Page 13 - AfrElec Week 43

AfrElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrElec
ACWA Power and Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP), the state-owned electricity producer, and the Ministry of Finance recently signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for the development of these projects.
The parties are expected to sign a long- term power purchase agreement (PPA) for the projects at $2.52 per kWh for 20 years by the end of 2019.
ACWA Power emerged as the winner out of 12 pre-qualified bidders. While these solar projects will be ACWA Power’s first venture in Ethiopia, the company currently has footprints in Africa with solar assets in Morocco, South Africa, and Egypt, fuelling the power needs of respective communities.
Landmark boost to coffers
of the world’s largest
climate fund
The shared urgency of addressing climate change took an historic step forward today with 27 countries pledging to replenish the Green Climate Fund (GCF) by $9.78bn equivalent for the next four years.
The resources will help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the negative effects of global warming, such as rising sea levels, record temperatures, prolonged drought, and more frequent and severe weather events.
The amount pledged exceeds the $9.3bn announced at the Fund’s previous pledging conference in 2014, even though some of those contributors have yet to pledge. Three- quarters of the countries increased their pledges in national currency. Nearly half of them doubled or more than doubled their pledges.
The pledges demonstrate strong and continued confidence in the Fund’s unique ability to promote a paradigm shift towards low-emission, climate-resilient development. In particular, these commitments will enhance the Fund’s ability to support developing countries to design and deliver ambitious climate action plans. By 2020, governments are expected to submit updated plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are key to the Paris Agreement.
Investments supported by the Green Climate Fund are already transforming lives in 99 developing coun+tries across the planet. These include closing the energy gap for the power deficient in Rwanda and Kenya and helping Mongolians transition to renewables and reduce dangerous air pollution.
GREEN CLIMATE FUND
World Bank forecasts Nigerian minigrid boom
The World Bank expects a boom in
Nigeria’s minigrid sector as the multilateral development bank and Nigerian government introduce an auction as part of a five-year, $550mn minigrid tender.
The tender is part of a minigrid and solar home electrification programme that has been running since June.
The World Bank’s Jon Exel said he believed the programme would prove to be a game- changer in Nigeria, where the government has gotten behind renewable and low-carbon energy projects to help achieve universal electrification.
Joining with the World Bank to implement the programme, Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) initially chose 2,000 minigrid project development sites.
REA and the World Bank then reduced that to 250 based on number of residents, economic activity and nearby infrastructure, according to the project partners.
Aceleron to boost power
access in Kenya by
recycling batteries
Aceleron, the UK developer of sustainable and reusable battery solutions, and Total Access to Energy Solutions (TATES), have partnered to expand clean energy accessibility and tackle unsustainable battery waste in Kenya by repurposing old battery packs.
The first stage of this unique project will see Aceleron convert TATES and its partners’ waste lithium-ion battery cells into repairable, upgradable and affordable long-cycle reusable
battery packs to bring cleaner power to more than 800 people in off-grid communities across Kenya and the surrounding area including Benin, Rwanda and Libya.
TATES will provide lithium-ion waste material from its solar lanterns scheme – a project providing light to Kenyans without electricity access and with low incomes. It will also use its network to encourage other companies to contribute their battery waste to the project.
“Bringing affordable and clean power to off-grid communities is powerful – it enables education, grows livelihoods and builds economies,” said Amrit Chandan, CEO of Aceleron.
Chinese fund 40MW solar park in Kenya
China-backed investment management company Enara Capital plans to set up a 40MW solar power park in Kenya, a top executive said last week.
Founder and chairman of Enara Group Sherif EL Gabaly told Kenyan media that the Kenya project would be implemented alongside similar solar plants with a total capacity of 130MW—including 50MW in Kazakhstan, and 40MW in Saudi Arabia.
The renewable energy-focused firm said it aims to launch 800MW of renewable power plants within five years inside and outside Egypt.
He did not provide timelines for the Kenya plant and how much the plant is worth.
The firm says on its website it serves as “the exclusive Investment management and project development partner of Chinese renowned Utility and Power conglomerates across the emerging markets.”
Week 43 30•October•2019
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