Zimbabwe announces incentives for 1 GW of IPP solar projects
The Zimbabwean government has agreed to guarantee viable power tariffs to 27 solar projects by independent power producers (IPPs). Developers are set to build 997.9 MW of capacity, with a total investment of around $1 billion.
Masdar switches on 5 MW solar plant in Seychelles
Masdar said it has started operating the 5 MW Ile de Romainville PV project in the Seychelles. The installation is backed by 3.3 MWh of storage capacity.
Ivory Coast set to commission first solar plant
Compagnie Ivoirienne d’Electricité (CIE), a utility in the Ivory Coast, is set to inaugurate its first solar plant – a €40 million ($42.6 million), 37.5 MW installation, backed by a 10 MW storage system by Saft.
Sierra Leone’s first 5 MW solar plant powers on
Serengeti Energy has started operations at what it claims is Sierra Leone’s first solar independent power project. The 5 MW solar installation is located in Yamandu, Southern Sierra Leone. A second project phase is planned for 2023, bringing its capacity to 25 MW.
South Africa’s Eskom kicks off 36.5 MW/146 MWh storage tender
South African utility Eskom aims to develop 35 MW/140 MWh of battery storage capacity at its substations in Eastern Cape province. The tender will also accept bids for a 1.5 MW/6 MWh storage system, plus 2.04 MW of solar PV at another substation. Eskom started building the country’s first battery energy storage system (BESS) last week.
The Hydrogen Stream: US team assesses atmospheric methane risk for hydrogen
Princeton University researchers have published a study on how the transition to hydrogen-based energy systems would affect the tropospheric burdens of methane and hydrogen, while Provaris Energy said it is moving forward with its compressed H2 carrier.
South Africa’s sixth renewables auction concludes with lowest bid of $0.02689/kWh
South Africa selected five solar projects with a combined capacity of 860 MW in its latest auction. However, the authorities did not select any wind projects from the 4.1 GW of bids that were submitted. The final average price for PV was ZAR 0.490 ($0.02808)/kWh.
Amea Power to add storage to 70 MW of solar in Togo
Dubai-based Amea Power will expand the Mohammed Bin Zayed solar plant in Togo from 50 MW to 70 MW, making it West Africa’s largest project. It will also add a 4 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).
COP27 was a crucial step forward for hydrogen – here’s why
Three import deals signed by the EU at Sharm El Sheikh during this month’s COP27 summit show the European Union is serious about harnessing green hydrogen for its heavy industry, and about distributing the fruits of the energy transition on an equitable basis.
IRENA releases all-Africa dataset of locations for solar, wind
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has published a dataset with 10,905 sites for PV deployment across Africa, with an estimated total capacity of 4.9 TW.
