Category Archives: Green Energy

South Africa needs over 28 GW of flexibility to reach 100% renewables at lowest cost

Wärtsilä launches agile balancing technology – capable of ramping up to 10+ MW in two minutes – to bridge South Africa to renewable energy future The technology group Wärtsilä has highlighted a striking need to scale up flexibility in South Africa, in the form of energy storage and flexible gas technology, to enable a 100% renewable energy future. 28 […]

Mozambique holds the key to Southern Africa’s clean energy transition

By Fhedzi Modau, Mozambique Country Manager, Wartsila Energy Business With its massive gas reserves and billions of dollars of investment flowing in to monetize them, Mozambique has a unique opportunity to deploy a flexible power strategy that will bring major benefits across both its domestic and regional electricity markets. Countries across Southern Africa have established […]

Use of green methane in transport and power generation – researchers and industry present interim results of the MethanQuest project

New technologies for producing gas from renewable sources Testing of hydrogen, methanol and methane for use in ships, cars and power generation LNG supply and microgrid concept for Karlsruhe inland port  The flagship project MethanQuest was launched in September 2018, and on it a total of 29 partners from research, industry and the energy sector […]

REN21’s new report shows that cities across Africa demonstrate progressive leadership to deploy renewables

The 2021 edition of REN21’s Renewables in Cities Global Status Report, shows that one billion people live in cities with a renewable energy target or policy. The number of cities that have enforced partial or complete bans on fossil fuels jumped fivefold in 2020. With a special focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, the report shows that despite many challenges, […]

Without flexibility, Nigeria will face difficulties integrating large amounts of renewable energy into the grid

Op-ed by Wale Yusuff, Managing Director of  Wartsila Marine & Power Service Nig Ltd As the largest economy in Africa, with huge gas reserves and high solar energy potential, Nigeria has all the natural resources necessary to meet the growing demand for electricity. However, the inadequate energy infrastructure still leaves a significant part of the population without […]

Energy Industry will be the bedrock of Africa’s Road to Recovery

African Energy producers and the governments are facing an unprecedented economic crisis due to the Coronavirus, unemployment, recession, and energy poverty and energy transition concerns. The African Energy Chamber’s Road to Recovery: How the African energy industry can reshape itself for a post-COVID comeback offers a commonsense strategy for the public and the private sector […]

Winch Energy Closes Largest Limited Recourse Mini Grid Portfolio To Date In Uganda And Sierra Leone And Creation Of A New Platform Winch IPP Holdings For Future Investments

Winch Energy - Bafodia, Sierra Leone

Leading off-grid utilities provider, Winch Energy, has completed the funding for solar mini grid projects in 49 villages across Uganda and Sierra Leone through the creation of a new platform, Winch Energy IPP Holdings Limited (“WIPP”). The deal represents the largest mini grid financing portfolio to date, bringing together several major players in the off-grid […]

Janus Continental Group (JCG) Invests $13 Million in Highview Power as part of African renewable energy storage drive

JCG’s investment arm Janus Capital takes stake in Highview Enterprise Limited. The deal will bring Highview Power’s cutting edge CRYOBattery™ energy storage technology to JCG’s core markets in sub-Saharan Africa. The investment will unleash the potential of renewable energy storage across Africa, supporting JCG’s wider growth and business goals in this sector.  Janus Continental Group (JCG), […]

Hybrid solutions are the most effective way to deliver reliable clean power to remote off-grid mining operations in Africa

Tarik Sfendla, Market Development Manager, Africa chez Wärtsilä Energy Business

Op-ed by Tarik Sfendla, Market Development Manager, Africa chez Wärtsilä Energy Business The energy markets are undergoing a massive transformation as governments around the world transition away from fossil fuels towards the integration of renewable energy. This trend is clearly visible in the mining industry as demonstrated by recent power projects in South America and in […]

Smart Power lights up Africa’s road to pandemic recovery

Photo: Cape Town, South Africa. Author: Taryn Elliott (Pexels.com)

Kieran Whyte, Partner, Head of the Energy, Mining and Infrastructure Practice, Johannesburg, and Marc Fèvre, Partner, London, Baker McKenzie. Across Africa, access to power is hampered by the lack of access to competitive funding, the dire state of the continent’s utilities infrastructure and the need for energy policy and legislation to be adapted so that […]

How Egypt banks on renewables to meet expected surge of energy demand

Essakane hybrid power plant 15 MWp solar PV power plant in Essakane, Burkina Faso. The solar PV plant will be built next to a 55 MW Wärtsilä power plant currently running on heavy fuel oil, Africa’s largest engine-solar PV hybrid power plant.

To meet its soaring demand for energy, Egypt is turning to renewable sources. Its targets, if accomplished, will see it become a pioneer in the African energy landscape. But are the plans realistic?  Egypt’s population has now passed 100 million. As one of the most populous and fastest-growing nations on the African continent, providing electricity […]

Without flexibility, the energy revolution in Africa will not take place

Sunrise over solar panels. hazy morning

It is no longer disputable that the energy transition integrating renewable energies into the grid is a reality that is unfolding globally. This can be observed at different rates and scales according to the countries, but the constant increase in demand and the continuous drop in the prices of these technologies will imply that renewable […]

Energy storage technology will make blackouts in Africa ancient history

Energy system integration night

A shift from Africa’s traditional approach to power generation is needed to unleash the continent’s clean energy potential and secure an African future free from blackouts. A strategy centred around energy storage and flexible power systems will be the key to guaranteeing the reliability of a high-renewable grid, while also lowering the cost of electricity […]

Neutrino Energy Solves Off-Grid Electrification Problems

Earth Night Orbit Rotate Planet Star Background. Epic Space Globe Surface Constellation Cosmos Navigation Travel Universe Exploration Concept 3D Animation

In 1935, President Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration, which helped millions of Americans in remote communities gain access to electricity for the first time. Since then, similar projects have been undertaken around the world, but nearly a billion  people worldwide still live without electricity. Existing energy technologies delivering electricity to underserved populations are inherently […]

Trends and Events in Africa 2018

Map of the REC Pillars of the African Economic Community. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

by Johan Burger 2018 has been an interesting year for Africa, with various events and trends becoming visible. 2016 saw the effects of the slowdown of China’s economic growth due to its rebalancing of its economy and the end of the commodity price super cycle. 2017 brought some relief. In Africa, 2018 demonstrated a number […]

Loadshedding: why mini grids are the answer and why South Africa doesn’t have them (yet)

ENGIE starts operations of Kathu, a 100 MW Concentrated Solar Plant and one of South Africa’s largest renewable energy projects

“Whole communities and towns can become 100% energy independent” “Mini grids could very quickly sort out a lot of the biggest challenges that South Africa is having with its energy supply at the moment” says Dr Sam Duby, Africa Director for TFE Energy and mini grid expert. He adds: “deregulation would open a market for […]

Friday@Noon on Renewable Energy in Africa: 2018

African Business News

by Johan Burger The NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies publishes a weekly newsletter on issues relevant to Africa. This paper is based on issues addressed in the newsletter. A trend of earlier years in which we saw the further growth and development of the renewable energy sector, has continued in 2018. Renewable energy is becoming […]

Dropping Solar Power Tariff Rates Spurring Indian Photovoltaic Generator Market

Netscribes launches report on the Photovoltaic Generator Market in India 2012 as part of Netscribes’ Energy and Utilities report series.   Mumbai, India, December, 2012 –(PR.com)– Solar PV power generation has long been acknowledged as a superior form of clean energy technology with vast potential, assuming its cost component can be significantly reduced. It draws […]

AE-AMD Renewable Energy And Tenesol/SunPower Begin Work On Two Solar Projects In South Africa

Projects are Part of Government’s IPP Procurement Program   JOHANNESBURG and SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — AE-AMD Renewable Energy, a joint venture between the Spanish AMDA energia and the South African Alt-E Technologies, and Tenesol, a SunPower company (NASDAQ: SPWR), today announced two South African ground-mounted solar power projects totaling 33 megawatts (MW).  […]

Africa Energy Indaba 2013

Africa Energy Indaba 2013 Dates: 19-21 February 2013 Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg Website: www.energyindaba.co.za The Africa Energy Indaba, adopted by the World Energy Council (WEC) as the African regional event of the WEC, receives global recognition as the foremost event for energy professionals from across the globe and is rapidly gaining momentum as the energy […]

How will South African industry deal with tariff hikes and carbon taxes?

African Utility Week to assist Large Power Users to face energy obstacles The proverbial axe is falling on ‘business as usual` as every industry in South Africa, from mining to manufacturing to retail, is cringing at the thought of rising energy tariffs and the impending implementation of a carbon tax. Stemming the tide of rising […]

JinkoSolar to Supply 81 MW WBHO-Building Energy in South Africa

SHANGHAI, Dec. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (“JinkoSolar” or the “Company”) (NYSE: JKS), a leading global solar power product manufacturer, today announced that it has signed a contract with fix price to supply WBHO-Building Energy (Pty) Ltd. (“WBHO-BE”) with 81 MW of photovoltaic (PV) modules for the solar PV park project in Gamagara […]