Boost for renewables as air quality concerns grow 

Coal-fired power in South Africa risks breaching the country's air pollution laws, making the case for stronger investment in renewables. If new air quality rules become law, Eskom will be forced to comply with air pollution standards or close its power stations.

According to energy expert Chris Yelland, the new proposals by the Department of Environmental Affairs would finally mean that Eskom will no longer be let off the hook via constant postponements of its need to comply with current air pollution laws.

 Legalbrief, 3 July 2018 

Côte d'Ivoire eyes biomass power generation from cocoa waste

The world's top cocoa producer Côte d'Ivoire plans to build a 60-70 MW capacity biomass power generation plant running on waste from cocoa pods, part of its aim of developing 424 MW of biomass power generation capacity by 2030.

The biomass power station, the first in Côte d'Ivoire, would be based in the southern cocoa region of Divo. 

Engineering News, 3 July 2018

GE commissions hybrid distributed power unit for Ethiopian village

Global power solutions firm, General Electric (GE), in collaboration with a local entity, Solar Tech, have commissioned a scalable microgrid system powered by a hybrid distributed power unit for Digo Village, in the Oromia region. 

The hybrid distributed power unit combines PV solar panels, batteries, and a diesel generator to provide reliable, cost effective power to a mini-grid system.

The system, which was implemented in partnership with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, the Oromia Region Energy bureau as well as Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) will provide power to 1500 inhabitants of the village.

ESI Africa, 5 July 2018 

Clean energy projects underway in Mozambique and Uganda

Two clean energy projects backed by the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund took significant steps forward in the last week of June.

The 5.4 MW Lubilia Kawembe Hydro (LKH) electricity generating station in Uganda was formally commissioned on 28 June. A day later, a ground-breaking ceremony saw work officially begin on the 40 MW Central Solar de Mocuba (CESOM) project in Mozambique.

Output from Mocuba is estimated to be 80 000 MW hours per year and account for 4.8% of Mozambique’s currently available electricity capacity. 

ESI Africa, 5 July 2018 

Tanzania approves first large-scale wind farm project

The authorities in Tanzania have granted Australian company Windlab approval to build, in phases, a 300 MW wind farm. 

The project, in southern-central Tanzania, will be the country’s first-ever wind farm.

The project will be built in phases, with the first phase of 100 MW, which will cost US$300 million, involving the installation of 34 wind turbines and electrical infrastructure connecting the wind farm to the national electricity grid.

When completed, the wind farm will operate for at least 25 years and generate enough power to supply nearly one-million average-size Tanzanian homes.

Engineering News, 6 July 2018

The above reflects a summary of certain news articles published during the preceding week.

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