The Hydrogen Stream: Namibia to launch $10 billion hydrogen project
German investors have agreed to back a hydrogen project in Namibia, while Plug Power and Thyssenkrupp Nucera have announced separate hydrogen-related deals in Sweden.
Key takeaways from the Solar Africa 2023 expo
The latest edition of the Solar Africa 2023 expo held last week in Nairobi has seen the participation of 75 exhibitors and 4,000 visitors. pv magazine was there to follow the event and explore the potential of the solar markets in East and Central Africa.
Phelan Energy connects 86 MW PV plant to grid in South Africa
The plant, Solar Capital’s third major project in the country’s Northern Cape, is located in Loeriesfontein. Chinese manufacturer Sungrow supplied its SG3125HV PV inverters for the project.
Mauritius plans 100 MW solar+storage project
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is seeking consultants to conduct technical due diligence for four storage-connected solar projects in Mauritius.
Botswana set to host 30 MW of solar with LCOE of $0.08-0.10/kWh
Pash Global and Tswana Renewables have formed a joint venture to develop small-scale PV plants across Botswana. For the first two 400 kW projects they have already secured a power purchase agreement.
The Hydrogen Stream: Electrolysis is cost-efficient in all climates, says Finnish team
Researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland said that chemical energy storages were needed for short and long-term balancing in every climate region, especially in the northern climates. Meanwhile, companies are moving forward with their plans to produce hydrogen in Namibia and Morocco.
Low-cost, portable sun-tracker for offgrid solar
Mauritian researchers have developed a solar tracker prototype that increases current by around 37%. The device uses a simplified and mechanical tracking system.
South Africa mulls waiving ecological approval for some PV, storage projects
South Africa’s government has initiated a public consultation to exempt some PV and battery storage facilities from obtaining environmental authorization during the permitting process, but only for sites categorized as having “low” or “medium” environmental sensitivity.
Mauritius issues tender for 10 MW of PV
The Mauritian authorities have issued a tender for the development of a 10 MW solar plant. Prospective developers are required to submit bids by June 9.
Solis unveils hybrid inverters for rooftop applications
Solis has released a new line of hybrid inverters in five different power output versions, ranging from 3 kW to 8 kW. The hybrid inverters can be used with either lithium-ion or lead-acid batteries, with a maximum charging and discharging current of 190 A.
