renewable energy projects Archives

Africa Trade Insurance (ATI) and Government of Ghana sign RLSF MOU to promote access to reliable, clean, and affordable electricity in the country

8Sep

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, Ghana News

Africa Trade Insurance (ATI) and Government of Ghana sign RLSF MOU to promote access to reliable, clean, and affordable electricity in the country

Ghana becomes the ninth ATI Member State to sign the RLSF MoU Ghana’s onboarding of RLSF will lead to significant progress in de-risking renewable energy projects, which should spur additional investments from project developers and lenders owing to the improved risk profile of the projects. RLSF is a joint initiative of ATI, the KfW Development Bank and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) In line with its mission to promote access to reliable, clean, and affordable electricity, the Government of Ghana has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI) for the roll out of the Regional Liquidity Support Facility (RLSF) within the country. RLSF, a joint initiative of ATI, the KfW Development Bank and the Norwegian Agency...

8Jun

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, Green Energy, Sierra Leone, Uganda News

Winch Energy Launches Crowdfunding For Off-Grid Renewables

New clean energy opportunities in developing countries for UK and international investors Off-grid utilities provider, Winch Energy, is seeking to secure up to £1.5 million through a crowdfunding campaign for projects to accelerate the installation of renewable energy technology in Sierra Leone and Uganda. The Crowdcube campaign is part of an overall fundraising plan over the next two years and follows Winch Energy’s recent closure of the largest mini grid limited recourse financing deal so far, via Winch IPP Holdings. The London-based company has already received investment from partner ITOCHU Europe PLC and is opening crowdfunding alongside this raise to secure additional funding for new projects and future expansion. Founded in 2008, Winch Energy has offices in UK, Italy, Sierra Leone, ...

25May

By NJ AyukNo Comments

Energy, Green Energy, South Africa News

Net Zero? Not for Africa. Not Yet. Africa Must Fight Energy Poverty with Oil and Gas Development

By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber On May 18, 2021, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released “Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector,” which outlines plans for the global energy sector to reach “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Achieving net zero emissions means the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere would equal the amount being removed. Achieving this balance, the IEA maintains, would require more than aggressive carbon-capture measures: It would call for a swift and immediate shift from petroleum energy sources to energy provided through naturally replenished sources like wind, water, and solar power. From an environmental standpoint, this is a great concept. But we live in reality. And today, in real-world...

31Mar

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, Green Energy, South Africa News

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 GW of flexible assets are needed for South Africa’s energy systems to run on 100% renewable energy at the lowest cost. The capacity needed to balance South Africa’s switch to grids powered by intermittent renewables must come from two key technologies: over 21 GW of energy storage and over 6.8 GW of flexible gas power capacity, capable of running on future fuels. Future fuels can be produced during periods when renewables produce more electric...

31Mar

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, Green Energy, Mozambique News

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 ambitious targets to increase access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy by 2030. Renewables, especially solar photovoltaic (PV), are expected to account for three quarters of the increase (IEA – Africa Energy Outlook 2019). However, the intermittent nature of renewables places great strain upon existing power grids. Both national and regional grids will require significant flexible power generation to cou...

16Mar

By Wale YusuffNo Comments

Energy, Green Energy, Nigeria News

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 power or relying on oil-fired back-up generators. If Nigeria can improve its energy infrastructure and unlock its gas-to-power generation potential, it paves the way to integrating low-cost renewable energy, bringing electricity and development opportunities to rural villages, driving industrial growth and employment, and increasing prosperity across the country. There is no doubt that gas has an important role to play in ...

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

11Feb

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, Green Energy

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), a conglomerate with businesses in the Energy, Hospitality and Real Estate sectors across three continents, has announced that it has invested USD $13 million in Highview Enterprises Limited, the developer of liquid air long-duration energy storage systems, called the CRYOBattery™. JCG’s subsidiary, Great Lakes Africa Energy Ltd (GLAE), will license Highview Power’s cryogenic energy storage technol...