Page 10 - AfrElec Week 07

AfrElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrElec
up for the 2020s: Addressing South Africa’s electricity crisis and getting ready for the next decade. The CSIR warned that load-shedding was expected to continue for the next two
to three years as the country will sit with a supply gap until 2022.
HYDRO
Nile River dam talks end without final deal
Ethiopia said the final US-mediated talks with Egypt and Sudan over the filling and operation of the $5bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam have ended in deadlock.
Ethiopian Ambassador to the United States Fitsum Arega tweeted on February 14 that
the two-day negotiations, held on February 12 and 13, 2020, in Washington DC ended without agreement.
Arega did not go into specifics on why negotiations broke down.
The three nations had last month agreed on an initial deal, following talks mediated
by the US and World Bank, that the Grand Renaissance Dam should be filled in stages during the rainy season. But more negotiation was needed before the final agreement could be finalised this month.
Egypt said it depends on the Nile for about 90 percent of its needs for irrigation and drinking water and says it has “historic rights” to the river guaranteed.
The US Treasury Department issued a statement saying the technical and legal teams from all countries were making progress toward a final agreement that would be reviewed by leaders in the respective countries.
“The United States, with technical support from the World Bank, has agreed to facilitate the preparation of the final agreement for consideration by the ministers and heads of state for conclusion by the end of the month,” said Steven Mnuchin, US secretary of the treasury.
Ethiopia has repeatedly said Egypt’s ‘historical rights claim’ is based on an outdated colonial-era agreement orchestrated by Britain.
Ethiopia also says the GERD project will not cause harm to downstream countries but would provide electricity to over 60mn people.
Once completed, GERD is projected
to generate nearly 6,000MW of electricity. Ethiopia says the project will have a significant role in economic integrations among the horn and east African countries.
GERD, the largest hydropower project in Africa has reached 70% completion and is expected to be fully functional in 2023.
Another source of debate is how much of the power generated by the dam will benefit Sudan and Egypt.
Ambassador Mohamed Higazy, a former assistant to the Egyptian foreign minister, said he would like to see the dam be a vehicle for regional integration including integrating the power grids of the three countries.
“Egypt and Sudan are very close to completing the power grids,” he told Voice
of America. “Why not with the Renaissance Dam, which electricity can be used in the markets of Sudan and Egypt and then exported to the regional Gulf market or further to Europe through the Egyptian power grid?”
assessment. All of those are in the process of being submitted now and we have a process of engagement with all of those Ministries.
“It’s really as a result of those timelines that generation can take place. I think most folk are forgetting that there are also water licences and environmental licences that are required,” Griffith said.
Why 75MW is being applied for currently is because there is currently land space available for that level of megawattage, but there is potential for considerably more.
On the economical viability of self- generation, Griffith said: “Cost wise, it’ll come in lower than existing technology. We’re hoping to see the final numbers in the next month or so, and we’re hoping to take final approvals to our board in April,” he added.
SOLAR
Off-grid solar worth $1.75bn per year
The off-grid solar industry is now worth $1.75bn per year globally, providing power to 420mn users and remains on a solid growth curve, a new report from the World Bank and off-grid solar trade grouping GOGLA shows.
The 2020 Off-Grid Solar Market Trends report finds that the industry has made tremendous strides in the past decade.
Since 2017, revenues from the off-grid solar industry continue to rapidly grow, increasing by 30% annually.
To date, more than 180mn off-grid solar units have been sold worldwide and the sector saw $1.5bn in investments since 2012.
With 840mn people still lacking access to electricity, of which 600mn are in Africa, the growth of the off-grid solar industry is critical
GENERATION
Anglo American asks for 75MW of self-generation
Anglo American has submitted an application to be allowed to self-generate 75 MW of solar power at its Mogalakwena mine in South Africa, where the world’s largest hydrogen fuel cell haul truck is being developed.
Operationally, PGMs production was up 1% year-on-year to 4.4mn ounces, but with electricity load-shedding by Eskom leading to the loss of 38,000 ounces of production.
Outgoing CEO Chris Griffith told Mining Weekly in a conference call: “We have an application in but I think it’s important to note that it’s not only an application through the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.
“We also have to submit applications for both water licences and then environmental
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Week 07 20•February•2020