AfrElec - Africa Power Monitor

ENGIE takes majority stake in SA’s Xina Solar One

ENGIE has acquired a 40% stake in Xina Solar One, a 100-MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant, from Spain’s insolvent engineering company Abengoa, as well as 46% of the operations & maintenance company.

Ghana again hit by complete Dumsor

Ghana suffered a nationwide power cut on March 7, lasting for most the afternoon and evening.

Global wind installations grow 59% in 2020

Global wind installations grew by 59% in 2020 to a record 96.3 GW, with General Electric (GE), Goldwind, Vestas and Envision accounting for half of all commissioning.

Tema LNG seen receiving its first cargo soon

Tema LNG Terminal Co. (TLTC), the owner of a new LNG terminal at the Ghanaian port of Tema, may be able to start commercial operations before the end of this month.

Attah urges NLNG to consider expansion on a larger scale

Nigeria LNG (NLNG) should consider more ambitious plans for expansion, according to Tony Attah, the consortium’s managing director.

Fossil fuels’ future role in the spotlight

The future role of fossil fuels in a decarbonising world was being examined at the CERAWeek by IHS Markit conference this week.

Eskom board supports de Ruyter in procurement scandal

The Eskom board of directors has reiterated its support for CEO Andre de Ruyter and his management team after the suspension of chief procurement officer Solly Tshitangano.

Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan again fail to agree on future GERD talks

Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan are again at loggerheads over the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), with Ethiopia opposing Egypt and Sudan’s current proposals to give stronger roles to the US, the EU and the UN.

Africa adds 821 MW of new wind capacity in 2020

Wind expansion in Africa and the Middle East dipped in 2020, as the continent fails to utilise the full potential of wind power.

EDF buys into BBOXX, Econet Energy Kenya

EDF has bought a 23% stake in Kenyan off-grid and solar kit provider BBOXX and 50% of industrial solar energy provider Econet Energy Kenya, as the French utility widens its recent renewables growth across the continent.

IEA warns emissions dip did not last

Global energy-related emissions fell by 5.8% in 2020, but a sharp recovery at the end of the year indicates that emissions are already rising again.

Guterres calls for comprehensive coal phase-out

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres this week has called for a comprehensive coal phase-out if the world is to meet its 1.5 degree goal for global warming.

China leads offshore wind growth in 2020

China installed 3 GW of new wind capacity in 2020, half the global total, as offshore wind demonstrated its resilience to COVID-19.

Gasmeth set to begin CNG production in Rwanda by end-2022

Gasmeth, a company founded to extract methane from Lake Kivu in Rwanda, has said it expects to begin turning out CNG by the end of next year.

Sasol announces FID on Pande-Temane gas project

South Africa’s Sasol is looking to push forward with the development of Pande and Temane, two onshore natural gas fields in neighbouring Mozambique.

El Sewedy Electric has growing backlog, EPC margins would moderate in the future – Russia’s VTB Capital

Singapore’s B&S Power to join 200-MW solar project in Nigeria

Nigeria’s Sunnyfred Global has signed an agreement with the Singaporean company B&S Power Holding to finance and build a 200-MW solar PV plant in Ashama, Delta State, in what would be the largest solar power plant in West Africa.

Eskom unbundling set for 2022

South Africa’s Eskom is expected to complete its unbundling into separate transmission, generation and distribution divisions by December 2022, the country’s National Treasury said this week.

Revego Africa Energy Fund to raise $102mn at IPO for South Africa

Revego Africa Energy Fund, an investor in South African renewable projects, is looking to raise as much as ZAR1.5bn ($102mn) by April.

Solar potential in Africa

Africa offers considerable solar potential if governments can put in place the right policies and grid resilience is improved

Energy storage market forecast to double 2021

The global energy storage market is targeting record expansion in 2021, with annual installations set to break through the 10-GW barrier for the first time.

PV addition could rise to 209 GW in 2021: BNEF

Solar PV capacity additions could be as high as 209 GW in 2021, compared with 141 GW in 2020, new research from Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecasts.

Eskom keen to avoid sudden bill increases

Eskom will try to avoid sudden large increases in electricity tariffs, Eskom CEO André de Ruyter said this week in the aftermath of the national regulator rules that could recoup ZAR6bn ($410mn) in future tariffs.

Siemens Gamesa delivers turbines to Djibouti’s 59-MW Goubet wind farm

Siemens Gamesa has this week delivered all the components for 17 of its SG3.4-132 turbines that it will install at its 59-MW Goubet wind farm in Djibouti, despite the challenging conditions caused by COVID-19.

Daystar to seek $100m over three years for West African solar projects

West Africa hybrid solar power solutions provider Daystar Power plans to raise about $100m within the next three years to satisfy existing client demand.