Page 15 - AfrElec Week 17 2022

AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec

USAID to ponder electrifying

health facilities in Africa

AFRICA AS part of US President Joe Biden’s catalytic strengthening vaccine cold chains, reducing
global infrastructure initiative announced at health supply wastage, and allowing for real-time
last year’s G7 Summit, state development agency infection tracking.
USAID is to host a high-level leadership round- The roundtable will be moderated by Power
table on Thursday (April 28) on the foundation Africa coordinator Mark Carrato and be
of the Healthcare Electrification and Telecom- attended mainly by US-based Africa experts,
munication Alliance. such as Molly Phee, the Assistant Secretary of
Alongside Power Africa, Thursday’s discus- State for African Affairs.
sion will focus on the brand new partnership, As things stand, an estimated 100,000 pub-
which is aimed at enhancing health services and lic health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa lack
assisting in COVID-19 response efforts across access to reliable power and internet connec-
Sub-Saharan Africa, by offering affordable tivity. Through its off-grid programme, Power
and sustainable electricity across Sub-Saharan Africa is looking to reduce this number. The new
Africa. alliance will attempt to power up and digitally
At the roundtable, participants will discuss connect 10,000 health facilities in Sub-Saharan
how electrification will boost medicine in the Africa.™
region, through improving information sharing,

Scatec gets Egypt’s approval

for $334.5mn green bonds to

refinance Benban solar park

MOROCCO NORWAY’S Scatec has signed an agreement Development (EBRD), the US government’s
with the Egyptian authorities to refinance six Development Finance Corporation, the Dutch
solar energy projects in Benban solar park in Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) and
Aswan generating 380 MW of electricity. Under the German Development Finance Institution
the agreement, Scatec and its partners will (DEG), alongside other major private-sector
reportedly refinance the projects through the institutional investors.
issuance of $334.5mn in green bonds carrying Egypt has implemented multiple renewable
a 19-year maturity. energy projects over the past decade, including
The green bonds were rated investment the Benban solar park, which houses more than
grade, which drew subscriptions from a host 32 photovoltaic (PV) solar energy projects with
of multilateral financial institutions, including a total electricity production capacity of about
the European Bank for Reconstruction and 1,465 MW.™

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