Dar es Salaam — The Rural Energy Agency (REA) has hinted that the availability of adequate fund and unwillingness of private sector to invest in off grid areas among major challenges towards improving access to electricity in rural communities writes EMMANUEL KISIMA. This was said by REA Solar Technology Specialist, Eng. Jones Olotu during the 2nd sub-Saharan Africa solar summit 2015 held in Dar es Salaam last week. He said the.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 30th June 2015

Industries have embarked on energy audit to minimise electricity costs that account for between 15 and 40 per cent of total production overheads. The audit is a pre-requisite for industries to implement energy efficiency, but financing the exercise remains a big challenge. The Confederation of Tanzania Industry (CTI) backed the initiative through French aid agency--Sunref. CTI's Director of Policy and Advocacy, Mr Hussein Kamote, said.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 30th June 2015

Nairobi -Kenya Power has signed contracts worth Sh3.2 billion with local firms to implement 12 substation upgrade projects in the country.   The deal will also involve the construction of additional 33 kV power distribution lines to meet growing demand for increasing number of customers.   Kenya Power CEO Ben Chumo said the upgrade projects are expected to improve reliability, contribute to reduction of technical losses and provide.... Read more »

Posted on : Saturday , 27th June 2015

 Tanzania is estimated to hold significant reserves of gas offshore, equating to approximately 55 trillion ft3 of recoverable resources. BG Group and Statoil are currently developing the country’s only proposed LNG liquefaction facility, which will be fed by gas sourced from Blocks 1 and 2. The facility, which has an expected CAPEX of approximately US$30 billion, will comprise of at least two trains, each with a capacity of 5 million.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 26th June 2015

 Global greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector are expected to peak in 2029 and then start falling, but will still be some way above levels needed to limit temperature rise, research showed on Tuesday.   Electricity generation worldwide is forecast to rise by 56 percent by 2040 as economies develop and populations grow, which will hit a peak in power sector emissions of 15.3 gigatonnes in 2029 from 13.1 gigatonnes now, a.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 24th June 2015

West Africa’s regional body will pool its resources to establish an electricity market to end the blackouts that have blighted its 15 member states for decades, Reuters reports.   Heads of states who gathered for a meeting of the Economic Community of West African States agreed to develop a regional electricity market almost two decades after the plan was conceived, Etienne Bailly, project director at Transco CLSG said at a power.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 22nd June 2015

 Lekela Power, a 60/40 joint venture between Actis and Mainstream Renewable Power, has signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) for a 50MW plant in Aswan, Egypt, and a 50MW wind power plant in the West Gulf of Suez.   Chris Antonopoulos, CEO of Lekela Power, said: “We are pleased with the two MOUs, which mark an important step for Lekela Power and its partners. We have a.... Read more »

Posted on : Saturday , 20th June 2015

 Siemens has signed its single biggest ever order – worth €8bn ($9bn) – to provide gas-fired plants and wind power installations to Egypt. The new projects will boost Egypt’s power generation capacity by more than 50 per cent and will add anSimens president Joe Kaeser extra 16.4 GW to Egypt’s grid.   The deal was signed in Berlin and witnessed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and German.... Read more »

Posted on : Saturday , 20th June 2015

 China is to build one of Africa’s largest solar power plants, an official has announced.   China’s ambassador to Kenya, Liu Xianfa, said on Friday that his country had signed an agreement to build the 50 MW project near the northeastern Kenyan city of Garissa. The project will be financed by a loan from the China Import-Export Bank.   "After extensive research and mutual exchanges between the two countries,.... Read more »

Posted on : Saturday , 20th June 2015

 According to environmental experts, the initiative could help cut government expenditure and also ease the pressure on the environment.   Steven Niyonzima, the national co-ordinator for the Rwanda Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Centre, said the approach will promote green economy initiatives besides supporting the environment and helping to avoid wastage in public institutions.   Niyonzima was speaking during an.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 16th June 2015

 GENERAL Electric (GE) is seeking to more than double revenue from Africa to as much as $10bn over the next five years as it targets power, health and locomotive opportunities in countries including Nigeria and Ethiopia.   "We’re bullish on Nigeria," GE’s president for transportation for Africa and CEO of its South African business, Thomas Konditi, said on Wednesday. "We met with a couple of the incoming.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 4th June 2015

Enel Green Power (EGP, Rome, Italy) has begun construction of the Pulida solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, which is located in the Free State Province in South Africa. The PV project will have a total installed capacity of 82.5 MW and once fully operational will be able to generate more than 150 GWh of solar power annually, equivalent to the annual consumption needs of around 48,000 South African households. Solar power generated by Pulida.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 3rd June 2015