Page 14 - AfrElec Week 17 2021

AfrElec NEWS IN BRIEF AfrElec

the power generated by the wind farm will be
injected into the network before the end of
the first half of 2021. This is what the project
developer, InnoVent Maroc, a subsidiary of
the French group InnoVent, has announced.
With an investment of 300mn Moroccan
dirhams (27.8mn euros), the independent
power producer (IPP) has built a wind
farm covering 10 hectares in the Moroccan
province of Sidi Bennour. A few weeks ago,
the company commissioned its first turbine,
which feeds 3 MW into the grid of the Office
national de l’eau et de l’électricité (ONEE),
under a power purchase agreement (PPA).
According to the company, which employs
85 people, the foundation of a Nabralift wind
turbine requires only 80 m3 of concrete and
10 tonnes of steel, compared with the 500
m3 of concrete and 60 tonnes of steel needed
for a conventional wind turbine. Once fully
operational, the Oualidia wind farm will be
policies, a statement by the company notice which was issued by the Chairman of able to produce 80 GWh of electricity per year.
explained. NERC on Monday, April 26, 2021, and seen The installation will avoid annual emissions of
The TCN boss told the participants that on its website. 60mn tonnes of CO2.
the transmission company was vigorously The Commission expressed its readiness to The Oualidia wind farm will add to
pursuing its grid maintenance, expansion, commence the processes for a minor review of InnoVent’s portfolio of wind energy projects
and rehabilitation programme, knowing full the tariff in July, based on changes in inflation, in Africa. Through its subsidiary InnoSun
well that as a nexus in the power sector, TCN foreign exchange, gas prices, and available Energy Holding, the company commissioned
plays a vital role in providing leadership and a generation capacity, among other factors. the first wind farm in Namibia in 2018.
practical show of commitment to the progress NERC said that the reviews could also be Located in Ombepo, in the southwest of the
of electricity supply in the Nigerian Electricity carried out whenever industry parameters country, the facility consists of three wind
Supply Industry (NESI). have changed from those used in the turbines with a capacity of 5 MW.
Given this, he noted, TCN has installed operating tariffs to such an extent that a
several transformers, rehabilitated review is urgently required to maintain the
several substations, reconductored power viability of the industry.
transmission lines with several projects The commission is, however, soliciting GRID
ongoing, and has also put in place a proactive comments from the general public and
maintenance programme to which it diligently industry stakeholders on the proposed Egypt considers adding
adheres. reviews.
NERC is mandated, under the provisions up to 3,000 MW of power
of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act
(EPSRA) to review electricity tariffs in Nigeria capacity in linkage with
TARIFFS every six months (minor) and five years
(major). Libya: minister
Nigeria’s tariffs to increase Egypt’s Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker
again as NERC seeks to SOL AR said the country is studying the possibility to
add up to 2,000-3,000 megawatts of electricity
conclude extraordinary Oualidia wind farm to reach in power linkage with Libya, up from 240
MW.
review Transmission Company started to raise the
Shaker said the Egyptian Electricity
Nigeria’s electricity tariff will likely go up full capacity within weeks voltage of the electricity line between Egypt
soon as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Independent Power Producer (IPP) InnoVent and Ethiopia to 500 kilovolts from 220
Commission (NERC) announced plans to Maroc, a subsidiary of the French group kilovolts.
conclude the Extraordinary Tariff Review InnoVent, plans to have its Oualidia wind Shaker noted that the ministry is keen to
process for the country’s 11 electricity farm fully operational by the end of the first transfer electricity to Tripoli with the highest
distribution companies. half of 2021. The installation will then have a quality and best service.
The review, which is a minor one, began capacity of 36 MW. Shaker’s remarks come a week after
in the first quarter of 2020 and has remained The first MW of the Oualidia wind President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi expressed
inconclusive. farm has recently been fed into Morocco’s Egypt’s readiness to also export electricity to
This announcement was contained in a national electricity grid. But a large part of countries including Libya, Sudan, Jordan and

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 17 29•April•2021