Page 14 - AfrElec Week 21

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NEWS IN BRIEF
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on the Nile.
Ethiopia countered the complaint saying
it was not obliged to inform Egypt on the issue as it was provided in a 2015 Declaration of Principles signed between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia. According to the declaration, negotiations on the GERD will be done in parallel with construction of the dam.
Ethiopia hopes to retain 4.9 bcm of water during this coming rainy season (July and August) as part of first-phase filling and the volume would be enough to test two turbines in mid-2021.
Last week, a Sudanese proposal to return to the negotiating table was accepted by both Ethiopia and Egypt but it is not clear
if it would be mediated. The US-sponsored talks broke down in February after Ethiopia accused the US of openly siding with Egypt.
“The GERD project has entered its decisive phase of electricity generation,” Gedu told the ambassadors. “The project was launched in 2011 and being constructed with entirely local funding.”
He also told the ambassadors that Ethiopia pursued the principle of equitable and reasonable utilisation of the Nile River and GERD would not inflict any significant harm on downstream countries, but rather bring a number of benefits, including regulation of the flow of water, prevention of flooding and evaporation, and providing a regional power interconnection.
Egypt keeps on expressing fears that the dam would reduce the flow of water reaching into its boundaries, while Ethiopia maintains it needs energy for development.
Ethiopia launched the GERD project in 2011 at a site 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from the border with Sudan.
“Ethiopia supports the statements issued by the United Nations Secretary General and the African Union Commission Chairperson in connection with the dam,” Gedu said.
African Development Fund
lends to Madagascar’s
Sahofika HPP
The African Development Fund has approved a EUR4.02mn euro loan with a grant component to finance the Government of Madagascar’s EUR30mn equity investment in the Sahofika hydropower project, which will generate affordable, clean energy benefitting some 8mn people.
The Sahofika project is located on the Onive River, 100 km southeast of the capital Antananarivo. It entails the construction of a 205MW hydroelectric power plant on a Build-
Own-Operate-Transfer basis and includes the construction and rehabilitation of 110 km of access roads and construction of a 75 km, 220 kV transmission line.
Once commissioned, the Sahofika project is expected to contribute to the avoidance of 900,000 tons of CO2 equivalent annually.
The government has committed to plough back the returns from the project to reduce electricity tariffs for the people of Madagascar.
Additional funding for the project
is expected to come from the European Union and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa
The Sahofika project is aligned with the Bank’s New Deal on Energy for Africa, and the Bank’s Climate Change Action Plan, whose collective goals include expanding green energy infrastructure for sustainable and inclusive growth. It is also in line with the Government of Madagascar’s energy policy.
RURAL ELECTRIFICATION
Nigeria to press ahead
with AfDB-funded off-grid
projects
Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has said arrangements are being concluded for the implementation of component two;
‘Productive Use Appliances and Equipment in Off-Grid Communities of the African Development Bank (AfDB) financed Nigeria Electrification Project.
Being implemented with collaboration with the Power Africa Nigeria Power Support Programme, Managing Director/CEO of REA, Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, who spoke in an online meeting said the organisation has reached a milestone in the implementation of the funded project.
He said the project supports mini-grid developers through the productive use subsidy programme to encourage the use of low-cost productive applian the component uses a result-based framework for investors and energy access companies to incorporate the distribution and sale of energy-efficient productive use appliances in their regular line of activities.
“The objective is to increase the productive use of energy in rural communities by facilitating access to efficient, electric productive equipment.
“The Component also serves to activate the productive use appliance market and make productive uses of power a critical enabler
to sustainable economic development while scaling up energy access,” Ahmad said.
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Week 21 28•May•2020