Friday, 29 January

Dear <<First Name>>

Over the last five years, the UK government-funded Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP) has been actively supporting the growth of small-scale and distributed renewable energy generation in Africa. As REPP’s manager, Camco Clean Energy uses innovative financing tools and approaches to help developers access the necessary finance and expertise to get their projects off the ground and stimulate growth. 

Today, REPP released its latest quarterly impact report which demonstrates the positive - and increasing - impact the programme is having on both people and planet. In the last three months of December, the number of people connected to electricity for the first time rose by 61%, bringing the total to just under 600,000 people. Over the same period, emissions avoided more than doubled and installed capacity increased by 40%, as REPP’s portfolio of operational off- and on-grid projects mature.

These stats are of course just a snapshot, and I would invite you to take a look at the report for a more in-depth look at how REPP is performing, as well as our expectations for the months ahead.

Cheers

Geoff

Managing Director, Camco Clean Energy

West Africa

Burkina Faso: EIB to finance the expansion of a large solar farm (PV-Magazine)
- A loan of €38.5 million will be provided to expand the facility to 50MW from the current 37MW. 

Cameroon: 25MW Maroua-Guider solar project will be tax exempt (Afrik21)
- The project will benefit from a 2013 law aimed at attracting foreign investment and will be tax exempt for 10 years.

Nigeria: Andritz to install new turbine at the Jebba hydroelectric power plant (Afrik21)
- The USD30 million contract will enable the plant to utilise its full capacity of 578.7MW.

Sierra Leone: Life-saving services delivered through UK-funded Rural Renewable Energy Project (ESI)
- The £34 million project was completed after several phases spanning four years, and funded by the UK's Department for International Development (DFID).

Southern Africa

South Africa: Government unveils plans to procure 6.8GW of renewable energy (Renews.biz)
- Over the course of the next year, three procurement rounds will be launched with the first commencing before the end of February.

South Africa: 50MW De Wildt solar farm connected to the grid (Engineering News)
- This is the fourth utility-scale plant that has come online in the North West province in the last five months.

East Africa

Burundi: AfDB project brings solar power to refugee camp (Afrik21)
- The USD1.3 million project was financed by the Transition Support Facility and provided energy access to more than 43,000 people.

Kenya: BioTherm to connect 100MW Kipeto wind farm to the grid (Afrik21)
- US-backed project will soon begin producing power after two years of construction.

Africa - general

DRC: Lawmakers have filed a motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Ilunga (Al Jazeera)
- The move could force the government’s collapse and hand President Felix Tshisekedi a big political victory.

Rest of World

France: Solar industry braces for impact of retroactive feed-in tariff cuts (PV-Tech)
- Months of uncertainty and potential legal battles loom as proposed government changes will affect hundreds of projects.

Currencies