| African Power Platform - Newsletter #18 | ||||||||
Week 12, 2020 | |||||||||
EDITORIAL | |||||||||
Dear reader, Welcome to the eighteenth African Power Platform (APP) newsletter. The power industry can't remain indifferent to what's happening globally with the Coronavirus outbreak, and our message is to advise you to stay safe, avoid unnecessary travels and follow the instructions from the local authorities of the country you are located. Africa keeps experiencing progress on the off-grid and on-grid sectors, with projects moving forward all across the continent. In this edition we share you news coming from Gabon, Djibouti, Angola, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Zambia, Senegal, DR Congo, Tanzania, Morocco, Burundi and Ivory Coast. There are two new financing opportunities, the Brilho programme in Mozambique, a DFID funded programme for off-grid projects and the IRENA lead Climate Investment Platform (CIP). That's all for this week. Keep well, keep energized. Meanwhile, the APP keeps here, serving the power industry in Africa.
Jorge Lascas Founder & Managing Director | |||||||||
FROM THE PRESS | |||||||||
GABON: Eight hybrid solar power plants for isolated communities. Read the article >> Ausar Energy, a subsidiary of ENGIE, has signed a 15-year lease-purchase agreement for the construction and operation of hybrid solar power plants, which will eventually supply nearly 1,600 homes and save 2,600 tons of CO2 per year. | |||||||||
AFRICA: Powering Africa’s transformation with clean energy. Read the article >> How can Africa generate the power it needs to grow and prosper without becoming reliant on unsustainable solutions such as coal? Vera Songwe and Scott Mather introduce the SDG 7 Initiative for Africa, a bold new initiative that aims to add 10,000 MW to Africa’s electricity capacity by 2025, all in the form of clean energy. | |||||||||
DJIBOUTI: Djibouti’s first renewables project launched. Read the article >> Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Climate Fund Managers (CFM), FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank and Great Horn Investment Holdings (GHIH) are funding the construction and operation of a 60MW wind farm in the Ghoubet area, near Lake Assal in Djibouti. | |||||||||
ANGOLA: Voith Hydro to open hydraulic power training centre. Read the article >> An agreement was recently signed between the Angolan Government and Voith Hydro, a German company specialising in the construction of dams and the equipment of hydroelectric power stations. The company will build a hydropower training centre in Angola. | |||||||||
ZIMBABWE: US NGO Installs Solar Panels in Maternity Wards in Zimbabwe. Read the article >> Staff and patients celebrated at Beatrice Government Hospital after a U.S. charity known as We Care Solar installed solar power in the medical center's labor and maternity wards. | |||||||||
AFRICA: ENGIE Africa brings Off-Grid Power to over 4 Million People, establishing its Position as Market Leader on the Continent. Read the article >> ENGIE Africa is pleased to announce that it has successfully accelerated the Access to Energy (A2E) strategy that it launched in 2018. ENGIE has achieved this through the development of its three A2E off-grid energy solution companies: Fenix International, ENGIE Mobisol, and ENGIE PowerCorner. | |||||||||
KENYA: Kenya to connect 250,000 households in 14 counties to solar power. Read the article >> Kenya is set to connect 250,000 households in 14 counties to solar power through a solar electrification programme. This is after the government partnered with the World Bank to fund the US $150m project. | |||||||||
NAMIBIA: Kunene region gets 150 kWp solar power plant. Read the article >> The Kunene region of Namibia has just acquired a 150 kWp solar power plant. The project was financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). It will benefit 9,200 people. | |||||||||
NIGERIA: Africa’s second largest hydro power project to take off after legal tussle. Read the article >> The Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, disclosed that the power project, which is reputed to be the second-largest hydroelectric plant in Africa is back on track after the government settled a legal dispute that was delaying it. | |||||||||
ZAMBIA: Saurea’s solar engine will pump water for irrigation for 20 years. Read the article >> Saurea just sold a solar engine in Zambia. In this East African country, where only 5% of people have access to electricity in rural areas, the French start-up's innovation is adapted to hand pumps to irrigate fields. | |||||||||
SENEGAL: Senegal opens West Africa's first big wind farm in push for renewables. Read the article >> Senegal inaugurated the first large-scale wind farm in West Africa on Monday, a facility that will supply nearly a sixth of the country’s power when it reaches full capacity later this year. | |||||||||
DR CONGO: Saving lives with solar power in Democratic Republic of Congo. Read the article >> In remote parts of countries like Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where patients often have to walk long distances to get to a hospital, many health centers struggle with a very basic issue—a lack of access to electricity. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have been coping with this logistical challenge for decades, usually relying on diesel generators. But in DRC´s South Kivu province, MSF teams are finding a cheaper, more effective, and sustainable solution through solar power. | |||||||||
TANZANIA: Makang’wa will benefit from a solar-powered water supply system. Read the article >> The Makang'wa village, located in the Chamwino district of Tanzania, will soon have a solar-powered drinking water supply system. The project has recently benn launched by the Tanzanian government. It will provide more than 7,000 households with access to safe drinking water. | |||||||||
AFRICA: Persistent Energy raises $8 million to provide solar off-grid. Read the article >> Persistent Energy Capital LLC, a venture capital firm has just raised $8 million through a crowdfunding action. The funds will be reinvested in solar energy providers in Africa. | |||||||||
NAMIBIA: Namibia to construct 4 wind power plants in national park. Read the article >> Namibia has approved the construction of four wind power plants in the Tsau Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park in the country’s coastal town Luderitz, officials said Tuesday. Ministry of Environment and Tourism executive director Teofilus Nghitila said the power plants are expected to generate 100 megawatts of electricity. | |||||||||
AFRICA: Africa can capitalise on biomass as renewable energy source. Read the article >> Progress has been made in Africa's development in biomass and the continent has the potential to capitalise on this renewable energy source, according to Lee Dawes, GE Steam Power Sub-Saharan Africa CEO. | |||||||||
MOROCCO: Morocco Pledges to Support Electricity Projects in Southern Africa. Read the article >> Morocco is committed to sharing its expertise with African countries in the field of electricity, said the Director-General of Morocco’s National Office for Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE), Abderrahim El Hafidi. | |||||||||
BURUNDI: Grants valued at $160m to uplift Burundi communities through solar. Read the article >> The World Bank approved two grants for a total of $160 million from the International Development Association (IDA) to support Burundi in improving essential services through solar power and local development in rural and remote areas. | |||||||||
IVORY COAST: Ivory Coast solar project receives backing. Read the article >> French finance and international law firms are among those involved in a home solar energy project in Ivory Coast. NEoT Offgrid Africa, an investment platform focused on renewable energy, has provided financing for solar power systems to homes in Ivory Coast, which will be distributed by Zola EDF Côte d'Ivoire (ZECI). | |||||||||
PRESS RELEASES | |||||||||
VentureBuilder and USADF Partner to Support Local Off-Grid Enterprises in Africa Read the article >> VentureBuilder and the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) announced today (17 February 2020) their partnership to sustainably help scale up indigenous off-grid solar enterprises across Africa. With over 100 million African households still lacking access to modern energy services, this new partnership will support the development of off-grid solar enterprises to meet the demands of underserved populations on the continent. | |||||||||
First phase of Scatec Solar’s 258 MW solar plant in South Africa in commercial operation Read the article >> Scatec Solar and partners have grid connected and reached commercial operation for 86 MW of the 258 MW solar power complex in Upington, South Africa. The 86 MW facility, known as Sirius, is expected to produce 217 GWh and will lead to the abatement of more than 180,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. | |||||||||
Off-Grid Solar Industry Grows Into a $1.75 Billion Annual Market, New Report Shows Read the article >> The off-grid solar industry has grown into a $1.75 billion annual market, providing lighting and other energy services to 420 million users and remains on a solid growth curve, a new World Bank Group and GOGLA report shows. | |||||||||
Off-Grid Solar Energy Sector Ready to Step Up Efforts Towards Sustainable Energy Read the article >> Leading off-grid solar energy companies, governments, development partners, and investors this week agreed to further grow the off-grid solar market. The renewed commitment will accelerate progress towards universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy by 2030. | |||||||||
Azuri launches Brighter Lives Initiative to encourage more rural women into solar Read the article >> Azuri Technologies announced its Brighter Lives Initiative, aimed at bringing more rural women into the off-grid solar sector. | |||||||||
FEI-OGEF investment amplifies solar energy leader d.light’s reach in East Africa Read the article >> The Facility for Energy Inclusion Off-Grid Energy Access Fund (FEI-OGEF), managed by Lion’s Head Global Partners (LHGP), today announced a $10 million debt investment in d.light, a leading innovator of solar energy products. | |||||||||
NEoT Offgrid Africa launches the first receivables securitization program in the financing of renewable energy projects in Africa Read the article >> NEoT Offgrid Africa (NOA) has closed a receivables securitization program with Zola Electricity Côte d'Ivoire (ZECI - a joint venture between EDF and Zola Electric) which aims to equip more than 100,000 households with solar home systems in Côte d'Ivoire, mainly in rural and peri-urban areas. NOA, majority-owned by Meridiam, is the first investment platform to set up a receivables securitization program in the financing of off-grid energy projects in Africa. Its objective for this deal is to reach a portfolio worth 40 million euros. | |||||||||
Umeme Kicks Off a Global Partnership Pilot to Identify New Approaches to Clean Energy Access in Uganda Read the article >> Umeme Limited, Makerere University, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Power for All – a global charity dedicated to accelerating the end of energy poverty – and a coalition of energy companies launched an integrated energy pilot to test new ways of accelerating energy access, stimulating customer demand and improving grid performance in Uganda that will primarily benefit poor and rural areas. | |||||||||
FROM THE MEMBERS | |||||||||
Crown Estate Scotland has appointed global engineering and consultancy firm Arup as specialist reviewers for ScotWind, the new leasing round for offshore wind projects.
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Dubai solar developer Enerwhere revealed a floating solar plant installed on the open ocean near the luxury resort island of Nurai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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Eversheds Sutherland has been named Best Law Firm at the HedgeWeek European Awards 2020. The annual awards recognise excellence among hedge fund managers and service providers across Europe. The nominations are based on a 'peer review system' whereby readers, are invited to elect a 'best in class' in a series of categories.
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Three major commercial rooftop installations in the Geneva area with a total capacity of 1,6MW – the Stadium of Geneva, College of Voirets and College of Bude – were completed by RECOM-SUNWATT.
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TENDERS | |||||||||
Submission deadline: 27 March 2020 | Category: Consultancy Country: Sierra Leone | Entity: ECREEE
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Submission deadline: 27 March 2020 | Category: Consultancy Country: Benin, Ivory Coast and Togo | Entity: ECREEE
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Submission deadline: 27 March 2020 | Category: Consultancy Country: Gambia | Entity: African Development Bank
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Submission deadline: 13 May 2020 | Category: Construction Country: Niger | Entity: African Development Bank
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FINANCING | |||||||||
Deadline: 29 May 2020 | Country: Mozambique Details: BRILHO is a five-year programme, 2019 - 2024, that will catalyse Mozambique’s off-grid energy market in order to provide clean and affordable energy solutions to the country’s off-grid population.
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Region: Africa Details: IRENA invites multilateral, bilateral and local financial institutions, other development organisations and other institutions that are prepared to provide financial resources, technical assistance and/or support the realisation of projects, along with private companies and private investors, to become partners of the Climate Investment Platform (CIP).
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UPCOMING WEBINARS | |||||||||
Date & Time: 24 March 2020 at 13:00 GMT | Organizer: ESI Africa
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Date & Time: 24 March 2020 at 16:00 CET | Organizer: ATA Insights
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UPCOMING EVENTS (Please check regularly the events section as Coronavirus as been forcing suspension of most events) | |||||||||
Date: 26 March 2020 | Location: Lagos, Nigeria
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Date: 22 - 23 April 2020 | Location: Maputo, Mozambique
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Date: 30 June - 3 July 2020 | Location: Barcelona, Spain
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FEATURED REPORT | |||||||||
Publication date: 2020, January | Author: GOGLA Building on Hystra’s experience working on solar for the past 10 years and GOGLA knowledge of their members, complemented with 15+ interviews of off-grid solar players and experts, this report presents the main cost drivers in the provision of quality products and services (including both upstream in product manufacturing, and downstream in product sales and added services) and the levers policymakers and industry players can use to narrow the price gap with non-quality products.
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JOBS | |||||||||
Published: 12 February 2020 | Location: Nairobi, Kenya Description: The Head of Engineering will be responsible for overseeing all power-related technical elements of the company.
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Published: 13 February 2020 | Location: Nairobi, Kenya Description: The Corporate Finance Director is the individual primarily responsible for the financial health of the company. He/she is a thought leader and partner to the CEO, and co-creator of corporate strategies, plans and objectives. He/she is responsible for all aspects of financial strategy, planning, management, analysis, and reporting. In Pawame’s unique context, he/she will work alongside Pawame’s CFO to support fundraising efforts and ensure Pawame has access to an adequate supply of low-cost working capital.
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Published: 14 February 2020 | Location: Nairobi, Kenya Description: Angaza is hiring a Director of Customer Experience to join leadership team and take ownership over post-sales customer journey.
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Published: 25 February 2020 | Location: Nairobi, Kenya Description: The Senior Analyst or Associate Manager, Process Excellence, will have a leading role in helping to reshape critical business process across the organization.
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Published: 25 February 2020 | Location: Kigali, Rwanda Description: About the role: Set a road map for the development of products in the range, including both hardware and business model development; Coordinate with the market research team to conduct market and user research; Manage pilots to test products and learn about the market; Coordinate with the hardware development and sourcing teams to design and begin producing the products; Coordinate with the finance team to develop a profitable business model for these products in all BBOXX markets; Work with the process management team to develop a go-to-market plan including customer acquisition and development strategies for this product; Evaluate the success of new product or feature roll-outs and provide support as required.
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Published: 3 March 2020 | Location: Nairobi, Kenya Description: About the role: Reporting to the Director of Programmes based in London, you will lead their Nairobi-based Programmes and Advisory team, which includes professionals from a range of private-sector backgrounds, including entrepreneurship, engineering, project development, banking and investment, micro-finance, management consulting and law. You will also support and provide expert advice to their other country offices. You will manage and help implement their programmes, including both SME advisory and more field-based work. You will provide transaction advice to SMEs, manage relationships with donors and ensure that programmes are delivered on time and in a quality manner. You will represent E4I at industry events and, for up to 20% of your time, support on business development and fundraising.
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Published: 3 March 2020 | Location: Nairobi, Kenya Description: About the role: You will be a senior member of their African Programmes and Advisory team, which includes professionals from a range of private-sector backgrounds, including entrepreneurship, engineering, project development, banking and investment, micro-finance, management consulting and law. You will manage and lead the implementation of SME advisory programmes and be expected to mentor junior members of the E4I team. You will provide business, financial and other advice to SMEs, including solar home system companies, mini-grid developers and productive use businesses. You will manage relationships with donors and ensure that programmes are delivered on time and in a quality manner. You will represent E4I at industry events and, for up to 20% of your time, support on business development and fundraising. You will have a strong private sector and transactional background, ideally in energy, financing or related business. They particularly welcome candidates with a background in capital raising with SMEs.
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JOIN THE AFRICAN POWER PLATFORM | |||||||||
If you want to join the African Power Platform and enjoy the full set of benefits visit our membership page or contact us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | |||||||||
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The Africa Energy Forum 2020 
