sub saharan africa

GreenWish Partners, a competitive and reliable renewable power provider with headquarters in Paris and across Africa, has been successful in implementing utility-scale PV plants in Africa. With a mission to demonstrate the potential of renewable energy to fuel the economic and social development of the continent, the company is well on its way to achieving its 600MW of installed capacity in Africa goal. GreenWish caught up with PV Tech to discuss the key ingredients in achieving such a feat in a region where large-scale projects have traditionally been difficult to commission.

Karim Megherbi, director of Origination for Africa & Central Asia at Dubai-based Access Power stopped by PV Tech to discuss why West Africa will materialise as the next hotspot for solar PV and how investors can take advantage of this.

Power Africa, the USAID-funded energy initiative created under the Obama administration, has announced plans to invest US$1 billion in Nigeria’s energy sector, according to programme co-ordinator Andrew Herscowitz.

News in Brief: NRG commissions a 3.15MW Florida solar plant with Lakeland Electric, Power Africa reaches 30,000 new solar connections in Nigeria, PayGo solar company Azuri nets US$5 million for off-grid expansion in Africa, UPS will expand its solar capacity five-fold and India's BHEL bags its biggest single rooftop PV order.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and FMO, the Dutch development bank have invested a collective €14.62 million (US$15.52 million) in Mobisol, a German pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar service company, in order to deliver renewable energy solutions to off-grid communities in East Africa.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced US$4 million in new investments for off-grid solar in Africa during the COP22 conference in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Mobile network operator Orange and French renewables firm Engie have partnered to pursue rural electrification in Africa.

Leading pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar provider PEG Africa has raised US$1.5 million in debt financing that will provide for enough solar home systems for 75,000 residents in Ghana.