Page 17 - AfrElec Week 02 2023

AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec

Ncondezi Energy wins land use

approval from Mozambique for

300MW solar park

MOZAMBIQUE MOZAMBIQUE’S government has approved perspective, having access to existing grid net-
an updated land use agreement for an AIM- works with available capacity and multiple
listed independent power developer Ncondezi evacuation paths in Mozambique and the wider
Energy Limited’s planned solar farm in the southern African region.”
southeastern African nation. Engineering consultancy WSP Group Africa
The permit is a significant step on Nconde- (Pty) Ltd presented the final draft of a feasibility
zi’s path to build a 300MW solar photovoltaic study of Ncondezi’s project. The document indi-
and battery energy storage system project in cates that phased construction of the solar pro-
Tete, northwestern Mozambique. ject can deliver first power up to 60MW within
Ncondezi said in a release on January 9 that 18 months of achieving financial close with the
the updated land use agreement grants exclu- full 300MW deliverable over 28 months.
sive use for solar power plant operations at the The solar project, says Ncondezi, will con-
950-hectare site, enough for a 500MW facility. nect to the Mozambique grid with target power
“This is a critical permitting requirement off-takers in that country and southern Africa.
for the project, reflecting both strong local sup- Power deficits in Zimbabwe, Malawi Zambia
port and the expedited process we are executing and South Africa mean vast areas in the coun-
since announcing the positive feasibility study tries go without grid electricity for between 6
last October,” Ncondezi chief executive officer, and 19 hours daily. Mozambique, one of the few
Hanno Pengilly said. nations in the region with energy security, has
“An update on our preferred transmission indicated its readiness to export more electricity
solution to connect to the Mozambican grid is to Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia and Tanza-
expected in the next 2 months. The solar project nia in 2023.™
is strategically positioned from a transmission

Karmsolar secures $2.8mn loan

from HSBC for Farafra solar grid

EGYPT EGYPT’S Karmsolar, an independent renewable The initial phase, to be completed by the third
energy EPC, has secured EGP83mn ($2.85mn) quarter (July-September) of 2023, aims to pro-
loan from HSBC Egypt to fund the development vide roughly 60% of the total project’s electric-
of the first phase of the Farafra Solar Grid Project ity generation needs through solar energy. The
in the Eastern Desert, according to a company company forecasts that solar energy generation
press release. capacity will be able to supply 100% of project
The financing will go towards establish- needs within three years of the commencement
ing a hybrid central plant to generate and sell of operations.
energy using solar panels, diesel generators The Farafra Solar Grid Project – operated
and industrial batteries at the Al-Enmaa Farm by Mars, a fully owned subsidiary of Karmso-
in Abu Minqar area in the New Valley gover- lar – will supply electricity generated from the
norate. It comprises the building of a 3.4-MW first phase to a facility operated by Juhayna Food
photovoltaic (PV) solar farm, the provision of Industries, a farm-to-consumer food products
a 3.7-MVA diesel generator, and the supply of maker, in the Eastern Desert.™
a 4-MWh/1-MW solar battery storage system.

Week 02 11•January•2023 www. NEWSBASE .com P17