Key energy projects for the region

Increasing access to power

POWER Africa, the US initiative to increase access to reliable and affordable energy to the continent, was represented at the Africa Energy Forum (AEF) in Copenhagen, Denmark, to advance its goal to increase access to energy and power generation in subSaharan Africa.

Power Africa plans to increase the number of transactions that have reached financial close through grant signings, events, and meetings with government and private sector partners, the US State Department said this week.

The 76 projects it has closed are expected to generate over 7 107 megawatts (MW) since the launch of the initiative in 2013 by then US President Barack Obama.

“Power Africa and its partners have added 10.6 million connections, which means tens of millions of people have access to power who did not four years ago before we were established. We look forward to using the momentum from AEF to continue to transform the energy sector in Africa in 2017,” said Power Africa co-ordinator, Andrew M Herscowitz.

Highlights

Key highlights in the category Transactions Reaching Financial Close or Operations since March were:

Uganda: Hydro-Achwa 2 Hydropower Project – 42MW

Tanzania: Hydro-Rusumo Hydropower Project – 80MW

Uganda: Hydro-Muvumbe Hydropower Project – 6.5MW

In terms of partners making advances in competitive procurements since March, it listed:

Malawi: Solar PV ESCOM Prequalified Bidder: JCM Capital Zambia: IFC Scaling Solar Round I: Enel signed a PPA at a record low $0.0784/kWh

Zambia: IFC Scaling Solar Round II Prequalified Bidders: Access Power, Ltd, Enel and Globaleq.

Power Africa listed Actis as a new partner, saying it was looking forward to building on it success, including on AzuraEdo, a 450 MW natural gas project in Nigeria, under this new partnership.

Power Africa said that the US Trade and Development Agency had awarded a grant of $746 200 to Standard Microgrid Initiatives Limited.

This was to provide access to electricity for 22 500 households over the next four years.

The agency also approved funding for:

Madagascar Solar and Battery Storage Minigrid Project and Zambia Wind Power Project.

Kalahari GeoEnergy as part of the Zambia Geothermal Power Project . – ANA