Sub-Saharan Africa

The international development entity has already invested $1 billion in local, off-grid electricity networks over the last decade – and attracted a further $1.1 billion in matched funding – and has predicted mini-grids could supply electricity to 490 million people by 2030.

South African platinum miner Sedibelo Platinum wants to deploy a 40MW hybrid wind-solar plant and a 35MW photovoltaic park to power its operations across several sites. The plants will be owned and operated by Sturdee and will supply power to the mining facilities via power purchase agreements.

Huawei and Meinergy plan to build a facility that could end up being Africa’s largest solar-plus-storage project. Huawei will supply its storage tech for the installation.

Solar energy has many strengths, and impactful characteristics witnessed at varying levels around the world. While homes and industries in the western sphere are using solar power to diversify their current energy sources and add some renewable to their existing mix, families and entire communities across Africa are using much smaller solar systems to get electricity in their homes for the first time. That vast gap is noticeable in every aspect of life, including education, income, health, and more. Solar energy already has life-changing effects when looking to bridge gaps between developed and developing countries.

A business based at a Namibian mine has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement which will back the construction of a 5.4MW solar project. Elsewhere, the AfDB wants to roll-out solar panels to provide electricity access to six million people across six nations over the next six years.

Solar modules from Trina Solar, Canadian Solar, and Felicity Solar were tested in a prototype of a photovoltaic-thermal collector that uses excess heat from the PV elements to heat water. The system uses a thermally insulated helical coil heat exchanger to recover panel heat and a solenoid valve to allow water recirculation when the temperature below the PV module rises significantly.

Madagascar-based Filatex has invested €10 million in French flywheel storage system manufacturer Energiestro. The two companies are planning to deploy Energiestro’s flywheel storage solutions across Madagascar and Mauritius

Fusion Fuel Green has developed a small PEM electrolyzer that will be used in a green hydrogen project in Iberia. Elsewhere, India’s Adani Group and Canada-based PEM fuel cell producer Ballard Power Systems have signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate a joint investment in the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cells for mobility and industrial applications in India.

The tender was launched by local utility Cote d’Ivoire Energies. The 20 MW will be located on a water reservoir at the Kossou dam, in the center of Ivory Coast.