Page 12 - AfrElec Week 21 2021

AfrElec NEWS IN BRIEF AfrElec

SOL AR and reliable energy for Malawi and to other KenGen will drill a total of three
developing nations. “We are pleased to have geothermal wells that will produce an overall
Malawi’s first utility-scale selected Sungrow to supply solar inverters, power of 15 MWe in this particular field. The
wells are a part of a pilot project with which
transformer kiosks and a one-stop lithium-
solar-plus-storage project ion battery energy storage solution for this the authorities of this East African country
pioneering project,” he said.
aim to test the geothermal potential of the
to be built in Golomoti Southern Africa mentioned that the Lake Assal region.
Phyllis Yang, the head of Sungrow
The project is subsidised by the Kuwait
Renewable energy company, Sungrow has introduction of Sungrow’s latest outdoor Fund for Arab Economic Development
partnered with JCM Power, InfraCo Africa, Power Conversion System solutions to the (KFAED) together with the Arab Fund for
RINA and Innovate UK to construct Malawi’s African market will boost the region’s clean- Economic and Social Development (Fades).
first utility-scale solar-plus-storage project. power access and economic growth. “We Following the completion of the said pilot
Located in the Dedza district of Malawi are extremely proud to be part of this iconic project, the Djibouti government plans to
near the town of Golomoti, the 20MWac solar project,” she added. entrust the development of the geothermal
PV and 5MW/10MWh energy storage project JCM POWER programme in the Lake Assal region to
is set to become a leading project in sub- Independent Power Producers (IPP).
Saharan Africa in showing the value of solar The development of this programme is
PV together with energy storage. GEOTHERMAL supported by the African Development Bank
The project is expected to fully adopt (AfDB) through a $24.73mn loan so far.
Sungrow’s one-stop solar-plus-storage MV Drilling works at Galla Le Back in July 2013, the pan-African bank lent
solution comprised of PV inverter, MV Djibouti $6.83mn , followed by $14.68mn in
station, all-in-one Power Conversion System, Koma geothermal field to 2016 and $3.22mn last year.
battery container, and energy management As well as Lake Assal, Lake Abbe is
system (EMS). Sungrow’s PV and storage begin another promising region as far as geothermal
technologies will be deployed to improve development is concerned.
the availability, reliability, and quality of the Kenya Electricity Generating Company According to ODDEG, the two geothermal
Malawi power supply through its capabilities (KenGen), a parastatal company and the sites have a combined potential of 5,000
in providing frequency regulation, voltage largest electric power producer in Kenya has MWe, the exploitation of which would propel
regulation, peak shaving, and reactive power revealed that preparations are 80% complete the East African country to the forefront of
support. and that the actual drilling works at the Galla renewable energy-producing countries in the
The Golomoti project will have all Le Koma geothermal site located in Lake Assal continent.
engineering, procurement and construction region, central Djibouti, shall commence in
activities managed by JCM Power. The June.
inclusion of lithium-ion batteries behind This comes approximately three months
the meter at this scale will be a first in sub- since the Nairobi, Kenya-based Company HYDRO
Saharan Africa. The project is expected to signed $6.5m contracts with Office Djiboutien
enter operations at the end of 2021, de developpement de l’energie geothermique Sunon Asogli to enter
According to Shane Eglinton, Engineering (ODDEG), or rather the Djiboutian office of
Director of JCM Power, the project will geothermal energy development), to carry out Liberia’s power industry
demonstrate the pathway for clean, affordable the project.

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 21 27•May•2021