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Friday, 5 August


Dear <<First Name>>

Air pollution is the plight of pretty much every town and city on the planet, causing localised smog and haze, damaging buildings and generally stinking out the place. But it is also one of the world’s biggest killers, with the World Health Organisation estimating that over 4 million people die prematurely each year as a result of outdoor pollution alone.

Electric vehicles (EVs) will make our urban spaces healthier and cleaner, are critical for mitigating climate change, and allow countries that are not oil rich to preserve foreign currency reserves and reduce exposure to supply chain and oil price risk.

Not forgetting that EVs are still made using metal, glass and plastic involving energy-intensive processes, their rollout nonetheless represents a major and essential step towards a low-carbon future. Having driven a few, I can also personally attest that they are also smoother, quieter and a lot more fun.

I was naturally very encouraged therefore to read this article in ESI Africa this week on how Rwanda’s plans to scale up “e-mobility” to help decarbonise its economy are progressing well, with the number of EVs on the roads growing steadily.

I am pleased to say a number of REPP investees are also starting to get in on the act, including Mobile Power, which has started to scale its e-mobility platform providing battery rentals for motorbikes and tuk-tuks. I am very excited to see how the company’s plans unfold over the next few years.

With EVs still comparatively expensive and charging infrastructure still underdeveloped, the sector has many critical challenges ahead, but this creates huge commercial opportunities, and developments like these make me confident that we are at the dawn of a clean transport revolution in Africa.

Cheers 

Geoff Sinclair

Managing Director, Camco Clean Energy

Story of the week

International development consortium MCA has built Angola's first solar plant, as part of Angola's 2018-2022 National Development Plan to diversify the country's energy production sources. 

West Africa

Ghana: PPA renegotiations could save the country more than USD13 billion (ESI Africa)
- The government says that the savings would accrue over the lifespan of renegotiated agreements with various independent power providers. 

Nigeria: Country relies on natural gas to achieve energy transition (Vanguard)
- Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylve has said that that hydrocarbon resources, especially natural gas, are “recognised as the energy transition fuel for Nigeria”.

Southern Africa

Angola: MCA constructs country's first solar plant (PV Magazine)
- The 285MWp project is expected to supply green electricity to an estimated 1.8 million people, reducing diesel consumption by 215 million litres per year.

Angola: TotalEnergies secures concession for Quilemba solar park construction (Renewables Now)
- The proposed 35MWp project will be installed in the southern city of Lubango and is expected to be operational by the end of 2023.  

South Africa: Eskom identifies supplier for battery energy storage system project (Renewables Now)
- The 343MW project will involve the installation of large-scale batteries with a capacity of 1,440MWh per day and 60MW of solar PV across 12 sites.

South Africa: Kurasa wind farm connects to the grid (ESI Africa)
- The 147MW project was constructed by Enel Green Power and is supported by a 20-year PPA with Eskom.

South Africa: Refinancing of solar plant successfully concludes (ESI Africa)
- The 44MWp CPV solar power plant, one of the first to be built under the REIPPP programme, has been refinanced by shareholders Pele Green Energy.  

East Africa

Burundi/ Rwanda: Power line to interconnect the two countries (Afrik 21)
- Construction has begun on the 220kV transmission line, which is co-financed by the AfDB and EU.  

Kenya: Kenya Power signs a 25-year PPA with Ethiopian Electric Power (ESI Africa)
- In the first three years of the term, Kenya will get a maximum firm capacity of 200MW from the Ethiopian provider and 400MW thereafter. 

Kenya: Thousands of households to have electricity by December (ESI Africa)
- The government has announced plans to connect over 35,000 households and 1,200 facilities across 36 counties to electricity by the end of this year.

Kenya: Kenya Power to install electric vehicle charging stations throughout the country (Afrik 21)
- The facilities are expected to be operational by 2023 and to power an estimated 50,000 buses and two million motorbikes with electricity supplied by the state-owned company.

Tanzania: Government to carry out Tabora-Kigoma transmission project (Construction Review Online)
- The USD38 billion project will be completed by the Electrical Transmission Distribution Construction and Maintenance Company.  

Africa - other

Egypt: Construction of 20MW solar plant to commence before year’s end (Renewables Now)
- Pre-requisite approvals for the project have been obtained and a USD85 million loan has been secured from Japan International Cooperation Agency.   

Morocco: Construction of solar PV plant begins (ESI Africa)
- The 34MW plant will supply clean and affordable power to more than 19,200 households through a 25-year PPA signed with Amendis, a potable water and electricity distribution company.  

Pacific

Pacific: Island nations face catastrophic debt (Pina)
- Pacific Islands have fallen into a vicious debt cycle as they attempt to mitigate the impacts of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic on their economies. 

Samoa: New Zealand to provide USD15 million to support climate change action (Asia Pacific Report)
- Governments of the two countries will work together to identify governance arrangements and opportunities for future investments. 

Rest of the world

China: Jinko Solar to issue up to USD1.48 billion in convertible bonds (Renewables Now)
- The proceeds of this issuance will be used for working capital and to support the construction and development of solar cell and module production projects.

Global: Renewable energy investment reaches half-year record of USD226 billion (PV Tech)
- The surge in financing has been attributed to soaring demand for clean energy technologies amid the ongoing energy and climate crisis. 

Global: Actis to acquire a controlling stake in Yellow Door Energy (Renewables Now)
- The Dubaian platform provides solar systems and energy efficiency solutions to commercial and industrial customers in the Middle East and South Asia, with a portfolio of 106 MW of solar capacity in operation. 

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