africa

The government of Sierra Leone has officially launched a 6MW solar project in the capital Freetown after securing financial backing from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD).

One in three off-grid households worldwide will use solar products by 2020, according to a new report from the World Bank and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

India-based solar EPC firm Sterling & Wilson (S&W) plans to open four offices in Africa by the end of this year, having opened a new solar division in Lagos, Nigeria.

French energy company Total has acquired interest in two solar companies, Off Grid Electric and Powerhive, via its venture capital fund Total Energy Ventures (TEV), which invests in start-ups.

UK off-grid solar firm BBOXX and Dutch social investor Oikocredit have closed the first ever securitisation of African off-grid solar arrays.

Investment firm CrossBoundary Energy announced the first close of CrossBoundary Energy Fund I — Africa’s first dedicated fund for commercial and industrial solar.

The UK branch of Swiss PV manufacturer Luxra claims to have lined up a 300MW PV pipeline in Nigeria.

Developer Access Infra Africa and asset management firm Quaint Global Energy Solutions are to co-invest in a 50MW PV project in Nigeria.