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Articles on Renewables in Africa

• OPINION: Renewable Energies – a Double-Edged Sword
  Oct 24, 2014 - Bradnee Chambers - ipsnews.net

  The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has set a target of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2. One way countries can meet their obligations is to switch energy production from the burning of fossil fuels to “renewables”, generally understood to include wind, wave, tidal, hydro, solar and geothermal power and biomass.

• Namibia in line for first large-scale PV power plant
  Nov 19, 2014 - Ben Willis - PV-tech.org

  Namibia in southern Africa is expected to see its first large-scale PV plant come online early next year following a ground-breaking ceremony last week.

• Developing renewable energy projects in Africa becoming ‘easy’, claims IPP
  Oct 28, 2014 - Monique Avila - pv-tech.org

  The president and chief executive officer of Windiga Energy, a Canadian-based independent power producer, said it is now easy to develop renewable energy projects, like PV, in Africa.

• From Cape Town to Kinshasa: could the Great Inga dam power half of Africa?
  Sep 19, 2014 - theguardian.com

  As treaties are ratified and hopes rise for a sustainable solution to energy poverty, NGOs question who stands to benefit

• The electrification of Africa
  August 12, 2014 - David Rogers - globalconstructionreview.com

  A GCR special report into the surge of power construction that will transform the continent over the next six years.Sub-Saharan Africa is made up of 49 countries, with a total population of about 826 million. Together, they have an installed generating capacity of 68GW. This is equivalent to the electricity output of Iran (62GW). About 65% of this capacity is provided by one country: South Africa.

• Namibian energy minister pushes for solar expansion
  Jun 10, 2014 - Ben Willis - pvtech.org
  The energy minister of Namibia, southern Africa, has called for greater deployment of solar to provide power in off-grid locations.

• Saudi, Egypt may tender power link in early 2015
  May 14, 2014 - emirates247.com
  
  Saudi Arabia and Egypt may tender their long-awaited power link project in early 2015 and it would take nearly three years to be completed, a Saudi electricity official was quoted on Wednesday as saying.
  
• With A Little Help, Africa Could Become Renewable Energy Powerhouse
  May 6, 2014 - Ari Phillips - thinkprogress.org
  

  The United States, China, India, Japan, and Europe all fit within Africa, a continent that lags behind those places in development. When it comes to energy and electricity, this lack of infrastructure or institutionalized energy systems offers some opportunities for renewable sources of energy to enter into a market that is struggling to meet demand.
  

• Solar power to the people: green energy could boost African development
  Apr 30, 2014 - John Vidal - theguardian.com
  
  Sub-Saharan Africa's lack of electricity is hindering development but this can be reversed if countries turn to ambitious, large-scale renewable energy projects, an environmental thinktank suggests.
  
  
• Morocco turns to US in effort to kick start US$12 billion solar plans
  30 Apr, 2014 - John Parnell - pvtech.org
  
  Senior Moroccan officials will tour the US this June as they look to kick start the North African country’s ambitious US$12.4 billion solar plans.
  
  
• FiT launch gets Algeria’s large-scale PV plan underway
  Apr 29, 2014 - Ben Willis - pv-tech.org
  
  Algeria has launched a feed-in tariff (FiT) for large-scale PV power plants to support its goal of building 800MW of solar capacity by 2020.
  
  
• PV demand in Africa and Middle East set to triple by 2018 - Solarbuzz
  Apr 25, 2014 - Ben Willis - pv-tech.org
  
  PV demand in the Middle East and Africa is set to grow by 50% this year and more than triple by 2018 as countries such as Saudi Arabia begin serious levels of solar deployment.
  
  
• Spotlight on Africa: Renewable energy projects hold promise
  Apr 14, 2014 - Reg Tucker - renewableenergyfocus.com
  
  The roadblocks impacting renewable energy growth in some parts of Africa are well documented. But that's not discouraging aggressive expansion in those countries where the potential for new solar and wind projects is greatest.
  
  
• Renewables in North Africa: A Nation-By-Nation Report Card
  Mar 25, 2014 - James Montgomery - renewableenergyworld.com
  
  Spiking electricity demand, threadbare infrastructure, rising costs, geopolitical insecurity — yet renewable energy is still a priority for these five nations.
  
  
• Fraunhofer Institute Researches Reliable Solar Electricity Transmission in North Africa
  Mar 12 2014 - IISD.org
  
  The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has announced a research project to help develop a network for the reliable transmission of electricity from solar energy facilities in North Africa, with potential future transmission to Europe. The Institute's 'Super Grid' project aims to develop and optimize technologies for the interface between electricity production and grid feed-in.
  
  
• IHS: Mexico joins South Africa and Turkey in top three emerging PV markets
  Mar 12, 2014 - Andy Colthrope - PV-tech.org
  
  Several hundred megawatts of PV projects currently under construction in Mexico are driving the country to third place in the world for attractiveness to investors, developers and manufacturers in the solar industry, according to analysis firm IHS.
  
  
• East Africa: Rwanda to Build East Africa's Largest Solar Plant
  Feb 19, 2014 - allafrica.com

  Rwanda has started the construction of a new 8.5 MW solar PV plant, the first utility-scale solar power field in East Africa. The plant will be built on land belonging to Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village.

• Construction Begins on $7 Billion Power Africa Project
  Feb 19, 2012 - Tam Harbert - spectrum.ieee.org
  
  Obama's ambitious electrification project starts with solar and wind installations
  
  
• Solar power has role in transforming Sub-Saharan economy: Commerzbank
  Jan 24, 2014 - John Parnell - pv-tech.org
  
  The relatively quick deployment time of solar power could help to fix energy supply issues and get Sub-Saharan economies back on track, according to a new report by Commerzbank.
  
  
• Zimbabwe plans to build three solar power plants
  Dec 9, 2013 - Reuters - timeslive.co.za
  
  Zimbabwe plans to construct three solar-powered plants in the west of the country at a cost of $540 million in a bid to ease electricity shortages in the country, an official with the state power company said.
  
  
• Kenya's energy revolution: full steam ahead for geothermal power
  Nov 22, 2013 - Jessica Hatcher - theguardian.com
  
  Electricity may be at a premium in Kenya, but the country hopes to be the world's leading exponent of geothermal power by 2023
  
  
• Congo river's Grand Inga dam 'could power Africa'
  Nov 15, 2013 - bbc.co.uk
  
  The idea of using the mighty Congo river to provide electricity across the African continent has been around since the 1960s.
  
  
• African solar goes mainstream
  Nov, 2013 - Philip Wolfe - solarbusinessfocus.com
  
  In the last five years, deployment of utility-scale PV power stations has increased explosively, to become the fastest-growing sector of the solar industry. Wiki-Solar founder Philip Wolfe explains how Africa is starting to emerge as a player in the generation of mainstream solar power
  
  
• Nigeria plans 500MW of PV in joint German project
  Oct 23, 2013 - Ben Willis - pv-tech.org
  
  Nigeria is planning to deploy up to 500MW of solar power capacity across nine of its states in a joint programme with the German government, according to reports.
  
  
• Ethiopia eyes export of geothermal energy to East Africa
  Oct 25, 2013 - sudantribune.com
  
  October 25, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – As part of Ethiopia’s plans to become a major power exporter in East Africa, the state utility company said on Friday that it is building Africa’s largest Geothermal Power Plant.
  
  
• Enphase Energy Announces Clinton Global Initiative 'Commitment to Action' for Nigerian Microgrid Project
  Oct 10, 2013 - enphase.com

  PETALUMA, Calif. - October 10, 2013 – Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH), announced today its Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action. Enphase has partnered with Beacon Power Services to provide a clean and reliable energy alternative in Abuja, Nigeria, through piloting an innovative solar energy microgrid system.
  

• Reykjavik Geothermal Agrees to Build 1,000 Megawatts in Ethiopia
  Oct 4, 2013 - Justin Doom - renewableenergyworld.com
  
  NEW YORK CITY -- Reykjavik Geothermal, the Icelandic company that’s helped build power plants in more than 30 countries, agreed to develop as much as 1,000 megawatts of projects in Ethiopia over the next 10 years.
  
  
• Africa’s largest PV project set for construction in early 2014
  Sep 18, 2013 - Lucy Woods - pv-tech.org
  
  Construction is due to start in the first quarter of 2014 on a 155MW PV project in Ghana, said to be Africa's largest PV power plant to date.
  
  
• Ethiopia says it won’t bow to Egyptian pressure over Nile dam
  Jun 7,2013 - AARON MAASHO, ADDIS ABABA — Reuters - theglobalandmail.com
  
  Ethiopia’s construction of a dam on a tributary of the Nile is not open to negotiation, the Addis Ababa government said on Friday, as a confrontation with Egypt over the project escalated.
  
  
• Uganda Launches Innovative Feed-in Tariff Programme
  Jul 2, 2013 - Tildy Bayar - renewableenergyworld.com
  
  In an effort to draw more private investment into renewable power projects in the country, Uganda has launched an innovative new renewable energy development financing programme, the Global Energy Transfer Feed-in Tariff (GET FiT).
  
  
• Eskom CEO calls for ‘super grid’ to power up sub-Saharan Africa
  May 14, 2013 - By Kim Cloete - engineeringnews.co.za
  
  The CEO of South African power utility Eskom, Brian Dames, said on Tuesday that countries in sub-Saharan Africa should work together to establish a “super grid” to boost electricity supply in the power-starved region.
  
  
• Interview: Africans should be more proactive facing climate change: expert
  Apr 23, 2013 - English.news.cn - xinhuanet.com
  

  WINDHOEK, April 23 (Xinhua) -- As the world marks Earth Day, a geology scientist calls on Africans to be more proactive and invest in alternative energy to stem deforestation and spur development.
  

• Grand Inga Dam: Africa’s Path to Electrification?
  Feb 7, 2013 - By Joelmallory - Wordpress.com
  
  Twenty-five miles from the mouth of the Congo River, the Inga Falls potentially holds the future of Africa’s power generation. The largest waterfall in the world by volume, Inga Falls will potentially be the future site of a hydroelectric power plant with over 40,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity
  
  
• Power Africa's leaders (and skeptics) speak out
  Jul 17, 2013 - By Michael Igoe - Devex.com
  
  Power Africa, a new multi-billion dollar initiative by U.S. President Barack Obama to increase electricity access on the continent, is rallying supporters to generate some energy of its own.
  
  
• Powering Africa
  Jul 15, 2013 - By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
  
  President Obama’s “Power Africa” initiative, unveiled during his recent trip there, has the potential to make a major impact on a continent where millions of people — including more than two-thirds of those in the sub-Saharan region — live every day without reliable access to affordable electricity. But the outcome depends heavily on how the plan is designed and carried out and whether it is sustained.
  
  
• Kenya-Ethiopia power deal brings hope, controversy
  Jun 12, 2013- Maina Waruru - Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
  
  NAROK, Kenya (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — Each week, Lucy Wangui, 51, walks from her home, in an isolated hamlet in Kenya’s Narok County, to the local shopping centre 15 kilometers away.
  
  
• ETHIOPIA PLANS TO POWER EAST AFRICA WITH HYDRO
  Jan 29, 2013 - E.G. Woldegebriel - Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation

  ADDIS ABABA (AlertNet) - Ethiopia is gearing up to export large amounts of clean power across East Africa in the coming years, starting with neighbouring countries Djibouti and Sudan. But the ambitious plans have ignited controversy on several fronts.
  

• Solar energy: African economies' secret weapon
  June 25, 2013 - Keith Proctor- CNN Money
  
  In recent years, the continent has become a haven for renewable energy, spearheaded by small, tech savvy companies keen on capitalizing off of the global south's hunger for energy.
  
  
• Ethiopia looks to realise its geothermal energy potential
  Feb 13, 2013 - Matthew Newsome - theguardian.com
  

  Ethiopia, like its fellow Great Rift Valley countries, has enormous geothermal energy potential. However, the costs involved and the need for skilled expertise have, until now, been major obstacles.
  

• Powering Africa through feed-in tariffs
  Heinrich Boll Stiftung, World Future council - Feb 2013 - www.worldfuturecouncil.org
  
  Advancing renewable energy to meet the continent's electricity needs.
  
  
• Cote d'Ivoire to supply 17 MW of electricity to Benin and Togo annually
  Jan 26, 2013 - English.news.cn - xinhuanet.com
  

  ABIDJAN, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Cote d'Ivoire will reinforce electricity supply to Benin and Togo with an annual supply of 138 GWh of electricity to the company charged with the production and transportation of electricity to the two countries, Benin Electricity Company (CEB).
  

• What Future for the North Africa-to-Europe Power Super-Grid?
  Dec 30, 2012 - Dr. Daniel Novotny - The North Africa Post
  
  With the EU aiming to increasingly meet its energy needs from renewable sources – 30 per cent by 2020 and almost 100 per cent by 2050 –a great portion of this renewable power will have to come particularly from large-scale photovoltaic (PV) installations in sunny regions of the North Africa.
  
  
• AfDB approves new funds for Ethiopia-Kenya power project
  Dec 8 , 2012 - sudantribune.com

  December 8, 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) - The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a loan agreement amounting US$115 million to finance the construction of a cross-border electricity highway running between Ethiopia and Kenya.
  

• Africa's largest solar power plant to be built in Ghana
  Adam Vaughn - Dec 04, 2012 - guardian.co.uk
  
  The largest solar power plant in Africa will be built in Ghana, the British company behind the plan said on Tuesday. Source of much of the world's cocoa and an increasingly significant oil producer, Ghana's new drive to exploit the sun's energy is predicted to create hundreds of jobs and increase the country's electricity capacity by 6%, as well as cutting emissions.
  
  
• Scatec and IFC enter agreement to develop PV plants in West and Central Africa
  Jun 11, 2012 - Anne Zimmermann - pv-tech.org
  
  Norwegian-based Scatec Solar and IFC InfraVentures have entered an agreement to develop a number of PV plants in West and Central Africa, the companies have announced. IFC will be financing the projects while Scatec will be responsible for designing, developing, constructing and operating PV plants with a capacity of 10MW or more in different African countries. Among the first countries in which Scatec and IFC are planning to develop solar power plants are Benin, Cameroon, Togo, Niger and Burkina Faso.
  
  
• Is Desertec The Answer To Europe And Africa's Energy Woes?
  Mar 22, 2012 - forbes.com
  
  Standing on the shores of the Mediterranean, anywhere from Tangiers to Istanbul, it’s not exactly difficult to imagine the region’s renewable potential.
  
  
• South Africa has great wind energy potential
  Mar 22, 2012 - newtoday.com.bd
  
  There exists great wind energy potential that remains to be tapped in South Africa, experts said, reports Xinhua.
  
  
• UN urges Africa to facilitate private investment in clean energy production
  Mar 7, 2012 - power-eng.com
  
  India, Feb. 26 -- Government policies that facilitate private sector investment in energy markets are crucial to help tap Africa's massive renewable energy potential, which can fuel the continent's poverty reduction efforts and put it on a path to sustainable development, according to a United Nations report released today.
  
  
• Egypt to Help With Gaza Power Shortages
  Mar 2, 2012 - Mohammed Daraghmeh - abcnews.go.com
  
  Egypt has agreed to help ease Gaza's chronic power shortages as part of a three-stage plan that would eventually hook up the isolated territory to the regional grid, a Palestinian energy official said Monday.
  
  
• Ethiopian electric cable to Sudan completed
  Mar 2, 2012 - Tesfa-Alem Tekle - sudantribune.com
  
  February 19, 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopia has completed a power transmission line that links its power grid with neighbouring Sudan, state Electric and Power Corporation (EEPCO) announced.
  
  
• GE to construct 10,000mw power plant in Nigeria
  Feb 23, 2012 - www.businessdayonline.com
  
  General Electric (GE), a leading global company, originating from the USA, is to construct a 10,000 mega watts power plant in Nigeria, Minister of Power, Barth Nnaji has said.
  
  
• Turning Rwanda's rivers into renewable energy
  Jan 31, 2012 - bbc.co.uk
  
  One of the business ventures that African entrepreneurs tend to avoid - perhaps in order to avoid a shock - is electricity.
  
  
• South Africa Signs Major Energy Agreement with Democratic Republic of Congo
  Nov 16, 2011 - John Daly - oilprice.com
  
  Africa has for the last couple of decades found itself between a rock and a hard place on energy issues, seeing foreigners race in to exploit hydrocarbon reserves (Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, etc.) while soaring population rates and a lack of infrastructure investment have left many nation’s populations bereft of reliable and inexpensive energy resources.
  
  
• Sahara Solar Project to Present First Plant Design in 2012
  Nov 3, 2011 - Stefan Nicola - bloomberg.com
  
  The Sahara solar initiative backed by German turbine maker Siemens AG (SIE) and Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) will sketch out plans in 2012 for its first power plant, a 600 million-euro ($800 million) station in Morocco, its project manager said.
  
  
• Abu Dhabi hosts Africa meeting on renewable energy
  Oct. 7, 2011 - Michael Casey - boston.com
  
  African governments should consider investing in renewable energies like wind, solar and hydro power to help feed the continent's growing energy demands and combat threats of climate change, the head of a new international energy agency said Friday.
  
  
• Power Interconnection Project Costly but Needed
  Aug 9, 2011 - George Mhango - ipsnews.net
  
  BLANTYRE, Malawi , Jun 27, 2011 (IPS) - In Malawi's administrative and commercial capitals, Lilongwe and Blantyre, two things are clear, especially at night: blackouts and the sound of generators in various workplaces.
  
  
• How the DRC’s Inga project could solve much of Africa’s power problems
  Jul 21, 2011 - Claude Harding - howwemadeitinafrica.com
  
  Companies in Africa are severely handicapped by poor power supply.
  
  
• Can North Africa Light Up Europe With Concentrated Solar Power?
  Jul 21, 2011 - Lisa Friedman - nytimes.com
  
  HAMBURG, Germany -- Twenty-five years after Gerhard Knies conceived of powering Europe with the Sahara Desert's sun, the North Africa Solar project has grown into something considerably more than a mere mirage, but it's still less than a reality.
  
  
• Ethiopia Plans to Start Exporting Power to Djibouti This Month
  May 22, 2011 - William Davison - bloomberg.com
  
  Ethiopia expects to begin exporting electricity to Djibouti this month after completing a project connecting its power grid to the neighboring country, an Ethiopian Electric Power Corp. official said.
  
  
• Tunisia still in running for Desertec role despite turmoil
  May 21, 2011 - globserver.com
  
  Tunisia remains a leading candidate to host one of the first renewables projects built by the Desertec Industrial Initiative (DII), despite the North African country’s recent revolution.
  
  
• centrotherm, Kinetics Germany to build Africa’s largest module production facility
  May 21, 2011 - Chris Whitmore - pv-tech.org
  
  centrotherm photovoltaics and Kinetics Germany have signed an agreement with Société Nationale de l'Electricité et du Gaz (Sonelgaz) to build an integrated solar module manufacturing facility in Rouiba, Algeria. When completed, the 43,000-square-metre site, located 30 km east of Algiers, will be home to Africa’s largest solar module factory and have an annual production capacity of around 116MW.
  
  
• Botswana explores alternative energy sources
  May 15, 2011 - Xinhua - energycentral.com
  
  Botswana plans to develop renewable energy to tackle the increasing demand of energy that has recently been outsourcing supply in the Southern African country.
  
  
• Morocco Plans 2011 Solar Award As Investor Confidence Returns - Minister
  May 04, 2011 - Doug Cameron - wsj.com
  
  Morocco plans to award a landmark contract by year end to build one of the world's largest solar power facilities, the country's industry minister said Monday.
  
  
• Egypt's First Solar-Thermal Plant goes into Operation in Kuraymat
  Jan 10, 2011 - Worldofrenewables.com
  
  In Kuraymat, roughly 100 kilometers south of Cairo, a major solar-thermal power plant is going into operation for the first time in Egypt.
  
  
• Sahara Desert Project Aims to Power Half the World by 2050
  Dec 14, 2010 - Lin Edwards - Physorg.com
  
  A joint project by universities in Algeria and Japan is planning to turn the Sahara desert, the largest desert in the world, into a breeding ground for solar power plants that could supply half the world’s electrical energy requirements by 2050.
  
  
  
• Congo Says Talks with BHP on Inga Are 'Very Advanced'
  Nov 17, 2010 - SF Gate
  
  The Democratic Republic of Congo's government is in "very advanced" talks with BHP Billiton Ltd. on the Inga 3 hydropower project, as the world's biggest mining company seeks electricity for a possible aluminum smelter.
  
  
  
• Country 'Has Enough Wind for 35 Percent of Electricity Supply'
  Aug 24, 2010 - Business Day/All Africa Global Media - Energy Central
  
  A University of Cape Town doctoral study has found that SA has more than enough wind to provide a consistent feed of electricity into the national grid.
  
  
• Wind Industry Wants 25 Percent of Energy to Be Renewable
  May 24, 2010 - Business Day - All Africa Global Media - Energy Central
  
  The South African wind industry has called on the government to set an ambitious 25% renewable energy contribution to electricity consumption by 2025.
  
  
• South Africa's Eskom to build 100MW CSP power plant with World Bank funds
  Apr 9, 2010 - Mark Osborne - pv-tech.org
  
  As part of a US$3.75 billion loan from the World Bank to help South Africa achieve a reliable electricity supply, the country’s electricity provider, Eskom is to build a 100MW concentrated solar (CSP) power project with storage in Upington, South Africa.
  
  
• Developing Nations Eye Renewable Energy
  Mar 30, 2010 - Lauren Poole - renewableenergyworld.com
  
  Post-copenhagen targets for renewable energy show developing countries looking to strengthen their renewable energy portfolios.
  
  
• 100% Renewable Electricity – A roadmap to 2050 for Europe and North Africa
  Mar 26, 2010 - Price Waterhouse Coopers
  
  The study prepared by the European and international climate experts at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the European Climate Forum, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the International Institute for Applied System Analysis, examines the potential for powering Europe and North Africa with renewable electricity exclusively by 2050
  
  
• Phaesun builds solar systems in Africa
  Mar 16, 2010 - renewableenergyfocus.com
  
  German Phaesun and Ikratos Africa, based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, are constructing 10 solar power plants in the Koudougou region, to be finished at the end of March 2010.
  
  
• Geothermal Firm on Course to Supply 280 MW
  Mar 15, 2010 - The Nation - All Africa Global Media
  
  Kenya's Geothermal Development Company (GDC) is drilling for steam which will be used to generate an additional 280 MW to the national grid, the east African nation's energy minister said on Monday.
  
  
• Solar Power Vastly Underrated in Region
  Mar 11, 2010 - The Namibian/All Africa Global Media
  
  THE southern African region has the highest potential in the world for the use of Solar Thermal Power (STP).
  
  
• Global Climate Battle Plays Out In World Bank
  Mar 8, 2010 - Lesley Wroughton - Reuters
  
  The United States and Britain are threatening to withhold support for a $3.75 billion World Bank loan for a coal-fired plant in South Africa, expanding the battleground in the global debate over who should pay for clean energy.
  
  
• 'Renewable Energy Achievable in Ten Years'
  Mar 1, 2010 - All Africa Global Media - Vanguard
  
  The Managing Director of Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM Bank), Mr. Roberts Orya, has stressed the need for Nigeria to focus on the green economy and renewable energy in its bid to join global forces to save a world that is threatened by climate change and global warming.
  
  
• 'Renewable Energy Achievable in Ten Years'
  Mar 1, 2010 - All Africa Global Media - Vanguard
  
  The Managing Director of Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM Bank), Mr. Roberts Orya, has stressed the need for Nigeria to focus on the green economy and renewable energy in its bid to join global forces to save a world that is threatened by climate change and global warming.
  
  
• Dam Critics Won't Go Away
  Feb 6, 2010 - Inter Press Service - All Africa Global Media
  
  Ethiopia is building a 240-metre high dam on the Omo River that is intended to end the country's electricity shortage and supply power to neighbouring countries. Not everyone's happy.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Fund commits €10m for clean energy in southern Africa
  Jan 27, 2010 - renewable energy focus
  
  The Global Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Fund (GEEREF) will commit the funds to the ‘Evolution One Fund’ that is dedicated to clean energy investment in Southern Africa.
  
  
• Utah playground power project expanding in Africa
  Jan 10, 2010 - AP
  
  A Utah engineer's project to convert the energy of children's play into electricity to light up schools continues to expand in the West African nation of Ghana. Empower Playgrounds, Inc., builds special merry-go-rounds that generate power for lights in schools in villages where electricity is scarce or not found at all.
  
  
• Project Focus: Morocco invites bids for 500MW plant: first in country
  Jan 7, 2010 - Emma Hughes - PV-tech.org
  
  Morocco will be inviting bids for the construction of its 500MW solar power station due to be complete at the end of February 2010. The project is estimated to cost US$9 billion and will be the first solar power station in the country according to Reuters.
  
  
• Solar Panel Project to Light Up Schools
  Jan 5, 2010 - Business Daily - All Africa Global Media
  
  Two private companies have been commissioned to install solar panels in 117 schools and health centres in arid and semi arid regions in a move geared to reduce Kenya's reliance on hydro-generated electricity and lower the cost of energy to poor communities.
  
  
• Country to Set Up $2 Billion Energy Fund
  Nov 30, 2009 - The Nation - All Africa Global Media
  
  Kenya will with the support of donors set up a $2 billion (Sh150 billion) revolving fund to lend those investing in climate-friendly green electricity generating projects. The Ministry of Finance said World Bank, French Development Agency, KfW of German and African Development Bank had agreed to help the government set up the fund.
  
  
• Ethiopia to build 10 hydroelectric projects
  Nov 19, 2009 - Hydroworld.com
  
  ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia 11/19/09 (PennWell) --

  The government of Ethiopia said it will build 10 hydroelectric projects over the next decade at a cost of US$10 billion, according to Nazret.com, an online news service in Ethiopia.

• World Bank: Africa needs more hydropower
  Nov 17, 2009 - Hydroworld.com
  
  WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. 11/17/09 (PennWell) --

  A new study from World Bank shows that almost half of the $93 billion needed to improve Africa’s infrastructure must be spent on the construction of new power supplies.

• Africa to receive 1.1 billion dollars in new financing for climate action
  Nov 05, 2009 - Xinhua
  
  African efforts to invest in clean energy and prepare for the devastating consequences of climate change have received a boost with six countries set to receive 1.1 billion dollars in new financing for climate action, the World Bank said on Thursday
  
  
• Mapping wind resources in South Africa
  Nov 3, 2009 - Renewable energy focus.com
  
  Risø DTU has produced a detailed map of the wind resources in South Africa showing the best locations for wind turbines and is a prerequisite for funding wind farms.
  
  
• Biofuels - New Report Brings Greater Clarity to Burning Issue
  Oct 16, 2009 - UNEP
  
  New International Panel Launches Wide-Ranging Assessment on Environmental Pros and Cons of Crop-Based Fuels.
  
  
• World bank pledges support for DRC's Grand Inga dam
  Sept 11, 2009 - Bank Information Center
  
  Observers, however, are skeptical that the proposed project presents a solution to Africa's energy problems and whether the millions of Africans without access to electricity stand to benefit.
  
  
• Lush land dries up, withering Kenya's hopes
  Sept 7, 2009 - Jeffrey Gettleman - The New York Times
  
  The sun somehow feels closer here, more intense, more personal. As Philip Lolua waits under a tree for a scoop of food, heat waves dance up from the desert floor, blurring the dead animal carcasses sprawled in front of him.
  
  
• Africa aims to harness its huge hydropower potential
  Aug 26, 2009 - Southern African News Features/All Africa Global Media
  
  Energy experts from Africa will meet in September for the 21st Session of the African Hydro Symposium to explore ways of harnessing hydropower.
  
  
• NGO Develops Mini Hydro-Power Stations
  Aug 26, 2009 - The Herald/All Africa Global Media
  
  Three regional countries are set to benefit from mini-hydro-power stations being developed by a local non-governmental organisation.
  
  
• Kenya to build Africa's biggest windfarm
  Aug 21, 2009 - evwind
  
  A 300 megawatt windfarm, coined the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project, is being developed in Kenya. A total of 365 wind turbines are slated for installation.
  
  
• Firm to Light up The Country With Solar Power
  Aug 20, 2009 - Daily Trust/All Africa Global Media
  
  Private Networks Nigeria Limited (PNN), a leading Pan-African technology service, has announced plans and ability to provide 100% visibility in Nigeria through the application of solar powered lights which can adequately address the persistent epileptic power supply in the country.
  
  
• African Sun May Light Up European Homes
  Jul 29, 2009 - Inter Press Service/All Africa Global Media
  
  Twenty German companies have drawn up ambitious plans to meet at least 15 percent of the European electricity demand by 2020 from solar thermal power plants installed in the North African Maghreb region.
  
  
• Nigerian president approves wind power generation project
  Jul 14, 2009 -- BBC Monitoring
  
  In an effort to further diversify Nigeria's sources of power generation, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has given approval for the commencement of an electricity generation project from wind.
  
  
• Country Set to Tap Power From Renewable Energy
  Jul 6, 2009 - The Nation/All Africa Global Media
  
  Kenya is fast-tracking its plan to boost renewable energy as hydro power increasingly becomes unreliable due to erratic rains.
  
  
• European solar power from African deserts?
  Jun 18, 2009 - James Kanter - The New York Times
  
  Germany has become a global leader in solar energy by building up a substantial industry at home. Can the country now repeat the feat in North Africa?
  
  
• Massive European solar project set for launch
  Jun 16, 2009 - Spiegel Online International
  
  A German-led consortium wants to fund an international solar-energy plan to the tune of €400 billion. The idea is to gather solar heat in North Africa and send the electricity to Europe. If it works, it would be the largest green-energy project in the world.
  
  
• African business urged to invest in green economy
  Jun 4, 2009 - Xinhua
  
  The African business community must invest in the green economy if it is to withstand advances in other parts of the world, an official from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) said here on Thursday.
  
  
• Environment group calls to suspend funding of Ethiopia's dam
  May 8, 2009- McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Sudan Tribune
  
  An international environmental group urged the African Development Bank (AfDB) to reconsider their commitment to fund the ongoing construction of a dam in southwest Ethiopia saying it would affect the ecosystems and livelihoods in the region.
  
  
• South Africa Introduces Aggressive Feed-in Tariffs
  Apr 9, 2009 - Paul Gipe
  
  South Africa's National Energy Regulator (NERSA) announced March 31, 2009 the introduction of a system of feed-in tariffs designed to produce 10 TWh of electricity per year by 2013.
  
  
• Delivering Green Hydroelectric Power-to-Go in Rwanda
  Nov 25, 2008 - Larry Greenemeier
  
  Dartmouth students bring light to once-dark homes in a remote Rwandan village
  
  
• Geothermal Key to Local Power Needs
  Oct 9, 2008 - The Nation/All Africa Global Media
  
  Kenya's huge potential in geothermal energy remains untapped even as the country grapples with high electricity costs.
  
  
• Country Sets Ambitious Renewable Energy Target
  Aug 27, 2008 - Leadership/All Africa Global Media
  
  Nigeria has set an ambitious target of moving 20 per cent of the country to off-grid renewable energy sources by 2012.
  
  
• Energy Security in Africa with Renewable Energy
  Jul, 2008 - Preben Maegaard - World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE)
  
  More than any other continent, Africa needs an energy revolution and independence from the international fossil fuel economy; a change to renewable energy and energy autonomy is paramount for survival. Africa depends largely on the import of fossil fuels to meet a significant and growing part of its modern energy needs, which has created perverse effects on the economy and lives of Africans. Renewable energy is the only viable alternative that has the potential, when properly managed, to improve quality of life on a national and continental scale.
  
  
• Kenya calls for affordable electricity in Africa
  Jun 24, 2008 - Xinhua
  
  The Kenyan government on Tuesday urged stakeholders in power generation and distribution to come up with quick solutions to the challenge of ensuring that many people in Africa have access to electricity at affordable prices.
  
  
• South Africa switches on 1st wind farm amid electricity crisis
  May 23, 2008 - Clare Nullis - Canadian Business Online

  South Africa's energy minister inaugurated the country's first wind farm Friday, acknowledging that the government has done too little to harness the gales that lash its coastline and the sun that scorches its interior.

• Kenya launches renewable energy blueprint
  Jun 10, 2008 - Xinhua
  
  The Kenyan government has launched a blue print for promoting Kenya's renewable energy sources while at the same time conserving non-renewable energy sources.
  
  
• Rural Areas Investing in Renewable Energy
  May 27, 2008 -- Business Daily/All Africa Global Media The United Nations International Development Organization (Unido) is calling on communities without access to electricity to submit renewable energy production proposals for funding.
  
  
• Zesco to Reconnect Power Line to Zim
  May 12, 2008 - The Times of Zambia - 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.
  
  
• German lighting firm aims to build solar power hubs
  May 8, 2008 - IPS/GIN
  
  Lighting industry entrepreneurs are hoping that alternative devices such as solar-powered LED lights will eventually replace the smoky kerosene lamps that keep the darkness at bay in many of Africa's towns and villages.
  
  
• Geothermal Energy Could End Power Crisis - World Bank
  Apr 22, 2008 - Rwanda News - All Africa Global Media
  
  Rwanda should seriously consider exploration of geothermal resources because available data indicates significant potential that could solve the energy crisis and electrify the whole country, according to a new World Bank study.
  
  
• Africa plans largest hydroelectric dam in world
  Apr 21, 2008 - Xinhua
  
  A plan to build the largest and most powerful hydroelectric dam in the world is being discussed in London, BBC reported Monday.
  
  
• Summary Report on the International Conference on Renewable Energy in Africa (pdf)
  Apr 16-18,2008 - Renewable Energy in Africa Bulletin
  
  The International Conference on Renewable Energy in Africa was held at Le Meridien President Hotel in Dakar, Senegal, from 16-18 April 2008. The Conference focused on the theme “making renewable energy markets work for Africa: policies, industries and finance for scaling up,” and was jointly organized by the Government of Senegal, the African Union (AU), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). It brought together 500 participants, including: high-level representatives and experts in energy and industry from African countries; representatives from the African Union Commission (AUC) and African Regional Economic Communities; and representatives from UN agencies, bilateral organizations, the private sector, as well as regional and international non-governmental organizations.
  
  
• Environmentally Friendly Wind Generator Available for Rural Africa
  Apr 16, 2008 - Voice of America News
  
  An environmentally friendly source of energy is now available in Africa. A wind generator is on display in Cape Town, South Africa and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was created by the California-based group "Pac-Wind," which was founded to meet the need for generator systems that are practical, quiet and reliable and can operate in low wind.
  
  
• How Africa's desert sun can bring Europe power
  Dec 2, 2007 - The Observer
  
  £A 5bn solar power plan, backed by a Jordanian prince, could provide the EU with a sixth of its electricity needs - and cut carbon emissions
  Europe is considering plans to spend more than £5bn on a string of giant solar power stations along the Mediterranean desert shores of northern Africa and the Middle East.
  
  
• Mozambique rural areas to receive solar panels
  Nov 27, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  Mozambique is to launch a project to provide solar panels to a number of districts which have not been covered by the country's power grid in 2008, local media AIM reported on Tuesday.
  
  
• Clean Power from Desert (pdf)
  Nov 26, 2007 - The Club of Rome
  
  The Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC) is an initiative of The Club of Rome, the Hamburg Climate Protection Foundation and the National Energy Research Center of Jordan (NERC) in the field of renewable forms of energy. Since it was founded in 2003, it has developed the DESERTEC Concept for energy, water and climate security in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (EU-MENA), promoting cooperation between countries of the sun-belt and the technology belt. Now TREC is making this concept a reality in cooperation with people in politics, industry and the world of finance.
  
  
• UNEP poised to stir green energy revolution in E. Africa
  Nov 8, 2007 - The Associated Press
  
  NAIROBI - A U.N.-backed initiative is set to harvest environment-friendly hydroelectric power from millions of tea and sugar cane growers across East Africa, U.N. officials said Thursday.
  
  
• Germany Looks to North Africa's Untapped Solar Thermal Potential
  Sep 27, 2007 - Jane Burgermeister - RenewableEnergyAccess.com
  
  Vienna, Austria - Flabeg has recently developed a mirror that can reflect 93 percent of the sun's rays. A study by the German Aerospace Center estimated that harnessing the sun's energy falling on just 6,000 square kilometers of desert in North Africa would supply energy equivalent to the entire oil production of the Middle East of 9 billion barrels a year.
  
  
• World Bank Launches Lighting Initiative for Africa
  Sep 9, 2007 - Planet Ark
  
  The World Bank launched an plan on Wednesday to provide inexpensive, safe and cleaner lighting to 250 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who lack access to electricity. The project is designed to replace costly and inefficient fuel-based lighting sources, such as kerosene lamps, that pose fire hazards and cause pollution.
  
  
• Mali, Mauritania And Senegal Receive Assistance for Regional Hydroelectric Development
  Aug 26, 2007 - World Bank/All Africa Global Media
  
  Washington, DC - The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved three International Development Association (IDA) credits*, each for US$25 million equivalent to the Republic of Mali, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the Republic of Senegal under the US$ 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 to go for solar energy
  Aug 13, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  The Zambian government intends to make solar energy an integral part of its rural electrification program, a government official has said.
  
  
• Ethiopia's geothermal project comes up with encouraging results
  Jul 23, 2007 -- Xinhua
  
  A geothermal project built in Dubti and Tendaho areas of north Ethiopia's Afar State, has come up with encouraging results, the Ministry of Mines and Energy said Monday.
  
  
• Giant dam projects aim to transform African power supplies
  Jun 19, 2007 - Sarah J. Wachter - International Herald Tribune
  
  PARIS: Maps As the world's political leaders debate ways to alleviate poverty in Africa, industrialists are moving ahead with their own designs for pan-African development - including the building of the world's largest hydroelectric dam at a bend in the Congo River, between Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Atlantic Ocean.
  
  
• Over 6,000 Ethiopia's rural towns to be electrified next year: minister
  May 14, 2007 - Xinhua
  
  ADDIS ABABAEthiopia's Ministry of Mines and Energy said Monday it has plans to electrify over 6,000 rural towns next year.
  
  
• Zambia Needs $2.1bn for Hydropower Generation
  Feb 9, 2007 All Africa Global Media
  
  Parliament heard yesterday that Zambia needs US$2.1 billion investment to expand hydropower generation and transmission to avoid a looming power shortage in the next five years.
  
  
• African solar farms to solve energy crisis?
  Dec 5, 2006 - James Murray - Green Business News
  
  It appears the UK government is not the only one busy commissioning reports on combating climate change, the German government has now got in on the act with two major new study's on the viability of a leftfield plan that could deliver clean energy to the whole of Europe within the next forty years.
  
  
• A Study: Deserts offer cheap source of energy = 1/3 the price of oil
  Nov 21, 2006 - Asia Wind
  
  SAHARA sunshine could provide Europe with clean and cheap energy, according to a study for the German government. Experts said solar energy from north Africa could help to reduce emissions from European power stations by 70 per cent by 2050 as well as providing energy at a cost equivalent to a $20 barrel of oil - about a third of the current price.
  
  
• Namibia: Country On Verge of Policy Breakthrough On Renewable Energy
  Nov 21, 2006 Brigitte Weidlich Windhoek The Namibian
  
  NAMIBIA will soon have its own regulatory framework and technical standards for the use of appliances powered by renewable energies such as solar or wind power.
  
  
• Mali, Mauritina And Senegal Receive Assistance for Regional Hydroelectric Development.
  
  The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved three International Development Association (IDA) credits*, each for US$25 million equivalent to the Republic of Mali, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the Republic of Senegal under the US$ 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).
  
  
• Giant Congo hydroelectric project is a 'betrayal'
  Sep 2, 2006 - by Fred Pearce
  
  The heart of darkness could soon be lighting up Africa. There are plans to build the world's largest hydroelectric project on the Congo river and connect it to a continent-wide electricity grid.
  
  
• Mali Turns to Windpower
  Aug 23, 2006 - Appropriate Technology
  
  Mali is one of the poorest countries in Africa. Its electrification rate is just 9 per cent nationwide and less than one per cent in rural regions. In 2001 the country's total electricity generation capacity was 140 MW, with half accounted for by hydroelectric power plants.
  
  
• Uganda: Micro-Hydro Sites Identified
  
  THE Japanese delegation to Uganda on August 3 concluded a one-week fact finding mission on potential sites for generating electricity for rural communities.
  
  
• Notice the sunshine in the desert
  Jun 21, 2006 - Sanjay suri - IPSnews
  
  A recent United Nations report suggests that the Sahara desert could capture enough solar energy to eventually supply all of the world's electricity needs. The report also points to some of the threats such as declining water resources which threaten delicate desert ecosystems.
  
  
• Enlightening a Continent in the Dark– Prospects for Hydropower Development in Africa
  Oct 27-29, 2004 - Dr. Michel Claude Lokolo - United Nations Symposium on Hydropower and Sustainable Development
  
  

Related GENI Resources

Definition Wind Energy

Renewable Energy Resource Maps

National Energy Grid Maps

GENI Transmission Library

Links

IREC Connecting to the Grid (Interstate Renewable Energy Council)

CIGRE: International Congress on Large High-Voltage Electric Systems

IEEE/PES International Practices Committee panel sessions