Page 14 - AfrElec Week 18
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AfrElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrElec
 generation units in western Libya. GECOL said in a statement that it will
replace feeding the generation units in western Libya with light fuel oil by natural gas after finalising all needed preparations and reactivating the shut-down units.
“The reopening of the gas pipeline will help stabilise the power network and feed all power generation units in all areas.” GECOL added.
It called on all areas not to vandalise the necessary means for life for all Libyans, such as water and electricity so that no damage can be inflicted on any Libyan citizen across the whole country.
An armed group, affiliated with Khalifa Haftar, closed the gas pipeline on April 10 in Sidi Al-Sayeh, causing two total blackouts in the western region in April.
O F F - G R I D
Soleva, Bboxx offer
free electricity to Togo
customers
Soleva, a social enterprise offering electrification solutions in West Africa, has decided to offer free electricity to its clients in Togo for one month. The company was joined by the British home solar kit supplier Bboxx. The latter plans to grant free credits of up to one month to its Togolese customers.
Soleva, a social enterprise offering electrification solutions in West Africa, and the British home solar kit supplier Bboxx are supporting the Togolese government in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Both companies have decided to provide their customers with free electricity.
As of this date, Togo is one of the countries least affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa. According to the latest assessment
of the Togolese authorities, seven deaths
have been recorded out of 109 people who tested positive for Covid-19. These statistics could nevertheless quickly change if barrier measures are not respected in everyday life.
To make life easier for confined persons and the implementation of distancing gestures, Soleva, will provide its subscribers with one month of free electricity during the period from April 20 to May 20, 2020. This measure should reach the most vulnerable populations in these times of Covid-19 pandemic. Around 10,000 people are concerned by this offer.
Rural electrification to add $4bn to Ethiopian economy
A new report released by Rocky Mountain Institute states that linking agriculture and rural electrification in Ethiopia could help the country unlock up to $4bn in its economy.
Linking the two sectors can help Ethiopia to address threats posed to its economy by
food insecurity from locust infestations, water scarcity and cases of COVID-19.
The economic benefits will be experienced across six agricultural processing or small business sectors at the same time helping farmers to save money by switching away from expensive sources of energy such as diesel.
The report Capturing the Productive Use Dividend: Valuing the Synergies between Rural Electrification and Smallholder Agriculture in Ethiopia has been compiled in partnership with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy (MoWIE); and the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA).
“There is a huge opportunity for Ethiopia to capture an economic dividend and accelerate progress toward national development goals, capturing the benefits of electrification for rural smallholders,” said Francis Elisha, principal at Rocky Mountain Institute.
By deploying on and off grid minigrids, Ethiopia can help its utilities to generate new revenue streams and save money by defraying the costs of rural electrification and reducing the subsidy needs for minigrids.
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Week 18 07•May•2020






































































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