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

 THE Minister for Trade and Industry, Dr Abdallah Kigoda, on Tuesday unveiled a catalogue of industrial projects, including a 5trn/- Mchuchuma coal and Liganga iron ore projects set to kick off this year.   Moving his ministry's budget estimates, Dr Kigoda stated that the government and partnering investor have already secured 5tri/- for implementation of the projects.   "We're now waiting for equipment for the project.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 28th May 2015

 Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) Managing Director, Engineer Felchem Mramba, said although renewable energy technology is currently expensive but the future remains in exploiting wind and solar.   “Traditional energy sources such as gas and coal will be depleted over time but wind and solar will always be there,” Mr Mramba said after officiating at a World Bank sponsored Mapping of Solar and Wind Energy in.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 27th May 2015

The Rural Energy Agency (REA) envisages supplying 1,250,000 rural dwellers with electricity in the next five years, thanks to about 900bn/- that the government has set aside to support the grand project. REA Chairman Edmund Mkwawa, releasing the agency report on implementation of rural energy projects in Dar es Salaam over the weekend, said the massive rural electrification project started in October 2013 and it is progressing well. The.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 26th May 2015

Royal Dutch Shell’s $70 billion takeover of BG Group Plc will put Europe’s largest energy company in the middle of East Africa’s race to export natural gas and is set to boost the chances of Tanzania becoming a major supplier. The acquisition would include stakes in three blocks off the coast that contain one-third of Tanzania’s estimated resource. This may give the East African nation an edge in the race to first.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 25th May 2015

Commitments by the IFC, USAID, OPIC, Sunfunder, SNV and Off Grid Electric are expected to put Tanzania at the forefront of the U.S. Power Africa program. The Tanzanian national government has announced its One Million Solar Homes initiative aimed at providing a million Tanzanian homes with access to reliable solar electricity by the end of 2017. The project is expected to provide solar electricity for 10% of the nation’s population.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 25th May 2015