AfricanFinance

The government of Zambia is set to enhance electricity supply in the Eastern province through setting up a wind energy plant in Katete district. Katetet District Council Chairperson, Jeremiah Mawere confirmed the reports and said that implementation of the project, will create a new source for energy generation, an electricity grid infrastructure close to consumers in the district, thus creating electric power supply stability. Impact assessment Mr. Jeremiah Mawere further added that the  Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA)  is carrying out an impact assessment on the area apportioned for the plant.“ Mpepo wind energy, the company in charge of setting up the plant, will be harvesting wind thereafter, produce electricity. The identified area for the plant is in Chief Mbang’ombe’s area,” he said. The plant will not just enhance electricity supply but will also create employment and increase economic activities in the district. In add...

Nigeria’s state oil firm NNPC has extended its crude-for-product swap contracts, the country’s main avenue to meet the bulk of its fuel needs, until June 2019, sources familiar with the matter said. Despite having a refining capacity of about 445,000 barrels per day, its plants have been underperforming for years, making Africa’s biggest oil producer almost wholly dependent on imports to meet its domestic gasoline and diesel needs. (Reporting by Julia Payne; Additional reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram in Lagos; Editing by Adrian Croft)

South Africa state-owned power utility Eskom has successfully synchronized unit 2 of the Medupi Power Station, set to be the largest dry-cooled power station in the world once complete to the national power grid eight months ahead of schedule. Eskom’s group executive for group capital, Abram Masango confirmed the report and said, the unit was loaded to 400MW, making it the fifth of the six Medupi units to be synchronised to the national grid. “The achievement of Unit 2 first synchronisation, marks a key milestone towards the full commercial operation of the unit. Lessons learnt on previous units were implemented on Unit 2, leading to the swiftness in delivering first power,” said Mr. Abram. Medupi Power Station The plant which will also be the fourth largest coal-fired power plant, is located in Lephalale, Limpopo. It is a greenfield coal-fired power plant comprising six units rated in total at 4,764MW installed capacity. It will be able to meet the elec...

From basic lighting solutions to mini-grids, Africa’s decentralised renewable energy (DRE) market has recorded significant growth with 11.2 million units of branded pico-solar products sold between 2009 and the first quarter of 2015. Geospatial analysis by the International Energy Agency suggests that the most cost-effective solution for electrifying at least two-thirds of rural households by 2030 will be through DRE. Are you ready to take up the opportunities that this market presents? According to the IEA, 588 million people in Africa are currently without access to electricity. While Asia’s off-grid population has halved since 1990, in Africa this has increased by 211 million people since 1990 and is projected to continue rising for the next decade. These statistics put Africa’s DRE market opportunity at the very top of the energy access prospect ladder globally, second only after India. This article first appeared in ESI Africa Edition 4, 2018. You can read the full digita...

Tema LNG Terminal Company has signed an agreement with the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for the construction of a $350 million liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Tema. The LNG Terminal is being constructed on the back of a 12-year gas supply agreement that was executed between the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and Rosneft, Business Ghana reported. The project is expected to be completed in 18 months and will be sub-Saharan Africa’s first regasification terminal, according to media. Speaking at the signing ceremony, President Akufo-Addo said the Tema LNG Terminal project was a testament to the efforts put in place by the government over the last 19 months to encourage private sector participation in the growth of the economy. “If we are going to succeed in rapidly pushing the industrial development of our country, the supply of gas, which will mean even more affordable rates of power, is now a matter of very great importance for us,” ...

Ethiopian President Mulartu Teshome inaugurated the Reppie waste-to-energy facility, Africa’s first waste-to-energy facility set up in the country. President Mulatu during the inauguration event said investment in energy projects is crucial if Ethiopia is to achieve its aim of becoming an environmentally friendly industrialized middle-income economy by 2025. “As Africa’s first waste-to-energy facility, Reppie’s completion and operation shows great vision,” he said. “It has found a green road to urban development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Africa,” said the President. Also Read:Environment-friendly wastewater treatment plant launched in South Africa The Reppie waste-to-energy facility The Reppie waste-to-energy facility is located in Addis Ababa, was constructed by China National Electrical Engineering Company (CNEEC) but fully financed by the Ethiopian government. The project according to Mulartu is expected to process 1,400 tons of solid waste daily. According to th...