Bilateral nuclear agreement signed between Russians and Rwandans
Russian state-owned nuclear group Rosatom has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Infrastructure of Rwanda.
This is the first agreement between the two countries regarding the peaceful uses of atomic energy.
The MoU sets out the legal foundations for the institution of nuclear cooperation between the two parties, which will include the development of nuclear infrastructure in the African country. It will also include the creation of public awareness programmes regarding nuclear technologies and their uses, as well as the role of radioisotopes and radiation technologies in agriculture, health care and manufacturing.
Engineering News, 25 June 2018
UK firm to connect Kenyan households with off-grid energy
UK-based pay on the go solar company, Azuri Technologies, is aiming to connect over 150 000 Kenyan households to off-grid energy over the next three years.
The 2018 Innovative Technology award winner from African Utility Week has so far connected about 150 000 homes with PayGo solar systems in the last five years, which also includes a solar-powered 24-inch satellite-TV.
According to the “Renewables 2018 Global Status Report”, off-grid solar-based systems have increased access to electricity in most rural areas in East Africa with 51% of the off-grid population in Kenya being served by distributed renewables for energy access systems, which are mostly solar.
ESI Africa, 29 June 2018
World Bank approves US$2.1bn loans for Nigerian projects
The World Bank approved a total of US$2.1 billion in concessionary loans to fund projects in Nigeria aimed at improving access to electricity and promoting governance.
The projects approved by the International Development Association are expected to support Nigeria's economic growth plan.
The World Bank said more than half of the loans would be used to fund power and climate change projects and boost fiscal transparency.
Engineering News, 29 June 2018
Eskom signs loan treaty with KfW to facilitate grid of renewable energy
Eskom and KfW, the German Development Bank on behalf of the German government, have signed a US$100 million (ZAR1.35 billion) loan facility to support further investments in the transmission network in the Northern Cape.
The objective is to facilitate the grid integration of renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) projects under the recently-signed power purchase agreements (PPAs).
This funding will also allow for the continuation of the second phase of capacity and reliability improvements in the areas of Harrismith in the Free State and the Greater East London region in the Eastern Cape; these projects will largely enhance network reliability and load-growth.
ESI Africa, 29 June 2018
Tunisia to boost its economy and shift to green energy
The World Bank recently announced a new US$500 million operation to support key reforms in Tunisia aimed at promoting private investment and creating opportunities for small businesses, while protecting vulnerable households and increasing energy security.
The operation is based on three components, whereby the third component will support reform of the energy sector to make it more financially viable and sustainable, and to create the conditions for achieving the goal of generating 30% of all electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030.
ESI Africa, 30 June 2018
The above reflects a summary of certain news articles published during the preceding week.
[View source.]
