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upgrading Qalyubia’s station, as well as one unit each at the Duvha, studies for the construction, operation and
Matimba and Kusile power stations had been
maintenance of a solar photovoltaic power
electricity network delayed. plant with a capacity of up to 200MW with
storage on the outskirts of N’Djamena.
One unit at the Tutuka power station
The Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and tripped on August 12, while Kusile’s Unit In early July, the United Nations
Renewable Energy has invested EGP470mn 1 had been shut down. Eskom did not Development Programme launched the “Sun
(29mn) in raising the efficiency of the immediately say what caused the units to go Health” project in the country to address the
electricity network in Qalyubia in fiscal year offline. lack of a reliable source of energy in Chad.
2019/2020. “Eskom teams are hard at work to return Only 6.4% of the Chadian population has
Medium-voltage overhead power lines these units to service. These breakdowns have access to reliable electricity.
reached 1,600.782 kilometres (km) in added to the approximately 5,500 MW of The UN initiative, supported by funding
length, while the length of medium-voltage capacity out on planned maintenance, while of approximately $3mn, aims to install solar
underground cables registered 1,475.002 unplanned maintenance has risen to almost panels in 150 health centres in the country.
km and low-voltage overhead power lines 11,000MW.” Chad had an installed solar capacity of
amounted to 4,557.001 km, according to a The utility said the constrained system may 1MW at the end of 2019, according to figures
statement on August 9. persist for the rest of the week. from the International Renewable Energy
The number of electricity subscribers in Agency (IRENA).
the governorate of Qalyubia stands at about While the US Agency for International
1.2mn. Development estimates the landlocked
SOL AR country has only 125MW of total power
generation capacity, the bulk of which is
Solar projects earmarked diesel and heavy fuel oil which mainly serves
ESKOM N’Djamena.
Meanwhile, on 22 July, the Minister of
Eskom’s systems “severely to support N’Djamena State, Minister Secretary General of the
surrounds in Chad
Presidency, Kalzeubé Payimi Deubet, laid
constrained” Argentine conglomerate Alcaal Group has the foundation stone for the construction of
a photovoltaic solar power plant in Kalam-
Eskom warned on August 12 of a “severely signed an MoU with Chad’s Ministry of kalam, also near N’Djamena.
constrained” power system after the return to Finance and Ministry of Energy for a 200MW The installation will be built by the
service of five generation units was delayed, solar PV with a battery storage component National Electricity Company (SNE) and is
while a further two units went offline. located near the capital city of N’Djamena. the first phase of the Solar Energy Project
“We urge the people of South Africa to The company had visited Chad at the for Rural Development in Chad programme.
reduce electricity consumption in order beginning of August to discuss the prospects Construction work on the solar power plant is
to help us power the country through the for investing in the country’s agribusiness and anticipated to officially begin in January 2021.
evening peak,” it said in a statement. renewable energies, Idriss Déby, the central The installation will consist of
The power utility said the return to service African country’s president, announced. interconnected solar panels connected to
of two generation units at Tutuka power The agreement concerns feasibility several inverters. The energy generated by

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