Africa

Bodies from the UK government and the United Nations are partnering on improving access to solar in Uganda, where 70% of the population has no electricity.

Gostaresh completes 10MW PV project in Sistan and Baluchestan, Zambia readies 100MW solar tender under GET FiT programme, ADB launches government rooftop PV projects in Micronesia, Seraphim module supply agreement in Mexico with Solar Center.

African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) has invested in Starsight Power Utility, a Nigeria-based energy services company providing solar-diesel-battery hybrid and efficient cooling and lighting solutions to its commercial and industrial clients.

The West African Development Bank (BOAD), Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), the National Bank of Agricultural Development of Mali (BNDA), Green Africa Power (GAP) and GuarantCo have agreed to finance a 50MW PV project in Mali.

Africa’s largest private equity firm has led a round of financing for Off Grid Electric to fuel the microgrid provider’s expansion in the continent, with investors including an arm of General Electric (GE).

Fortum, Futurice and Boond start the first Solar2Go pilot project in India, China donates thousands of solar systems to Nepal, BBOXX launches cloud-based task management platform

InfraCo Africa has partnered France-based developer Solvéo Energie by committing up to US$3.1million for a 45% equity interest in the development of a 40MW solar project in the Republic of Guinea.

Sri Lanka’s CEB tenders 10MW of solar in North Central Province, Minas Gerais looking at special financing for micro and mini-generation, Energy 4 Impact granted US$1 million for small-scale solar irrigation in Rwanda

The Church Pension Fund (CPF), a financial services organization that serves the Episcopal Church, has invested US$17 million in a fund that provides loans to microfinance institutions, distribution companies, and manufacturers in the off-grid solar sector in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Chinese solar manufacturer Hareon Solar has approved a joint venture that could see it working upstream and downstream in Morocco.