Solar project to more than double Guinea-Bissau generation capacity
Chinese business Sinohydro has secured the contract for a 20 MW solar plant in Gardete, near the city of Bissau. The tender for the project was launched a year ago.
Kenyan utility launches tender for PV panel factory
The electricity company wants a solar module fab at its Tana Power Station in Murang’a county. The factory would have an initial annual production capacity of 10 MW.
Electricity access aims prompt fresh $120m in loans and grants for African off-grid solar
Benin has obtained a $21.1 million loan from the investment and development bank of the Economic Community of West African States and Burundi will benefit from a $160 million World Bank donation, $100 million of which will be dedicated to solar energy.
New impetus for Ghana’s solar ambitions
The government has announced 17 MW of utility scale solar is under construction and the Ministry of Energy is seeking consultants to help promote mini-grids and solar net metering.
Construction starts on 50 MW PV plant in Togo
The 50 MW Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed photovoltaic power plant is located in the Blitta region. The plant is being built by Amea Togo Solar – a subsidiary of Amea Power, a global renewables developer based in the United Arab Emirates.
Work begins on 30 MW solar plant in Burkina Faso
Electricity generated by the facility will be sold at $0.08/kWh to national utility Sonabel. Burkina Faso recently adopted a solar-oriented energy policy.
Benin introduces VAT exemption on imports of PV panels
The exemption will be applied to the import of materials, equipment and installation accessories for the deployment of PV and solar thermal systems. The new measure is aimed at increasing access to electricity through more off-grid projects.
Zimbabwe set for real solar growth
The government has decided to implement a proper independent power producer development plan for large scale PV, with the help of the World Bank.
Togo launches large scale solar tender
With the country’s first procurement exercise for bigger projects, the Togolese government intends to develop solar parks with a combined generation capacity of up to 80 MW. The tender is being held under the umbrella of the World Bank’s Scaling Solar initiative.
Unrealistic price signals and an explosion of tenders hinder African PV
French thinktank the Institut Montaigne says Africa is absent from the global solar revolution for several reasons including a lack of suitable financing tools, the small size of projects and a systematic recourse to tendering. Removing artificial price signals set by ever more competitive tenders could be a step towards a more mature market, ready for large scale solar tenders.
