A much-delayed $1.8 billion dam project under construction along Ethiopia’s Omo river could begin generating power by June and be fully operational by early 2016, an official said on Thursday. Gilgel Gibe 3 will nearly double the country’s energy output, helping to resolve chronic power outages and sustain a booming economy. Work started in 2008 and was due to be completed around three years later, but the project has faced funding.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 8th January 2015

With seven of the world’s fastest growing economies located in Africa, it should not be a surprise that the continent’s energy demands will only surge in the coming decade. Hence plenty of opportunities exist for clean energy companies as investors worldwide realize Africa, with all of its risks, is a booming market. To that end, California-based Solar Reserve, together with numerous partners, has completed and launched the Jasper PV.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 8th January 2015

WASHINGTON - By 2018, a large solar power plant in the Tunisian part of the Sahara desert may start sending power to energy-hungry Western Europe. The company running the plant says once it is fully operational it will generate almost twice as much electricity as an average nuclear plant and supply two million homes in Europe. According to the European Commission’s Institute for Energy, just 0.3 percent of the Saharan Desert's intense.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 8th January 2015

Kenya has taken some major steps to boost its renewable energy production recently, according to reports. However, confusion about projects and the government’s ambiguous energy policy is overshadowing excitement. Kenya’s renewable energy ambitions have attracted growing attention in recent months. There has been a strong uptick in interest in the country’s wind energy potential in particular. Last year, Kenya’s.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 8th January 2015

CPV producer Soitec said a 150MW CPV power plant previously announced would be scrapped as the customer, San Diego Gas & Electric was said to have encountered a “major roadblock” in developing the project.  Soitec said in a statement: “Certain of the administrative conditions pertaining to the transaction could not be fulfilled timely. Soitec will therefore not receive the expected CPV systems order from the.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 7th January 2015

France-headquartered renewable energy developer, Sonnedix, has finalised details of an 86MW PV power plant to be built in South Africa. The project, which falls under the third window of South Africa’s flagship renewable energy procurement programme, will be built in the country’s Northern Cape province. Sonnedix said in a statement today that it had completed all the main contracts for the project, including financing agreements.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 7th January 2015

Musoma — AS part of the government's rural electrification plan, a total of 45 villages in Mara Region will be connected to power through the Rural Energy Agency (REA), it has been announced. The announcement was made by the Minister of Energy and Minerals, Prof Sospeter Muhongo, who is on a six-day tour of the region to inspect implementation of the second phase of rural electrification projects undertaken by REA and Tanzania Electric.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 6th January 2015

Kenya is to begin exporting 30MW of power to Rwanda via Uganda by July 2015, Kenya Power announced on 10 December, following the signing of a wheeling agreement with Uganda Electricity Transmission Company and Rwanda Energy Group (REG), and a power purchase agreement between REG and Kenya Power. Under the agreements, REG will pay Kenya Power $0.12/kWh for the electricity, while UETCL will levy $0.028/kWh as a wheeling charge..... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 6th January 2015

National electricity distributor, Kenya Power, has contracted a USD190 million (Shs.17 billion) long-term loan from the Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) to implement infrastructural development projects. Kenya Power’s Managing Director and CEO, Dr. Ben Chumo, said SCB emerged successful in an exercise carried out by the Company towards the end of last year through an Expression of Interest involving local and international financial.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 6th January 2015

  Kenya Power has entered into an agreement to sell 30MW of power to Rwanda. Kenya Power, Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (UETCL) and Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) have completed negotiations to facilitate the trade. The sale, expected to commence by July 2015, will be effected through the three entities’ already interconnected transmission grid, following the signing of a wheeling agreement between Kenya Power,.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 6th January 2015

 South Africa for bidders to submit proposals to build coal-fired power plants as part of a string of initiatives launched this week aimed at ending chronic electricity shortages. Bidders will need to pay a nonrefundable R200 000 rand ($17 000) fee when they submit proposals to build, operate and maintain the new coal plants, according to a tender notice posted in national newspapers. The government will give the winners a power purchase.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 6th January 2015

 Ethiopia’s Gilgel Gibe dam  project should be up and running by June this year, this is according to Azeb Asnake, CEO Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation.   The project will be carried out along Ethiopia’s Omo River and is worth $1.8 billion. Gilgel Gibe project has began in 2008 and was to be fully functional three years later but it was delayed due to lack of funding as well as environmental issues; but it will.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 6th January 2015