Page 15 - AfrElec Week 19 2021

AfrElec NEWS IN BRIEF AfrElec

Senegal’s first utility-scale wind farm, is SOL AR technologies and innovation for solar-storage
set to come fully online in 2021. The BESS projects.
system has an anticipated size of 40MW Sungrow, JCM Power, SUNGROW
and 175MWh capacity, helping to make
wind energy output dispatchable for over InfraCo to build Malawi’s
four hours. It will be dispatched by national GREEN LOANS
utility company SENELEC. DNV will assist first solar-plus-storage
Lekela Power in coming up with suitable IFC lends to South Africa’s
technical specifications for the BESS and help project
it formulate an off-take plan with the utility, in Absa Bank to fund
a project that could begin construction next Sungrow, the global leading PV and ESS
year. solutions supplier for renewables, has recently renewable energy
“If successful, this project has the potential partnered with JCM Power, InfraCo Africa,
to catapult Senegal to the forefront of RINA and Innovate UK to construct the The International Finance Corporation (IFC)
renewable energy usage in modern day grids. Republic of Malawi’s first utility-scale solar- has provided Africa’s first ever certified green
Wind power has been deployed for decades plus-storage project. loan to South Africa’s Absa Bank to fund
in some countries, yet only months after Located in the Dedza district of Malawi renewable energy projects in the country.
turning on Senegal’s first ever wind farm, near the town of Golomoti, the 20MWac solar The IFC, the World Bank’s private
we are now investigating how to integrate PV and 5MW/10MWh energy storage project investment arm, will lend Absa $150mn,
battery storage to the site,” Lekela Power CEO is set to become a leading project in sub- which the bank will onlend to finance
Chris Antonopoulos said in September as the Saharan Africa in demonstrating the value of “biomass and other renewable energy
project was picked out by the USTDA. solar PV coupled with energy storage. projects” in South Africa, an IFC statement
The USTDA is the government agency that The project will fully adopt Sungrow’s says.
seeks to connect private industries from the one-stop solar-plus-storage MV solution The statement, which does not provide
US to infrastructure projects in developing comprised of PV inverter, MV station, all- further details on the nature of the projects,
and middle-income economy regions of in-one Power Conversion System, battery says the deal is the first loan in Africa to
the world. Through programmes such as its container, and energy management system comply with the Loan Market Association’s
Power Africa initiative, it has given assistance (EMS). Sungrow’s leading PV and storage Green Loan Principles, a set of high-level
to feasibility studies and development technologies will be deployed to improve standards for environmentally friendly
activities to projects including microgrids and the availability, reliability, and quality of the lending.
utility-scale battery storage in the continent, Malawi power supply through its outstanding Absa will disclose who it lends money to
including a 2018 feasibility study for a solar- capabilities in providing frequency regulation, under the arrangement, which the IFC says
plus-storage project at Nacala International voltage regulation, peak shaving, and reactive will improve transparency. The IFC “will
Airport in Mozambique and a zinc-bromine power support. provide technical advice and knowledge
flow battery pilot project with technology The Golomoti project, which is expected sharing to help the bank develop a green,
provider Primus Power in South Africa, while to enter operations at the end of 2021, will social, and sustainable bonds and loans
it has also taken US-made energy storage have all engineering, procurement and framework,” according to the statement. It
technologies and technical services firms into construction activities managed by JCM is hoped that the deal with encourage other
India and Brazil. Power. The inclusion of lithium-ion batteries banks to pursue green loans.
behind the meter at this scale will be a first “The agreement with IFC bolsters our
in sub-Saharan Africa, demonstrating JCM’s funding available for green projects and
position as a leader in deploying leading strengthens Absa’s position as a leader in
financing renewable projects in South Africa,”
says Jason Quinn, Absa’s interim group CEO.
The IFC’s country manager for South
Africa, Adamou Labara, says: “Financial
institutions and the private sector have an
important role to play helping South Africa to
rebuild greener and more sustainably from the
impact of Covid-19.”
“By increasing funding for renewable
energy and climate smart projects we can
help South Africa strengthen its climate
change resilience and increase climate change
adaptation.”

Week 19 13•May•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P15