Page 13 - AfrElec Week 09 2021

AfrElec NEWS IN BRIEF AfrElec

Two Rivers Mall (TRM) London Distillers, National Electricity local energy production and the development
Strathmore University and Williamson Tea. of renewable energies.
Office Invests $224mn in a “strategic” project that will have a positive
The general director of ONEE said this is
Morocco’s Laayoune impact on the overall cost of each kilowatt
SOL AR produced from renewable energies.
The National Office of Electricity and The Ministry of Energy, Mining, and
Nigerian solar power Drinking Water (ONEE) is investing MAD Environment in 2006 adopted the National
2 billion ($224 million) to boost the power
Energy Strategy in an attempt to generate
provider AllBase plans to supply in Morocco’s southern provinces. 52% of Morocco’s electricity from renewable
energies by 2030.
On February 23, Abderrahim El Hafidi, the
expand to Angola general director of ONEE visited Laayoune’s
400/225 kV “shielded substation” at El
Nigeria’s AllBase Energy is planning to deploy Haggounia station in the province of Tarfaya
its solar power distribution system to Angola for the launch of the project. The ONEE has HYDRO
in the third quarter as part of its African developed “shielded substations” particularly
expansion plan, CEO Kunle Odebunmi tells to protect power stations against extreme Kinshasa to restart work on
The Africa Report. weather.
The company has people on the ground El Hafidi is expected to carry out more 64MW Katende dam
in Angola developing strategy and plans a site visits to examine the progress of ONEE
funding round for “several million dollars” projects. The DR Congolese government has
in the second quarter. This will pay for In a region marked by extreme weather announced the resumption of talks with India
the Angolan entry as well as to increase conditions, the ONEE built a new generation on the construction of the dam and the 64
penetration into the Nigerian market, station. It is reinforced and protected MW Katende hydroelectric power station,
Odebunmi says from Lagos. against gusts of sand winds among other which are supposed to be in operation since
The company will seek equity funding in environmental threats. 2015.
the coming round and is likely to shift to a El Haggounia station aims to ensure In the Democratic Republic of Congo
mixture of debt and equity in future rounds, the expansion of renewable energy under (DRC), the Minister of Hydraulic Resources
he adds. development, with an additional capacity of and Electricity recently visited the site of the
The size of the potential market in Angola 1200 MW. To do so, ONEE plans on building Katende hydroelectric project in the province
is the “sweetener” that puts it at the top of the a second MAD 2 billion 400 kV artery in of Kasaï-Central. Eustache Muhanzi was able
list, Odebunmi says. Rapid growth in demand Agadir-Laayoune. This requires the expansion to see the state of the equipment installed
is in prospect: the country’s objective is to of the 400 kV substation of El Haggounia. before the work was stopped 4 years ago by
achieve a 60% electrification rate by 2025, The substation was built in 2016, in order the Indian company LPCC. At the end of his
with renewables accounting for more than to support wind farms in the southern provincial tour, Minister Eustache Muhanzi
7.5% of the mix. Even if it meets that target, provinces and to strengthen the supply of assured that he would resume talks with the
40% of the population will still need access to electrical energy. Indian government to restart the worksite.
electricity. Morocco’s southern provinces are The status quo observed for several years
experiencing rapid development particularly is hampering the development of electricity
in regard to projects focused on renewable infrastructure in the towns of Kananga,
energy. El Hafidi emphasized, in an interview, Mbuji-Mayi and Tshimbulu, which were to
INVESTMENT the importance of these provinces in terms of benefit from the project. The dam is being

Week 09 04•March•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P13