Government is considering a number of incentives to attract investment in renewable energy as part of efforts to ease power challenges that the country is facing, a Cabinet Minister has said. Energy and Power Development Minister, Fortune Chasi, said Government was focusing on promoting investment in renewable energy. “This is an ongoing discussion. We are…

Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has come out with a request for qualification (RFQ) for 2 solar power projects of 50 MW capacity each. The Botswana national utility  intends to select independent power producers (IPP) to set up the plants. BPC will sign the power purchase agreement (PPA) with the winners and procure power from these facilities.…

Once solar power was a corporate “virtue-signaling” project but with changes in cost and reliability, it is now making a pitch to replace the diesel generators that currently dominate the market. Russell Southwood spoke to John Pfeifer, Founder and CEO, Apollo Solar about why solar is now more compelling for MNOs. Zimbabwe’s Econet is feeling…

Tanzania has made significant strides towards the implementation of various Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) energy policies and targets including the protocol on energy. The Energy Minister, Dr Medard Kalemani, made the remarks while launching one of the publications, namely SADC Energy Monitor; Enabling Industrialization and Regional Integration in the Region, held at Julius Nyerere…

The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has agreed to finance a feasibility study for a 150MW hybrid solar, wind and battery plant in northern Zambia. The money was granted by the independent agency to the Zambian subsidiary of Upepo Energy Partners, a five-year-old firm that develops renewable energy projects across East Africa. If built,…

Government, desperate to end a recurrent fuel crisis, has revived its Jatropha fuel project abandoned during ex-President Robert Mugabe’s era. Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa revealed this during a Post Cabinet media briefing Wednesday, where she emphasised on the need for alternative sources of fuel to ease the challenge. “The proposed National Biofuels Policy will guide…

The Ethiopian government is currently studying a pricing formula for off-grid energy systems. Its aim is to accelerate access to electricity through this formula, while encouraging investment by solar off-grid suppliers. Provide access to electricity for the entire population. This is the objective of most African governments, but it often cannot be achieved by relying…

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $20 million for the Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI). The facility was sponsored by the bank to  provide sustainable financing for small-scale renewables in Africa. The FEI is a $500 million financing platform whose objective is to catalyze financial support for innovative energy access solutions. The FEI On-grid,…

Zambia’s energy crisis, an impediment to government’s economic diversification plans, tells an all-too-familiar irony in most parts of the continent: crippling deficits despite abundant sources of renewable energy sources. This is because of an over-reliance on hyro-power. Thus, as the Zambian government initiates efforts to diversify the economy from an over-dependence on mining (mainly copper),…

Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), one of the project partners, announces that Kikagati Power Company Limited (KPCL) has completed the financing round for the Kikagati hydroelectric project on the Tanzania-Uganda border. Kikagati Power Company (KPC), the ad hoc company developing the Kikagati hydroelectric power plant, has finalised the financing of its project. It is located…