Page 13 - AfrElec Week 01 2023
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AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec
Voltalia starts construction at
148MW solar power plant in Limpopo
VOLTALIA starts first construction works at The French company will work to source
SOUTH AFRICA 148MW solar power plant in Limpopo goods and services locally in support of South
Under the 20-year contract with RBM, South Africa’s growing renewable energy sector value
Africa’s largest mineral sands producer and a chain. According to Voltalia, local labour will be
unit of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, employed both for the construction and for the
Voltalia will supply approximately 300 GWh of operational monitoring of the plant.
renewable energy each year to RBM’s production “We are very pleased to be able to launch the
facilities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). construction of our largest project in Africa, just
First construction works for the Bolobedu two months after signing the CPPA with RBM
solar power plant include detailed engineering, and thus to support it in the decarbonisation of
the purchase of various equipment, site clearing, its sites. Our commitment to help our custom-
and detailed geotechnical studies, Voltalia said in ers overcome the current energy crisis has never
a press release. Bolobedu will be the largest South been stronger” says Voltalia’s CEO Sebastien
African renewable power plant dedicated to the Clerc.
energy needs of a corporate client. Voltalia produces and sells electricity gener-
The plant will be completed in 2024, and its ated from wind, solar, hydraulic, biomass and
production will represent a volume equivalent storage facilities that it owns and operates. The
to the annual electricity consumption of 425,000 Group is already operating on its own behalf or
inhabitants, avoiding more than 237,000 tonnes on behalf of third-party customers in African
of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to remov- countries like Zimbabwe, Burundi, Tanzania
ing approximately 50,000 cars from the road, and Kenya.
Voltalia says.
Uganda receives $25mn grant
for rural solar mini grids
UGANDA UGANDA’S government has received a grant creation of more business ventures.
from the German government and European “Moreover, Get Access will also create a
Union to support the development of clean market for private sector driven and financed
renewable energy in rural areas through solar mini-grid electrification as a viable and ready
energy, The Observer reports. alternative to publicly-financed grid electrifi-
The project, which will add 5MW to 6MW cation in remote locations as well as improve
of generation capacity to the country aims to clean energy access in rural areas of Uganda and
provide first time access to modern, afforda- support Uganda in the green transition,” she is
ble and clean electricity to more than 110,000 quoted as saying.
people, 800 public institutions and at least 700 Solar energy in Uganda has the highest adop-
businesses in rural areas through solar-powered tion rate among all renewable energy options
mini grids. with average solar radiation is 5.1 kWh/m2/day,
Out of €35mn (UGX136.2bn), the total cost according to the German development agency
of the project, the German Federal Ministry for GIZ.
Economic Cooperation (BMZ) will contribute The current solar data shows that solar energy
€15m while the European Union is expected to is high throughout the year with a variation
contribute €10m, with the remainder to be cov- (minimum month / maximum month) of only
ered by the government of Uganda and private about 20 % maximum.
investors. At the signing ceremony, it was revealed
Speaking during the signing of the agreement, that the Uganda government is finalizing the
the head of cooperation for the EU delegation to preparatory activities for the Electricity Access
Uganda, Caroline Adriaensen, said that the pro- Scale Up project, which targets to achieve up to
ject is aimed to contribute to national socio-eco- 1,073,500 connections with the approval of cab-
nomic development by stimulating economic inet and parliament already obtained.
activities in the cluster areas by promoting the
Week 01 04•January•2023 www. NEWSBASE .com P13
