Page 12 - AfrElec Week 02

AfrElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrElec
transformer installed in Ogba Transmission Substation in Lagos.
“TCN is working assiduously to implement the Transmission, Rehabilitation, and Expansion Programme (TREP) under which the capacity of the company will be expanded to 20,000MW by 2023.”
She said the increase in the substation’s capacity from 165MVA to 265MVA, means that the substation has more bulk electricity available for Ikeja Disco to take to its customers within Ikeja Industrial Area, Ogba - Ijaiye, Agege Pen Cinema, Mangoro Cement, Ojodu and Ifako-Ijaiye areas of Lagos.
Mba said that the new transformer, which was installed under the supervision of TCN’s engineers has increased the capacity of the substation from 165MVA to 265MVA.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Siemens, GRIDCO
sign $278mn energy
infrastructure deal
Siemens has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ghana through the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) under the G20 Compact with Africa (CwA) initiative.
The agreement will see Siemens working collaboratively with GRIDCo to upgrade and extend Ghana’s power transmission infrastructure, improve the country’s grid
capacity and stability, as well as enable and expand a stable power export to neighbouring countries in the West African Power Pool.
Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser said he was pretty much excited that the deal has finally been completed.
“The MOU we have signed together
with our partners, GRIDCO, is aimed at modernising the whole grid of Ghana to bring power to the people in a more efficient way,” Kaeser said.
President Akufo-Addo in response to the submissions of the Siemens CEO noted that the signing of the MOU is a very important development in the history of the country.
“This is a very welcomed development
for us and the idea that Ghana is the first country on the continent to be getting a very significant transaction out the Compact (G20 Compact with Africa, CwA) is in itself a big vote of confidence by the German Leadership”. “We welcome that expression of confidence and we want to assure you that the monies will be put to good use”
The G20 Compact with Africa (CwA) was initiated under the German G20 Presidency to promote private investment in Africa, including in infrastructure.
The CwA’s primary objective is to increase the attractiveness of private investment through substantial improvements of the macro, business and financing frameworks.
HYDRO
AfDB approves $9mn grant for Ruzizi IV
The AfDB has approved an EUR8mn ($9mn) grant drawn from the European Union’s Africa Investment Platform (EU-AIP) to support the preparation of the Ruzizi IV Hydropower Project.
The plant will be situated on the Ruzizi River between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and will supply electricity to the DRC, Burundi and Rwanda.
Ruzizi IV is projected to produce 287 MW of electricity and exploit the Ruzizi River’s full hydropower potential.
Two plants are already in operation: Ruzizi I produces 29.8 MW and Ruzizi II, 43.8 MW; a third, Ruzizi III, with a projected 147 MW output, is under development with the bank’s support.
“The African Development Bank played a major role in structuring and raising financing for Ruzizi III, and the lessons learned will be used to successfully develop and implement Ruzizi IV. The use of renewable and affordable electric power will help to reduce poverty, unemployment, greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation, as well as stabilise security in the Great Lakes region,” said Batchi
Baldeh, the bank’s director for power systems development.
The grant approval follows a $980,000 grant approved at the end of2018 by the New Partnership for Africa Development’s Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (NEPAD-IPPF), which is a multi-donor Special Fund hosted by the Bank, to co-
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Week 02 16•January•2020