Page 11 - AsiaElec Week 21

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Amazon announces five solar projects in China, Australia and US
GLOBAL
AMAZON has announced five new renewable energy projects in China, Australia and the US as the tech giant moves towards making good on its commitment to reach 80% renewable energy by 2024, and 100% renewable energy by 2030.
Amazon’s first renewable energy project in China is a 100-MW solar project in Shandong Province, while the company will also build a 105-MW solar project in New South Wales, Australia.
Meanwhile, the company is set to develop two solar projects in Ohio, one for 200 MW and a second for 80 MW. In Virginia, Amazon will build a 130-MW solar project, its twelfth green project in the state.
Amazon sustainability vice-president Kara Hurstsaid:“AsasignatorytotheClimatePledge, we’re committed to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement ten years early and reaching net-zero carbon across Amazon by 2040.
“These five new renewable energy projects are a critical part of our roadmap to reach this goal. In fact, we believe it is possible to reach 100% renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of the goals we announced last fall. While this will be challenging, we have a credible plan to get there.”
All five projects will bring online 615 MW of generating capacity that will generate up to 1.2mn MWh per year. The company will use electricity to power its fulfilment network and its Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres.
Amazon currently has announced plans to build 31 utility-scale wind and solar projects and 60 solar rooftop developments at fulfilment cen- tres and sorting centres around the world. They boast 2,900 MW of capacity and can generate 7.6mn MWh per year.
The company also aims to reach net zero car- bon by 2040.™
China to install 600 MW of solar in Zambia
CHINA
ZAMBIA’S state-owned electricity company Zesco has signed a deal with Power China to install 600 MW of utility-scale solar projects at three locations in districts in Zambia.
Zesco said that the $548mn deal would fund the construction of three 200-MW projects in Chirundu and Siavonga district, as well as sup- porting transmission infrastructure to connect the three projects to the national grid.
The deal aims to improve access to reliable power supplies and to boost industrial develop- ment, Zesco managing director Victor Mulenga Mundende said.
“The project will greatly profit more than 1mn current and potential customers by increasing access to reliable electricity, enhance industrial development and create employment opportu- nities [for] local people,” Mundende said.
Power China’s authorised representative, Wang Junzhou, said his company was proud to partner with Zesco in the provision of clean energy, which will contribute to optimising power structure, grid stability and the economy, according to Zesco’s statement.
The company did not say when the projects
would be built.
Zambia currently has 2.8 GW of installed
generation capacity, of which 2.38 GW is from hydropower plants (HPPs).
The country is in theory already self-sufficient in terms of electricity supply and is expected to have surplus generation by 2022 after the com- missioning of renewables projects that are now under development.
However, the country is vulnerable to power cuts if water levels are low at hydro installations, such as at the Kariba North HPP.
Indeed, the power supply deficit had grown by nearly 20%, or 810 MW, since September, state power utility Zesco said in March, despite hefty price hikes and the government’s fast-tracking of support for green energy projects.
The country is implementing a plan to diversify its power mix by adopting additional renewable energy sources, and in 2019 awarded 120 MW of projects under its feed-in tariff (FiT) programme.
Earlier in May, neighbouring Zimbabwe issued an invitation for bids to install 500 MW of solar capacity.™
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