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Articles on Transmission Projects in Africa

• Power out of Africa
  Dec. 6, 2011 - ANDREA CHIPMAN - online.wsj.com
  
  On the face of it, the idea of Africa providing a model of sustainable energy development to the world seems an unlikely one. Eighty percent of the world's 1.5 billion people living without electricity live in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the African Development Bank. The continent's scarcity of grid links would seem to be an intractable obstacle to Africa's goals of improving development and alleviating poverty. Yet, Africa possesses significant solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower resources that have only barely been tapped, and which give the continent the potential to offer different models of sustainability
  
  
• EU to spend 800 mln USD on African power pool projects
  Feb 2, 2010 - Xinhua
  
  The European Union (EU) will finance the southern and eastern African power pool projects estimated at 800 million U. S. dollars, the Times of Zambia reported on Tuesday.
  
  
• Regional Power Plan to Cut Costs
  Feb 01, 2010 - The Nation/All Africa Global Media
  
  The cost of electricity is expected to come down drastically in the next few years, after installation of several inter-border grid lines is complete.
  
  
• Tunisia adheres to “Desertec”project
  Nov 26, 2009 - Tunisia Online News
  
  An international conference on ” Desert Friendly Energy as a Challenge for Regional Cooperation and the Union For the Mediterranean” as part of the “Desertec”project to develop solar energy in southern Mediterranean countries, was held on Monday in Gammarth north of Tunis.
  
  
• Zambian Power to Boost National Grid
  Aug 14, 2009 - The Citizen/All Africa Global Media
  
  Transmission of electricity from Zambia to the Tanzanian national grid is going on well, the minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr William Ngeleja, has said.
  
  
• Zimbabwe Pleads for Southern African Power Line
  Jul 20, 2009 - Business Day/All Africa Global Media
  
  Zimbabwe pleaded with international investors on Friday to fund a proposed new transmission line linking SA with the hydro power stations of Zambia and Mozambique.
  
  
• World Bank Approves Additional Grant of US$180 Million for the Southern African Power Market Project
  Jul 1, 2009 - The World Bank
  
  The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors yesterday approved an additional Grant in the amount of US$180.62 million for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) component of the Southern African Power Market Project (SAPMP) approved in November 2003, and for a formal restructuring.  This will bring the total World Bank contribution to the project to $358.12 million, enable implementation to be completed by 2012.  Other co-financiers are the European Investment Bank ($47 million equivalent), and the national electric power utility, SNEL ($6.86 million).  The Copper Belt Energy Corporation of Zambia is contributing an additional $18 million to construct the transmission link between DRC and Zambia.
  
  
• Uganda: Construction of Key Electricity Line Starts
  Mar 06 - BBC Monitoring Africa
  
  Construction of a power transmission line with a capacity of 220,000 volts has been commissioned. The 114bn shillings [about 58m dollars] line, which is to transmit power from Bujagali Dam in Jinja [eastern Uganda] to the national grid, is the first of its kind, Eriasi Kiyemba, the managing director of the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company, said.
  
  
• BPL Global and BPL Africa to Expand Smart Grid Project Nationwide in Ghana
  Jan. 7, 2009 - /PRNewswire/
  
  PITTSBURGH - BPL Global(R), Ltd. (BPLG), a smart grid technology company dedicated to leading the transformation of energy efficiency and reliability, announced today that the company has signed a 5-year modern grid contract in partnership with BPL Africa, with Ghana's national utility, Volta River Authority (VRA). The agreement implements smart grid technologies and broadband over power line (BPL) communications technology on the 11kV power distribution network of VRA. Ghana is making a transformational investment in their electrical and communications infrastructure to accelerate economic development. Their modern grid investment allows VRA to significantly increase the productivity of their existing electrical network by delivering additional electricity and communications services.
  
  
• NamPower Secures Funding for Regional Electricity Grid Project
  Dec 11, 2008 - Chamwe Kaira - bloomberg.com
  
  Namibia Power Corp., the southern African country’s power utility, secured 1.1 billion Namibian dollars ($109 million) from three European development banks to link its power grid to other countries in the region.
  
  
• Energy Firms To Develop Power Line Interconnection Between Zambia, DRCongo
  Nov 11, 2008 - BBC Monitoring Africa
  
  Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) and Societe Nationale d'electricite (SNEL) intend to develop a 220kilovolt [KV] power line to enhance capacity of the existing electricity interconnection between Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
  
  
• ABB Signs $75 Million Deal to Upgrade Eskom Grid
  Sep 25, 2008 - Business Day/All Africa Global Media
  
  Johannesburg - Multinationall power and automation technology group ABB has won a $75m contract from Eskom to supply and install circuit breakers to strengthen the country's electricity network.
  
  
• African energy ministers set to meet in Tanzania over power trade
  Sep 23, 2008 - Xinhua
  
  Nairobi - African ministers responsible for energy from nine countries bordering the Nile will meet in Tanzania this week to review how to economically benefit from the waters that has been a source of conflict in the region.
  
  
• Zesco to Reconnect Power Line to Zim
  May 12, 2008 - The Times of Zamiba - All Africa Global Media
  
  ZESCO will connect the 330 kilovolts inter-connectivity power line from Kariba Power Station to Zimbabwe as a way to ensure reliability.
  
  
• Egyptian minister says electricity network to begin operation in Sudan 1 may
  Apr 29, 2008 - BBC Monitoring
  
  The Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Energy, Hassan Yunis, announced that the operation of the electricity power network and illumination of Wau city in south Sudan will be on Thursday [ 1 May] as the first fruit of the cooperation between Egypt and the Government of South Sudan in the field of electricity power through a grant of 154 million pounds.
  
  
• Multi-Million Power Line Commissioned
  Apr 1, 2008 - The Namibian/All Africa Global Media
  
  A multi-million-dollar Victoria Falls-Katima Mulilo power line was commissioned on Friday by President Hifikepunye Pohamba and his Zambian counterpart, Levy Mwanawasa.
  
  
• Rwanda to Tap From Regional Power Project
  Mar 4, 2008 - Rwanda News Agency - All Africa Global Media
  
  Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania are to benefit from an 80 Megawatt hydroelectric power project to be built with the help of the Nile Equatorial Lake Subsidiary Action Programme, RNA reports.
  
  
• EC Approves 4.8 Million Euros for Rural Electrification
  Feb 12, 2008 - The Analyst/All Africa Global Media
  
  The European Commission approved a 4.8 million Euro contribution (approximately USD 7 million) to a program linking three counties to the West African Power Pool (WAPP).
  
  
• South Korea's KEPCO wins 450 mln usd deal to build infrastructure in West Africa
  Feb 11, 2008 - Thomson Financial
  
  Korea Electric Power Corp said Monday it has secured a 450 million dollar contract to build power infrastructure in West Africa.
  
  
• Country Eyes Uganda Power
  Feb 6, 2008 - All Africa Global Media
  
  Uganda could export significant amounts of electricity to DR Congo in future, though the country is currently grappling with severe energy shortages, the Minister of Energy, has said.
  
  
• Africa's Energy Hope - Turning to the Private Sector (pdf)
  January/February, 2008 - Jeannot Boussougouth - EnergyBiz
  
  Developing the continent’s energy infrastructure is widely seen as one of the key growth strategies for Africa. The continent’s electricity supply industry is expected to require a total investment of $563 billion over the next 20 years to meet the growing demand.
  
  
• Power Cuts in Zimbawe Worsen As Country Begins Electricity Exports to Namibia
  Jan 11, 2008 - BBC Monitoring Africa
  
  Power cuts worsened throughout the country this week after the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) started exporting power to Namibia at a time when Mozambican power utilities Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) and Electrica de Mocambique suspended supplies to Zimbabwe over a ballooning debt.
  
  
• Mozambique Cuts Off Power to Zimbabwe Over "Unpaid Debt"
  Jan 8, 2008 - BBC Monitoring Africa
  
  Mozambique's Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) power utility has suspended supplies to Zimbabwe over unpaid debt, adding more woes to a country in deep recession and grappling with shortages of hard cash, food and every essential commodity.
  
  
• World Bank to finance Ethiopia Sudan electricity connection
  Dec 20, 2007 - Tesfa-alem Tekle - Sudan Tribune
  
  The World Bank has agreed to loan 41-million dollar to Ethiopia to finance electricity connection between neighbouring Ethiopia and Sudan, a statement said yesterday.
  
  
• ABB awarded Angola grid connection contract
  Nov 21, 2007 - Datamonitor
  
  Swiss power and automation technology group ABB has won a $45 million contract from Angola's Empresa Nacional de Electricidade to connect the electric grids in the northern and central parts of the country.
  
  
• Nampower to Tap Into Regional Grid
  Nov 13, 2007 - New Era/ All Africa Global Media
  National power utility, NamPower, is optimistic Namibia will start receiving electricity through the Caprivi Link Interconnector Power Line by 2009.
  
  
• Ethiopia plans to upgrade electric transmission lines by 16 folds
  Nov 12, 2007 - Xinhua
  Ethiopia plans to upgrade the country's current electric transmission line capacity over 16 times the current one by 2010, the private Daily Monitor newspaper reported on Monday.
  
  
• ABB wins 180 mln usd power order in Namibia
  Nov 9, 2007 - Forbes - Thomson Financial
  
  ZURICH (Thomson Financial) - ABB Ltd said it has won an order worth 180 mln usd from the Namibian national power utility, NamPower, to connect two parts of the country's power grid and strengthen electricity networks in southern Africa.
  
  
• ABB wins US$ 40-million power transmission project in Africa
  Nove 7, 2007 - ABB
  
  Power corridor will link new Nigerian capital to the national grid
  ABB, the global technology group, said today it has won a US$ 40-million order to design and build a new high-voltage power transmission corridor, including the installation of fiber optics, to Nigeria's new federal capital of Abuja.
  
  
• Angolan gov't to invest 120 million dollars to build power transmission line
  Nov 4, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  The Angolan government has recently approved the project of building a 220-kv power transmission line between Gabela and Quileva as well as the construction of corresponding infrastructure.
  
  
• Angola approves power transmission project
  Oct 28, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  The Angolan government has approved the construction of a 220-kilovolt power transmission line and relevant infrastructural projects in northern Uige Province, Angola's official news agency ANGOP reported on Sunday.
  
  
• Kenya's Interest Fading in Zambia-TZ Power Pool
  Oct 8, 2007 - All Africa Global Media
  
  The Eastern Africa power connectivity plan may not take off unless Zambia, the main supplier in the interconnection project, demonstrates its capacity to generate more power for distribution to Kenya and Tanzania.
  
  
• Uganda's energy-saving bulbs lead reduction in load shedding
  Oct 1, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  The introduction of energy-saving bulbs a few months ago has resulted into the saving of 30 mega watts in Uganda, which has led to reduction in load shedding in the country.
  
  
• Morocco to host international conference on rural electrification
  Sep 5, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  An international conference on rural electrification, on the theme "electrification and development," will be held in January 2008 in the Moroccan city of Marrakech, at initiative of the country's national electricity authority (ONE).
  
  
• Caprivi Power Line Closer to Reality Windhoek
  Aug 29, 2007 - The Namibian/All Africa Global Media
  
  NAMIBIA'S power utility, NamPower, says it is ready for the construction of the first phase of the N$3,21 billion Caprivi Link Interconnector Project.
  
  
• East Africa: Regional Power Pool Starts in 2011
  August 22, 2007 - All Africa Global Media
  
  Ugandan President, Mr Yoweri Museveni, said the strategy is to build grid interconnections to enable power flow from places of abundance to power deficit areas.
  
  
• Electricity in Africa: The dark continent
  Aug 16, 2007 - The Economist
  
  DAR ES SALAAM - Power shortages have become one of the biggest brakes on development.
  
  
• Cote d'Ivoire to resume electricity supplies to Benin, Togo
  Aug 12, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  Cote d'Ivoire's president Laurent Gbagbo has announced, after a brief official visit in Cotonou, that his country will resume with "immediate effect" electricity supply to Benin and Togo.
  
  
• Sudan, Ethiopia seek to boost energy cooperation
  Aug 6, 2007 - BBC Monitoring
  
  The ministry of energy and mining and Ethiopia began steps to boost the cooperation between them in the interest of the two nations, especially in the electrical power and petroleum fields. Minister of Energy and Mining Dr Awad Ahmad al-Jaz hailed the progress of the relations between Sudan and Ethiopia in all domains. He said that the cooperation between the two countries will not be confined to the electrical power and petroleum fields, but will expand to cover various domains. Meanwhile, the Ethiopian Minister of Energy expressed his appreciation of the unlimited cooperation between the two countries, affirming that the cooperation between Ethiopia and Sudan is a good model for economic cooperation in Africa.
  
  
• Electric interconnections of eastern African countries well underway
  Aug 1, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  The electric interconnection of eastern Africa countries has been well underway, the private Walta Information Center reported on Wednesday. The news agency quoted Callixte Kampanda, executive secretary of the Addis Ababa-based Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP), as saying that the interconnection between Kenya-Uganda and Rwanda- Burundi-the Democratic Republic of Congo has already been completed.
  
  
• KEPCO signs power line consulting contract with African electricity body
  Jul 24, 2007 - Asia Pulse Data Source
  
  South Korea's power corporation said Monday it has won two consulting contracts for the building of electricity lines in western Africa.
  
  
• World Bank Approves Mozambique, Malawi Electricity Loans London,
  Jul 19, 2007 - Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique/All Africa Global Media
  
  The World Bank's Board of Directors on Wednesday approved two loans to fund the building of new transmission lines between Mozambique and neighbouring Malawi.
  
  
• Zambian, Kenyan power to feed national electricity grid
  July 14, 2007 - SOSTHENES MWITA in Dodoma - Daily News On Saturday;
  
  The government has drawn longterm electricity supply plans that include linking the national power grid to the grids of Zambia and Kenya so that Tanzania sources electricity from the Southern Africa Power Pool and the East Africa Power Pool.
  
  
• Uganda: Regional Power Connection to Cost $1b
  July 12, 2007 - New Vision - AllAfrica.com
  
  Power transmission interconnection for East Africa will cost about $1,083.2m (sh1,776b), Mac Cosgrove-Davies, the World Bank's senior energy specialist, has said. The project aims at enabling Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Eritrea and Ethiopia share power in case one of the countries has a power shortage.
  
  
• East African power utilities agree on sharing project
  Jul 9, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  The East African power utilities have agreed to form and quickly implement a regional electricity interconnection project to help member states share electricity in the region efficiently, reliably and affordably.
  
  
• 210,000 New Electricity Connections By 2009
  Jun 25, 2007 - Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique/All Africa Global Media
  
  Mozambique's publicly owned electricity company, EDM, has pledged to provide 210,000 new connections in the period between 2007 and 2009.
  
  
• China to help finance Senegal's power project
  June 13, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  China is ready to help finance an electricity transmission and transformation project in Senegal, reports from the Senegalese capital of Dakar reaching Abidjan said Tuesday.
  
  
• Mozambique: Sweden to Finance Power Line in Niassa,
  June 13, 2007 - allafrica.com
  
  Maputo Sweden has pledged 80 million Swedish crowns (about 11.3 million US dollars) to build a new electricity transmission line in Mozambique's northernmost province of Niassa, according to the economic counselor at the Swedish embassy in Maputo, Anton Johnston.
  
  
• President Obasanjo Commissions Kano-Dutse Transmission Lines
  Apr 27, 2007 - Nigeria First/All Africa Global Media
  
  Abuja: President Olusegun Obasanjo, on April 26 commissioned the Kano-Dutse 132KVA Double Circuit Transmission Lines as part of his administration's commitment aimed at improving the power supply situation in the country.
  
  
• Zambia embarks on plan on electricity coverage expansion
  Mar 28, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  The Zambian government is working on a Rural Electrification Master Plan at a cost of 500 million U. S. dollars to cover the period from the year 2008 to 2030, state- owned Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) reported Wednesday.
  
  
• Preparation for three-nation power interconnection under way
  Mar 18, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  Preparation work for the power interconnection project among Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya has reached an advanced level with the three countries pledging their commitment to constructing the 330 kv interconnector power line at a cost of 670 million U.S. dollars, Zambia Daily Mail reported on Sunday.
  
  
• Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya Ministers to Convene Over Power Interconnection
  Feb 27, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  Energy ministers from Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya are scheduled to meet here next month to discuss the implementation of the proposed power interconnection project among the three countries, Times of Zambia reported on Tuesday.
  
  
• Zimbabwe: Southern African Power Pool Warns Country
  Jan 19, 2007 - Makoshori, Shame; Zimbabwe Independant - AllAfrica.com
  
  The Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) has warned that electricity transmission bottlenecks in Zimbabwe's power infrastructure are affecting power transmission between utilities in the region.
  
  
• Eskom set to import Botswana electricity
  Nov 14, 2006 - Khulu Phasiwe, Business Day - All Africa Global Media
  
  Eskom was set to import 70% of the 3600MW electricity that would be generated at the new $5,5bn Mmamabula power station in Botswana, the power utility said yesterday.
  
  
• New power line to be built from Ethiopia to Kenya
  Nov 13, 2006 - John Oyuke, East African Standard - All Africa Global Media
  
  Work on the proposed Sh72 billion high-voltage power transmission line from Ethiopia to Kenya is set to commence next month. Kenya Electricity Generating company has disclosed that the implementation schedule for the project has already been set up, with its commissioning now earmarked for October 2014.
  
  
• Ethiopia, Kenya sign agreement to construct power-line to Sudan
  Sep 25, 2006 - Walta Information Centre website, Addis Ababa - BBC Monitoring
  
  The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) has announced the conclusion between Ethiopia and Kenya of an agreement allowing for the commencement of physical construction of a transmission line to the Sudan in the framework of the Ethiopia-Kenya Interconnection Project.
  
  
• Three-nation electricity project to cost $ 350 mm
  Sep 15, 2006 - The Post
  
  The Zambia-Kenya-Tanzania electricity inter-connector project is expected to cost about $ 350 mm. According to preliminary information following the deliberations of the just ended joint meetings involving Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda, the $ 350 mm, approximately K 1.5 tn, project could be completed by 2009.
  
  
• Southern Africa in search of energy self-sustenence
  Jul 26, 2006 - Joseph Ngwawi - South African Research and Documention Centre - sardc.net
  
  The project, known as the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya Power Interconnection Project, is expected to assist Tanzania and Kenya access electricity from the Southern African Power Pool as well as reducing electricity costs for the three countries.
  

• West African Countries Receive Assistance for Power Pool Development
  June 29, 2006
  
  The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved two International Development Association (IDA) credits of US$60 million equivalent in total to the Republic of Benin and the Republic of Ghana under the US$350 million adaptable program lending (APL) facility that supports the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) initiative of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).*
  
  
• Zambia completes feasibility on hydro stations
  Jun 29, 2006 - hydro4africa.net
  
  Feasibility studies for the development of two hydro power stations with a combined capacity of 870MW have been completed by the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO), local media reports. Chief engineer in charge of hydrology, Romas Kamanga, was quoted as saying the two projects were earmarked for construction soon.
  
  
• Kenya may export power to Uganda
  Jun 23, 2006 - People's Daily English Version
  
  Kenya's electricity officials said Thursday they are negotiating with Uganda to export 50 megawatts ( MW) of power to offset Uganda's crippling shortages.
  
  
• China offers Namibia assistance with construction of power line from Zambia
  Jun 15, 2006 - BBC Monitoring via COMTEX
  
  Last week a Chinese government-owned company was in the country for talks with State House and NamPower [government-owned power utility] on assistance with the construction of a power line from Zambia.
  
  
• Kenya enters power deal with Ethiopia
  May 18, 2006 - Millicent Awour - Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
  
  The government has signed a power supply agreement with Ethiopia, a move expected to boost supply to the national grid. The signing follows three days of consultations between the two governments. Speaking during the signing ceremony, acting Energy Minister Henry Obwocha said the deal may eventually see a reduction of power prices with the completion of a high voltage transmission line to interconnect the national grids of the two countries.
  
  
• Kenya joins regional power supply plan
  May 18, 2006 - The Nation
  
  Kenya is among three countries set to benefit from a Sh 47.5 bn ($ 660 mm) electricity generation project.
  Kenya was working alongside Tanzania and Zambia on a joint interconnection project expected to help the countries access electricity from southern Africa, Energy assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri said. This is also expected to reduce electricity costs and eradicate shortages.
  
  
• New SADC move to end Dar's power crisis
  Mar 6, 2006 - The EastAfrican
  
  The Tanzania-Zambia Interconnect Project will intergrate Tanzania into the regional grid, giving Dar es Salaam the option of exporting its electricity surplus to Kenya.
  
  
• Ethiopia and Kenya discuss power connection
  Mar 4, 2006
  
  Ethiopia said it has wrapped up a first round discussion with neighbouring Kenya to connect the two countries with power transmission lines. Sendeku Araya, public relations manager with the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo), said the two countries signed an agreement following in-depth discussions between ministers of energy, power directors and professionals of both countries on utilization of power transmission lines.
  
  
• Select Transnational Electricity Projects Within Africa
  
  Congo-Democratic Republic of Congo-Zambia Inga Hydroelectric Interconnections
  Kenya-Uganda Owen Falls Hydroelectric Interconnection
  Benin-Ghana-Togo VRA/CEB interconnection
  
  
• The West African Power Pool
  
  The West African Power Pool is an ambitious project initiated by ECOWAS Energy Ministers and championed by the ECOWAS Department of Infrastructure to provide a reliable and competitively-priced supply of energy in response to this long-acknowledged impediment to regional economic growth and competitiveness. The project also aims to increase the trade in energy amongst member states and to promote foreign investment in the sector. The WAPP is now an ECOWAS priority project for the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD
  
  
• Tanzanian, Kenyan Officials Discuss Power Interconnector Plan
  Jul 28, 2005 - Xinhua English Newswire
  
  Detailed discussions are underway on the project of selling electricity to Kenya to relieve the neighboring country's power crisis, said Tanzanian energy officials on Tuesday.
  
  
• Energy key to Africa's prosperity: Challenges in West Africa's quest for electricity
  Jan 2005 - Africa Renewal, Vol.18 #4 (pg 6) - Itai Madamombe
  
  On the outskirts of Accra, Ghana, business plans are only as final as the next electricity outage permits. In July, food tins at the Prime Pak canning factory were positioned on the assembly line, ready to be sealed before export. Without warning, the machines came to a screeching halt, leaving entrepreneur Cyril Francis standing helplessly in the dark. Thirty per cent of the consignment spoiled.
  
  
• ABB wins US$ 40-million power transmission project in Africa
  Nov 7, 2000 - ABB
  
  Power corridor will link new Nigerian capital to the national grid
  Zurich, Switzerland - ABB, the global technology group, said today it has won a US$ 40-million order to design and build a new high-voltage power transmission corridor, including the installation of fiber optics, to Nigeria’s new federal capital of Abuja.
  

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