Page 12 - AfrElec Week 11 2022
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AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec
US Millennium Challenge
Corporation focuses on
energy in Sierra Leone
SIERRA LEONE THE US Government’s Millennium Challenge with equities in this sector,” said Tina Yu, Coun-
Corporation (MCC) has announced the suc- try Director for the Sierra Leone Compact Team
cessful conclusion of the latest of several visits to at MCC, in a March 14 statement.
Sierra Leone to progress the design of a potential “Our ongoing consultative process will
investment, called a “compact”, to support its ensure that the final compact is broadly inclu-
economic growth. sive and will benefit all Sierra Leoneans. I look
During the visit to Freetown, MCC repre- forward to continuing these conversations as we
sentatives met with people in the private sector, progress our compact design process.”
government officials, representatives from all Currently, only 26% of Sierra Leone’s house-
parties, and other development partners, par- holds are connected to an electrical grid, mostly
ticularly those interested in the energy sector. in the capital Freetown, and unpredictable ser-
Sierra Leone has requested MCC to design vice blackouts force most firms to rely on costly
a potential compact – in coordination with diesel generators to support their operations.
the Sierra Leone Compact Development Unit That lack of electricity also exacerbates the
(SLCDU) – that directly addresses the lack of country’s food insecurity crisis by limiting the
affordable and reliable electricity among house- presence of processing and storage technologies
holds, businesses, and social institutions. that use electricity, contributing to high rates of
“Now that the government of Sierra Leone food loss and waste. The MCC said the compact
has asked us to focus on the energy sector, we are design process is analysing how to address these
grateful to have been able to travel to Freetown challenges.
and meet with a wide variety of stakeholders
Namibia’s DBN approves
solar park funding
NAMIBIA THE Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) has The RPSP will be run by two Namibian com-
approved funding for the construction of the panies – the local subsidiary of South African
Rosh Pinah Solar Park (RPSP) in the country’s renewables company Emesco Energy and civil
southern region of Karas. engineering firm Otesa Energy Projects. The
A 5.4-MW solar project will power the Rosh latter is the majority stakeholder and will be
Pinah zinc and lead mine, operated by the Rosh responsible for the construction of the plant,
Pinah Zinc Corporation (RPZC) owned by Can- according to the DBN.
ada’s Trevali Corporation. “By financing renewable energy generated
The project is part of the bank’s commitment by Independent Power Producers (IPPs), DBN
to back 13 clean energy projects with 87.9MW of aims to reduce cashflows out of the country,
total generation capacity. increase the amount of locally generated electric-
In a February 25 press release, DNB said that ity, reduce future costs associated with develop-
the solar project took the bank’s investment ing and maintaining cross-border transmission
in renewable energy to almost NAD1.04bn infrastructure as well as enhancing security of
($67.5mn). The amount allocated for the RPSP supply which may be complicated by threat of
was not specified. The solar park is the second disruption of export operations,” the bank said
project to be financed under the DNB’s climate the statement.
adaptation facility.
P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 11 17•March•2022
