January 15, 2025

Business in Kenya faces grid unreliability, with frequent blackouts leading to an estimated 5.4% loss in annual sales for C&I companies.

January 15, 2025

Mabati Rolling Mills (MRM), a leading building solutions company in Kenya, is installing a 727 kilowatt-peak (kWp) solar power system to reduce its energy costs & carbon footprint. This is a growing trend among Kenyan businesses. It joins other manufacturers like Bidco & Simba Cement who have already adopted solar.

  • GridX Africa Development Limited will develop the project. GridX specialises in developing and financing solar and renewable energy solutions for commercial and industrial companies across Africa.

  • The solar panels will be installed at two MRM industrial facilities. A 592 kWp system will be mounted on the roof of the Nairobi facility, and a 135 kWp system will be installed at the Athi River facility.

  • Our take: High grid costs will drive C&I customers away from the grid… Read more (2 min)

Orange and Vodacom have formed a joint venture to build 2,000 solar-powered mobile base stations across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over six years. This initiative aims to expand network coverage to underserved rural communities, providing connectivity and mobile financial services to 19 million people.

  • The venture will begin with an initial commitment of 1,000 sites once approvals are obtained. The base stations will use 2G and 4G technology.

  • The first station is expected to be operational in 2025. Orange and Vodacom will share active and passive equipment owned by the joint venture as anchor tenants for an initial 20-year term.  

  • Our take: DRC’s low mobile penetration is an opportunity for telecom companies to exploit… Read more (2 min)

Egypt is set to host Africa’s largest wind power plant. This comes after a $703.6 million agreement was reached yesterday between Saudi Arabian-based energy operator ACWA Power and HAU Energy, a renewable energy equity platform, for the development of the Suez Wind Farm. The two companies will co-own the plant.

  • The Suez Wind Farm, with a projected cost of $1.2 billion, will generate 1,100 MW upon completion and will be developed in two phases of 550 MW each. 

  • Once fully operational, it will produce over 4,300 GWh annually, reducing CO₂ emissions by 2.2 million tonnes.

  • Our take: Renewables hold big potential to decarbonise Egypt's grid… Read more (2 min)

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Cusum Energy staff installs solar panels in Kenya

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Events

👩🏻‍💻 ESAK hosts accelerating commercial & industrial solar webinar (Jan 16)

💡 Tanzania hosts East Africa Energy Coorporation Summit (Jan 29)

🔌 Kenya hosts 7th Edition PowerTech Africa (Jan 30)

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Jobs

👩🏻‍💼 Schneider Electric seeks a project manager (Ivory Coast)

💼 SEforAll seeks aeEnergy access officer (Zambia)

👨‍🔬 D.light seeks a zonal business manager (Tanzania)

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Various 

👩‍🏫 Nigeria will spend $11.6 million to educate mass on paying electricity bills.

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Seen on LinkedIn 

Olajide Adeleke, Information Technology Officer at Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative, raises a valid point: Nigeria doesn't need its national grid to collapse for solar energy businesses to succeed.

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