Africa

Kazang Solar, the distribution partner of UK-headquartered off-grid solar specialist Azuri Technologies in Zambia, has been awarded US$1.6 million from the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) to provide home lighting products to more than 7,000 off-grid customers in rural Zambia.

According to a revised forecast, GTM Research has tagged China as the key metric behind a slowdown in global solar deployments in 2018.

Zola Energy, one of two US-headquartered providers of off-grid solar-plus-storage solutions to the African continent profiled in Energy-Storage.news’ recent Global Storage Opportunity 2018 report, has obtained US$20 million debt financing.

Zimbabwean firm Karo Mining Holdings plans to build a 300MW solar project close to its new platinum mining operations west of Harare instead of its original plans for a 600MW coal-fired power plant, after discussions with the Zimbabwean government.

Cleantech to build 4.5MW rooftop solar project for Singaporean semiconductor manufacturer, Voltalia opens Cairo office, AfDB providing €18 million funding for Burkina Faso energy sector reform

Africa-focused independent power producer Globeleq is to acquire Brookfield Asset Management’s interests in a South African renewable energy portfolio, involving six projects with a cumulative capacity of 178MW.

The majority of households with PV systems in East Africa have reported an increase in economic activity in the first three months of using the solar power, according to a new report from GOGLA, the global association for the off-grid solar energy industry.

UK development finance institution CDC and its Africa-focused independent power producer Globeleq are providing US$66 million in debt financing for Malindi Solar Group to build a 52MW solar PV plant in Southeast Kenya.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved US$50 million of framework financing for small-scale renewable energy projects in Zambia, after recent droughts caused a serious electricity supply deficit due to the country’s heavy reliance on hydropower.

After successful trials, the Veolia Foundation, an arm of French waste management giant Veolia that financially backs non-profit, community-oriented projects, has decided to expand its decentralised solar electrification plans in northern Madagascar to create 1,000 nano-grids and 100 nano-entrepreneurs by the end of the year.