Page 8 - AfrElec Week 28

AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec
IRENA joins RES4Africa to boost African green energy
AFRICA
THE International Renewables Energy Agency (IRENA) and Rome-based green industry body RES4Africa Foundation are to work together to accelerate renewables development in Africa.
The two organisations said on July 15 in Rome that they aimed to raise renewables ener- gy’s share of total energy supply in Africa to 25% by 2030.
IRENA director-general Francesco La Cam- era stressed that developing renewable energy in Africa would help to li millions out of energy poverty and enable the continent meet its sus- tainable development goals. e two aim to work together to explore public-private initiatives, knowledge creation opportunities, capacity building programmes and strategic dialogues.
However, to achieve these targets, La Camera said that a step-up in renewable energy action was necessary.
e two partners called for a major shi in thinking about how energy is developed and consumed.
“Africa’s future prosperity is unthinkable without clean energy access. To overcome the current gap, Africa requires a paradigm shi : from energy as a commodity, to energy as an enabler of services,” RES4Africa president Anto- nio Cammisecra said at the signing.
With more than 620mn Africans, nearly half the continent’s population, still without access to electricity, the RES4Africa Foundation works to address the water-energy-food nexus and pro- mote the adoption of renewable energy in Africa.
A key component of IRENA’s work in Africa in its e ort to promote regional market integra- tion has been through the development of the Clean Energy Corridors.
IRENA’s work has informed the objectives of the African Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI), which now targets the development of 300 GW of renewable energy capacity across the conti- nent by 2030.
RES4Africa is backed by many European names in global renewables such as Enel Green Power, Engie, Total Eren, EDP Renewables, ABB, GE, Pöyry, Siemens Gamesa and Vestas.
In June, it launched its renewAfrica cam- paign, which called for European government and investors to create an investment instrument that would mitigate political risk and improve legal and regulatory frameworks.
By bringing in IRENA, which has its own experience in Africa, RES4Africa is strengthen- ing its role in improving Africa’s investment envi- ronment and reducing risks for potential backers of major energy projects.™
POLICY
Mantashe calls for stable framework
South African Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has said the country must create a stable, predictable policy and regulatory framework.
In comments reported by Africa News, the minister – during his rst energy budget speech to Parliament – said the energy sector had reduced overall economic growth in the rst quarter of this year. “Despite the present economic climate and stringent allocations, we must ascertain a secure and sustainable provision of energy,” he said. e country must “utilise diverse energy resources in sustainable quantities at a ordable prices, and mindful of environmental requirements, to support economic growth and development.”
Legislation is under way on the Petroleum Resources Development Bill, to oversee the
NEWS IN BRIEF
upstream, and the Gas Amendment Bill. is latter bill would allow resources in the Karoo Basin and o shore, such as Brulpadda, to be developed and help fuel power plants. “ ere is increased demand for access to a ordable energy sources. South Africa is currently dominated by electricity, which is consumed by key economic industries like mining and manufacturing. Increasing electricity prices have had a direct impact on the cost of doing business in South Africa.
“To mitigate against this, the department is exploring greater use of natural gas. e current supply of natural gas in South Africa is mainly from imports via the Republic of Mozambique Pipeline Investment Company’ (RoMPCo) pipeline. We, therefore, need to explore more economical options to bring natural gas into the South African market, including accelerating our own natural gas exploration activities such as the Karoo Shale Gas and the deep-sea discoveries.
“ e Department will, in the current period, implement importation of lique ed
Natural Gas (lNG) with Coega Industrial Development zone as the hub. Mozambique will be engaged to explore possibilities of increasing and extending the supply of gas beyond 2023, as we consider our own gas elds.”
POLICY
World Bank urges ZESCO
and wider focus on natural
resources
e World Bank’s latest Economic Brief on Zambia has highlighted the need to reform state-run utility ZESCO and other State- Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in order to boost the country’s’ weak economic growth rates.
With GDP growing at 3.7% in 2018, just beating 2017’s 3.5%, the country saw a poor
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Week 28 17•July•2019