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- Chad joins the renewables race with its first solar-with-battery-storage plant
Chad joins the renewables race with its first solar-with-battery-storage plant
 | Release by Scatec, a subsidiary of the Norwegian renewables company Scatec ASA, has completed construction of a 36 MW solar PV plant integrated with a 20 MWh battery energy storage system in Chad. It was delivered under a leasing model, making it the first of its kind in the country, which has one of the lowest electrification rates in Africa. |
Only about 11% of the Chadian population has access to electricity, with significantly lower rates of 2% in rural areas. The grid is limited, serving mainly the capital city, and suffers from frequent outages.
The commissioning of this solar and battery facility is expected to improve power reliability in the capital and reduce dependence on expensive and polluting diesel generation.
Our take: New renewable energy projects should be integrated with grid infrastructure to avoid any power delays after project completion… Read more (2 min)
 | The Nigerian government, through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), has formalised agreements with 32 renewable energy firms. This third call of its Rural Electrification Fund (REF) attracted $4.46 million in private sector investments to power Nigeria’s rural communities as the country moves towards its goal of universal electrification by 2050. |
About 80% of Africans lacking electricity reside in rural regions. There is a huge opportunity for investors to bank on this statistic. REA through REF is setting a precedent by targeting Nigeria’s rural populous without power.
High investment risk limits Africa's power access. REF's grants strategically engage private players, overcoming state funding issues, which often stall power projects.
Our take: Nigeria’s past failed projects have us sceptical about this one, especially in areas with low security… Read more (2 min)
 | Prices for petrol and diesel across Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria dropped in May, according to the Renewables Rising price tracker. But the margins were too small to show a marked impact. This comes as global crude oil prices hit their lowest level since the post-Covid recovery. Fuel prices in Egypt remained unchanged after a hike in April. |
Diesel still plays a major role in Africa's energy sector. Price changes are often passed on to electricity consumers.
Kenya and Egypt provide special electricity tariffs for charging electric vehicles. This sector is gaining momentum, and power utility companies are targeting it to increase consumption and boost their revenues.
Our take: With renewables now becoming cheaper than fossil fuels, their integration into the grid is expected to lower electricity prices… Read more (2 min)
Alliance for Rural Electrification and GSMA partner to promote energy access in underserved rural communities in Uganda
Events
🗓️ Participate in a webinar on drone-in-a-box technology for utility-scale (May 20)
🗓️ Sign up for the updating old solar with ebos webinar (May 21)
🗓️ Gain insights on ESS solutions for big energy needs (May 29)
Jobs
👩🏻💼 Apply for Husk Power System’s Talent Management Specialist role (Nigeria)
🦺 Become Scheider Electric’s Senior Tendering Engineer (Egypt)
👨🏻💻 Lead company operations at Pula Advisors (Ethiopia)
Various
⚡Namdeb partners with NamPower for wind energy
🔌 Abia plans to power the health sector with solar in Nigeria
💸 Bboxx Nigeria gets $300m from World Bank to expand solar access
Seen on LinkedIn
Keziah Khalinditsa, Senior Project Specialist at Abt Global, says, “Energy availability in healthcare is non-negotiable. It's as vital as medical equipment and trained personnel. Without reliable energy, healthcare infrastructure suffers significantly.”