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IEEFA
The Star: The biggest financier of the troubled Sh200 billion Lamu coal plant project has pulled out, casting doubts on the project’s viability. The new development was reported by local NGO Save Lamu, citing a credible official at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. The organisation said that ICBC had abandoned the project because […]
Simon Nicholas
Kenya should make the most of its abundant renewable energy resources and reduce costs for consumers
The belated release of Kenya Power’s financial results for the year ended 30 June 2019 confirmed what was already known – that new renewable energy installations have replaced thermal power in Kenya’s energy mix. New power generation from the Lake Turkana Wind Power project – the largest wind power installation in Africa – resulted in […]
IEEFA
PV Magazine: Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Energy has announced the start of construction of two solar power plants with a combined generation capacity of 30 MW. The solar parks, with capacities of 20 MW and 10 MW, are planned for Koudougou, in Boulkiemdé province, and Kaya, in Sanmatenga, respectively. The Burkinabe government will finance the […]
Simon Nicholas
Chinese investments advance solar projects while saddling countries with costly and risky coal plants
May was a big month for solar power announcements in Africa. Algeria endorsed a huge 4GW, five-year solar plan that will install 10 times the nation’s solar power capacity for an investment of $3.2bn-$3.6bn. Further south, there were significant developments on either side of the Zambezi. Zimbabwe announced an invitation to bid for 500MW of […]
IEEFA
Renewables Now: Solar developer Ergon Solair Africa Ltd has won regulatory consent to build a 40-MW photovoltaic (PV) park in Kenya that will be backed with a USD 0.075 (EUR 0.064) per kWh feed-in tariff (FiT). The approval was awarded by the Energy Regulatory Commission of Kenya (EPRA), the affiliate of US-based Ergon Solair PBC […]
IEEFA
Reuters: Ethiopia has signed a power purchase agreement worth $800 million with the developers of a 150 MW geothermal plant, the prime minister said on Thursday. The Horn of Africa nation, which is the second most populous on the continent, has the second biggest electricity deficit in Africa according to the World Bank, with about […]
IEEFA
Quartz: Africa’s leading economies are increasingly looking to wind energy to power homes. It’s part of a trend towards varying forms of clean energy across the continent. South Africa, the continent’s most advanced economy, is a clear leader in renewable energy policy and projects, shows research by BloombergNEF. For example it will lead the drive […]
IEEFA
Quartz: The stats tell a grim story: Africa is the world’s least electrified continent and its electrification rate is growing slower than anywhere else. To shore up the deficit as national grids lacking lack capacity and efficiency to power homes, solar power has often been deployed as a viable alternative—despite bureaucratic skepticism. Yet there’s evidence […]
Simon Nicholas
GE, China, persisting in ill-advised African coal power proposals
As South Africa grapples with the huge financial fall out from unreliable old coal plants as well as poorly constructed and massively over-budget new ones, neighbouring Mozambique is at risk of locking itself into expensive, inflexible and obsolete coal power. Ncondezi Energy, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market, is planning […]
IEEFA
ESI Africa: The Garissa Solar Plant has increased the share of renewable energy to the grid to 93%, setting the stage for cheaper electricity in Kenya. The construction of the 50MWp (Mega Watt peak) Garissa Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant was completed by the China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Co-operation (CJIC). The plant […]
IEEFA report: The Lamu Coal Plant will hinder, not spur, economic growth in Kenya
Misdirected assumptions about construction, capacity, and costsJune 10, 2019 (NAIROBI) – The proposed Lamu coal plant in Kenya, a three-unit, 981-megawatt (MW) facility, would be a costly mistake, locking the country into a 25-year deal at a cost to consumers of more than US$9 billion, even if the plant never generates any power, according to a report released today by the […]