Page 12 - AfrElec Week 43 2020

AfrElec NEWS IN BRIEF AfrElec

of SG 2.6-114 turbines and build the wind security of supply, and increase efficiency in meter deployment, reduce estimated billing
farm under a turn-key EPC contract with the the power sector whilst leveraging Zambia’s and expand revenue collection capacities of
project developer, Lekela Power. Once online, geographical position in the Southern African the 11 electricity distributions companies
West Bakr will increase Egypt’s wind power Power Pool. (Discos) suffered a deployment setback with
capacity by 18% and generate enough power the government’s new import levy.
to meet consumption needs of over 350,000 As a result, the regulator also noted
homes. The wind farm will operate under a that 59.61 per cent of registered electricity
power purchase agreement (PPA) with the METERS customers in the country are still on
Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company estimated billing, adding that this contributes
(EETC). Nigeria’s mass meter to customer apathy towards payment of
Located 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) electricity bills.
north-west of the town of Ras el Ghareb in rollout stalled by 35% he NERC further stated that in the quarter
the Gulf of Suez, the project is part of the under review, N3.88 out of every N10 worth
Egyptian government’s build-own-operate import tax of energy sold by the Discos remained
(BOO) framework. Lekela, an Africa-focused uncollected from consumers, inferring
renewable energy company, broke ground But for the federal government’s sudden that meters could have helped to limit the
in February 2020 and plans to have the wind introduction of an additional 35 per cent collection losses of Discos.
farm grid-connected in 2021. tax on imported meters, electricity users in
Nigeria who still do not have meters may have
gotten one, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory
Commission (NERC) has disclosed.
RENEWABLES The NERC stated that its plan to use an
improved supply framework to reduce the
InfraCo Africa signs CLA number of unmetered electricity users in the
country’s power sector was largely stalled by
with GreenCo for Zambia the government’s import levy.
In its first quarter 2020 operational report
InfraCo Africa, part of the Private on the country’s power sector, the NERC
Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), explained that its Meter Assets Providers
has signed a convertible loan agreement with (MAP) framework which sought to improve
Africa GreenCo Group (GreenCo) to progress
an innovative approach to building Zambia’s
renewable energy capacity.
Gilles Vaes, InfraCo Africa’s CEO said
that “GreenCo’s initiative of intermediary
power off taker and power trading company is
highly innovative and will help the Zambian
electricity sector prepare for the future,
working together with ZESCO and other key
sector stakeholders.”
“The challenges of developing new
renewable electricity production in Zambia
are great and will require the combined efforts
of initiatives such as GreenCo’s and ZESCO’s
continued support of IPPs in the foreseeable
future. We look forward to working with
GreenCo in helping it to become operational.”
InfraCo Africa has leveraged $500,000
of funding from PIDG Technical Assistance
(PIDG TA) to support wider work to develop
the initial operational capability of GreenCo’s
Lusaka-based company, GreenCo Power
Services.
GreenCo will act as an intermediary
renewable energy buyer and services provider.
The company’s operations will complement
the Government of Zambia’s vision for the
electricity sector as set out in the National
Energy Policy 2019 and subsequent new
energy sector legal and regulatory framework.
This represents an important step in
scaling-up renewable energy investment to
help mitigate climate change impacts, improve

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