Africa

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.

UK-based off-grid renewables specialist BBOXX has delivered smart solar home systems to over 12,000 people in Togo over a six-month period.

Germany-based juwi group has completed a 135MW solar PV plant for Energon Soleq Ravi India Power Resources in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.

South African utility Eskom and German Development Bank KfW have signed a US$100 million (~R1.35 billion) loan facility that will go towards improving the transmission network to support grid integration of renewable energy projects after 27 power purchase agreements (PPAs) were signed in April.

A veteran of Kenya’s renewable energy industry has argued strongly in favour of lead acid batteries over lithium-ion, in response to a recent Energy-Storage.news article on off-grid solar PV in Africa.

UK-based off-grid clean energy specialist BBOXX is partnering on projects in southern Africa with DC Go, a provider of affordable off-grid electrification.

Increasingly, solar energy and behind-the-meter battery storage assets are being deployed on an ‘as-a-service’ basis and system integrator Younicos has decided to replicate the strategy for microgrids.

UK-based off-grid renewables specialist BBOXX has signed a deal with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to bring clean power to 2.5 million citizens across the African country by 2020, via off-grid solar kits and mini-grids.

Indian EPC firm Sterling and Wilson has won its first large-scale hybrid and energy storage turnkey EPC contract order in Western Africa, including what it believes to be both the largest battery storage project and single battery installation in the whole continent.