion to the Hwange coal-fired power station is now 68% complete, despite delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eni discusses green, blue hydrogen production in North Africa

Representatives of Italy’s Eni met with Egyptian and Algerian officials last week to discuss the prospects for green and blue hydrogen production.

AfDB to fund Gabon hydro project to the tune of €39mn

The board of directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) have approved a €39mn loan package for the construction of the Kinguélé Aval hydroelectric project in Gabon.

UN Security Council set to vote on Africa’s GERD dispute

Tunisia has tabled a five-point draft resolution to the UN Security Council that calls for Ethiopia to end the second filling of the reservoir at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

AfDB approves $6mn grant to boost West Africa’s Desert-to-Power programme

The African Development Bank has approved a $6mn grant to launch the initial phase of the Desert-to-Power West Africa Regional Energy Programme.

InfraCo Africa, RVE.SOL to build 22 solar mini-grids in Kenya

InfraCo Africa is to invest $4.2mn in Kenya solar developer Rural Village Energy Solutions’ (RVE.SOL) plans to develop 22 solar mini-grids as part of wider efforts to boost rural electrification.

REM: BlackRock raises $250mn to fund climate transition in emerging markets

BlackRock has raised $250mn from a consortium of ten institutional investors, governments and charities for its flagship blended finance fund, which aims to help emerging market economies reduce carbon emissions.

AFRELEC: AfDB approves $83.6mn grant for Ethiopia-Djibouti power link

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved two grants worth $83.6mn to boost cross-border trade in electricity between Ethiopia and Djibouti and to deepen integration in the Horn of Africa sub-region.

Egypt objects to Ethiopia filling GERD reservoir

Ethiopia has started its summer filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Egypt claimed this week, just days before the United Nations Security Council is due to discuss the issue.