SolarQuarter - Africa Jan-Feb Issue 2022

Empowering, Insightful, Engaging

AFRICA

Volume 1 | ISSUE 2 | jan-feb 2022 W W W . S O L A R Q U A R T E R . C O M

Promising Landscape of

in Northern AFRICA I N S I G H T S

HOW HAS COVID IMPACTED THE SOLAR SECTOR IN NORTHERN AFRICA? HOW READY IS THE REPUBLIC OF TUNISIA FOR RENEWABLES?

CONTENTS NEWS

03 AFRICA NEWS

INTERVIEW

13

14 ASHRAF KRAIDY

YAZAN FAOURI

Director, Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE)

CEO MENA, Amarenco Group

PUBLISHING Firstview Media Ventures Pvt. Ltd.

EDITING Ashwini Chikkodi Nikita Salkar editorial@firstviewgroup.com

16 KADDOUR ESSERSI Chief operating officer, Africa solar

COMPANY FEATURE

17

Sadhana Raju Shenvekar Anand Kumar publishing@firstviewgroup.com

DESIGNING

JA SOLAR

Radha Buddhadev Neha Barangali design@firstviewgroup.com

INSIGHTS

18 HOW HAS COVID IMPACTED THE SOLAR SECTOR IN NORTHERN AFRICA?

19 HOW READY IS THE REPUBLIC OF TUNISIA FOR RENEWABLES?

ADVERTISING Smriti Charan Andrew Ferreira advertise@firstviewgroup.com

CIRCULATION Sadhana Raju Shenvekar

20 PROMISING LANDSCAPE OF SOLAR ENERGY IN NORTHERN AFRICA

THE CHAMPIONS CORNER

23

CONTENT

Africa Rooftop Solar Congress Awards 2022

Subcription subscribe@firstviewgroup.com

Advertise with us Contact: Smriti Charan e: smriti@firstviewgroup.com W W W . S O L A R Q U A R T E R . C O M

AFRICA NEWS

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022

BUZZ >

NAMIBIA AIMING TO BE A SUPERPOWER IN GREEN HYDROGEN MARKET

BAREFOOT COLLEGE INTERNATIONAL AND DP WORLD TRAIN RURAL WOMEN ON SOLAR ENERGY IN SENEGAL

Namibia is among those nations seeking to take advantage of the green energy rush and positioning itself as a leader in Africa’s emerging market Africa for green hydrogen, which is made using renewable electricity. Namibia has already received $45.3 million in funding from the German government for research, feasibility studies, and pilot projects related to green hydrogen. The German government says Namibia’s abundant natural resources could help it produce the world’s cheapest green hydrogen which is crucial for cutting down carbon emissions to the net-zero benchmark by 2050. Several global players in the renewable energy sector have expressed interest after the Namibian government put out a request for proposals to develop two adjacent sites for desalination plants in Tsau//Khaeb National Park in the southwestern part of the country. These sites would also include solar and wind farms as well as electrolyzers.

A center for women’s empowerment in the field of solar energy has opened its doors in Senegal. Barefoot College International (BCI), an NGO based in India, has launched a center for women for providing training on autonomous solar system installations, in partnership with the Senegalese subsidiary of the UAE group DP World. The training facility opened in Toubab Dialaw village in the Dakar region, aims to train women living in non-electrified areas and sub-regions of Senegal. This initiative, financed to the tune of 250 million CFA francs (EUR 380,000), will help equip Senegalese women with solar-powered systems to combat poverty. This will allow BCI to train women who will become solar energy professionals, trainers, and micro-entrepreneurs.

ALGERIA LAUNCHES TENDER FOR 1 GW SOLAR PV PLANTS

A solar energy project is currently under construction in Ngong town located near Nairobi, to benefit the residents with sustainable and green energy. The project is sponsored by the Kajiado County Government, which aims to minimize disruption caused by power outages. The solar-generated electricity that costs nearly Ksh 200,000 ($1766) per panel is anticipated to provide an alternative low-cost source of energy.

The Algerian Ministry of Energy Transition and Renewable Energies has launched a call for tenders for the deployment of 1 GWp combined capacity of solar projects in several locations in the country. In November last year, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Renewable Energies had identified 11 sites with a combined total area of 4,250 hectares for the 1 GW solar program. The sites include locations in Algeria’s Bechar, ElOued, El-M’Ghair, El-Bayadh, Ghardaia, and Ouargla provinces.

The first call for expressions of interest for this large-scale solar energy project in Algeria concerns independent power producers. These private investors are called to build solar PV plants with capacities ranging from 50 to 300 MWp.

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SOLAR INSTALLATION IN NGONG TO REDUCE ELECTRICITY COSTS

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JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 LATEST>

SOUTH KOREA FINANCES $12.4 MILLION FOR RURAL SOLAR MINI-GRID PROJECT IN NIGERIA

EDFI ELECTRIFI AND REPP INVESTS €8.8 MILLION INTO 11 SOLAR MINI-GRIDS IN LESOTHO

South Korea is going to finance $12.4 million for solar minigrids installation in rural areas of Nigeria. The initiative is supported by the Korean Ministry of Energy, Korea Polytechnic University, S&D Powernics, and ILJIN Electronics. The solar project agreement between Nigeria and South Korea reinforces Nigeria’s plan to accelerate its electrification and benefit the unserved communities with the provision of electricity, ensuring improved security and night-time activity.

The EU-funded impact investment facility, the Electrification Financing Initiative (EDFI ElectriFI), and UK’s Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP) have invested €8.8 million into a project-finance vehicle in Lesotho led by electricity access provider OnePower (1PWR) to build 11 solar mini-grids for rural communities. The project vehicle set up by EDFI ElectriFI, REPP, and 1PWR, named Sotho Minigrid Portfolio SPV is managed by Camco Clean Energy and aims to increase the electricity access rate in rural areas of Lesotho. The special purpose vehicle also receives support from the USAID under the Power Africa Initiative, EEP Africa, UK Aid through the Transforming Energy Access program, United Nations Capital Development Fund, and the United Nations Development Program.

SHELL FOUNDATION TO FUND NITHIO FI FOR DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN AFRICA BUZZ >

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK’S SEFA APPROVES $1 MILLION GRANT FOR ENERGY TRANSITION IN BOTSWANA The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) has approved a grant of $1 million to the Government of Botswana in support of the country’s energy transition to clean energy. The technical assistance project will support Botswana’s government in closing the critical policy, regulatory, and legal gaps, that were identified at the Africa Energy Market Place (AEMP 2019). The project output will work towards the implementation of the first Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) of Botswana. This will facilitate more investments in solar PV and wind generation capacity, adding at least 100 MW and 50 MW of energy projects, respectively, by 2030.

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Nithio, the AI-driven clean energy financing platform has secured an investment from the UK charity Shell Foundation, funded by the Anglo-Dutch oil company Shell. The Shell Foundation is funding Nithio FI (Financial Intermediary), an investment vehicle set up by the Nithio which specializes in financing renewable AI-based energy projects. Nithio FI loans are powered by its unique Risk Analytics Engine, leveraging geospatial data, consumer repayment data, artificial intelligence, and financial modeling that helps to standardize credit risk assessments, inform due diligence, and impact monitoring. Nithio FI currently provides receivables-backed lending to the renewable energy providers in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria. Through this investment vehicle, Nithio anticipates providing electricity to 3.5 million people and avoiding emissions of 250,000 tons of CO2 equivalent by 2025.

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POWERGRID, AFRICA50 TO JOINTLY PIONEER AFRICA’S FIRST TRANSMISSION PPP PROJECT IN KENYA Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) has signed a Joint Development Agreement with Africa50, the panAfrican infrastructure investment platform to continue to develop the Kenya Transmission Project on a public-private partnership basis. The project entails the development, financing, construction, and operation of the 400kV Lessos – Loosuk and 220kV Kisumu – Musaga transmission lines under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework. Once completed, the project will be the first Independent Power Transmission (IPT) in Kenya and will set a reference point in Africa as the first financing of transmission lines on a PPP basis. This project will also improve both the supply and reliability of power transmission in Western Kenya and further create a demonstration effect to help increase private sector investments into the expansion of Africa’s power transmission networks, which is critical to bridging the continent’s electricity access gap.

EDM LAUNCHES TENDER FOR FLOATING SOLAR FEASIBILITY STUDY IN MOZAMBIQUE Mozambique’s state-owned power company Electricidade de Mocambique (EDM) has announced a tender to conduct a feasibility study for a floating solar prospect in the country.

The scope of work comprises preparing a technical and financial feasibility report including the evaluation of the environmental impact of the solar power plant infrastructure on the dam and marine ecosystem, as well as the socio-economic aspects of the project. The consultant is also required to provide an assessment of the financial model and grid integration study to EDM for the project. The resulting data will guide the power company and other local stakeholders in the decision-making process. EDM has applied for financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB) towards the cost of the feasibility studies of the project and plans to apply part of the grant for payments under the contract for consulting services.

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MOROCCO’S MMVI BECOMES THE FIRST MUSEUM IN AFRICA TO INSTALL SOLAR SYSTEM The Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMVI) in Rabat, Morocco is set to be powered by solar energy, becoming Africa’s first national museum to produce its own electricity with a solar photovoltaic installation. The National Museum Foundation (FNM) and the Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN) of Morocco are commissioning this mini solar PV system, coupled with a battery storage system at the museum. This model of energy transition aims at reducing the energy bill of MMVI by 50%. It includes the installation of the 130 kWp solar rooftop system connected with a storage solution of 20kWh, allowing better management of electricity consumption during peak hours.

SOUTH AFRICAN SOLAR ENERGY STARTUP PLANS INITIAL FUND RAISE South African renewable energy startup, WiSolar, gears up for growth by planning to raise ZAR 45 million (~USD 2.9 million) for this quarter of the year in its first funding round. The current model of the company incorporates the installation of the solar system at properties that can be paid for over up to 72 months duration through the prepaid purchase of power. The founder and CEO of WiSolar, Tonye Irims, said that the money will be raised in the form of debt and mezzanine finance from foreign investors. According to a statement by WiSolar, “Property developers can market solar-electricity powered houses and buildings that dodge the load shedding bullet.” The company will take care of the design, permits, maintenance, and installation of the solar energy systems.

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GREENYELLOW INSTALLS SOLAR PV SYSTEM AT NOUAKCHOTT AIRPORT The French solar panel manufacturer GreenYellow has installed a solar photovoltaic system with storage at the Nouakchott– Oumtounsy International Airport in Mauritania. The airport located near Nouakchott city now operates partly on solar energy. GreenYellow, the subsidiary of the Casino Group, has installed solar panels capable of delivering 1.5 MWp of renewable energy. The solar photovoltaic system is also equipped with a 616-kWh electricity storage system. According to GreenYellow, the new solar PV facility will provide about 50% of the electricity required for the operation of the airport. The battery storage system will enable the facility to continue providing electricity even after the sun goes down.

ENGIE EQUATORIAL INSTALLS A HYBRID SOLAR MINIGRID SYSTEM IN UGANDA Engie Equatorial, a joint venture between EngieEnergy Access and Equatorial Power Ltd., has inaugurated a hybrid solar minigrid in Lolwe Island in Bukooli, Uganda. The 600 kWp mini-grid is now providing reliable and clean electricity to 3,026 households and 757 businesses, impacting more than 15,000 people. The project integrated with productive hub and emobility services is one of the most advanced mini-grid on the African continent and has set new records in terms of value and replicability. It is an outcome of a strong Africa-Europe alliance that displays as a real game-changer for the energy sector in Uganda and the whole of Africa at large. Beyond delivering renewable electricity, the Lolwe hybrid mini-grid also features a productive hub that will convert raw materials into valueadding products, meeting the basic needs of the island that are currently insufficiently met. The hub is equipped with waterpumping, distribution, and purification services, along with modern fish-drying facilities and ice-making devices for fish preservation.

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NSIA TO RAISE $24 MILLION FUND FOR ‘SOLAR POWER NAIJA’ ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAM IN NIGERIA The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has partnered with Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to invest an amount of 10 billion Naira (~USD 24 million) in funding for the growth in the renewable energy sector. The investment aims to deploy more than 200,000 solar home systems across Nigeria, under the ‘Solar Power Naija’ program. The ‘Solar power Naija’ initiative is in line with the Nigerian government’s Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) under the supervision of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The REA under the Ministry of Power will be providing technical and advisory support to NSIA for running this program. The ‘Solar Power Naija’ program was launched to provide electricity access to 5 million households, benefitting 25 million people in rural areas and underserved urban communities nationwide. The program is expected to catalyze over 500,000 off-grid systems by 2023, creating 20,000 jobs in the production, assembly, and installation process of the systems.

EIFFEL INVESTMENT GROUP RAISES FUND TO INVEST IN AFRICA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKET French asset management firm, Eiffel Investment Group is partnering with Finergreen, an investment advisory firm dedicated to renewable energy, to launch a pan-African bridge loan strategy to accelerate electrification and energy transition in the continent. Initially, the fund will mobilize a $200 million investment. The new initiative to be launched aims to provide start-up capital before long-term investments for projects in renewable energy. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has started the verification process to invest 30 million euros in this fund, becoming its largest contributor. Eiffel and Finergreen are targeting a market estimated at 523 million euros (~$600 million) per year and will do so by obtaining investments from public and private institutions. The financing is intended to bridge the gap between an unforeseen event and a long-term financing solution, avoiding liquidity shortages. According to Eiffel, the program will be launched in the first half of this year and address the growing demand for bridge financing in Africa.

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JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 INDUSTRY >

BOREAL INAUGURATES SOLAR-POWERED DESALINATION SYSTEM IN KIBAHA, TANZANIA German start-up Boreal Light GmbH has commissioned a newly developed solar-powered desalination system in the Kibaha district of Tanzania. The desalination system is installed in Medewell Health Center for providing water for patient care.

The installation work was carried out by the Kenyan-based company, WaterKiosk Africa, with financial support from KfW’s subsidiary Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG). The development finance institution is intervening within the framework of this program which is initiated by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). According to WaterKiosk, the desalination facility has a capacity of over 100 cubic meters per day, which is the largest solar-powered desalination system in Tanzania to date. The desalination system will also supply water that will be helpful for vertical livestock production and fish farming.

INVESTEC FINANCES ITS PRIVATE BANK CLIENTS TO GO OFF-GRID WITH SOLAR POWER Anglo-South African Financial Services company Investec has planned to offer its private banking clients in South Africa the funding to install solar panels and battery energy storage systems in homes. The offering will follow a pilot program for 1,000 customers in South Africa. This program intends to provide Investec’s clients to tap unutilized home-loan facilities or have money re-advanced to them for investing in the solar home systems that can cost about $10,000 (~155,000) or more, subject to the size of the property. The program is in line with Investec’s vision of committing to “net-zero direct carbon emissions”. This strategy of the company will strengthen its own green credentials and provide a greener and off-grid power solution for South Africa.

EKORENT AND STRATHMORE UNIVERSITY TO DEVELOP SOLAR-POWERED EV CHARGING STATIONS IN NAIROBI EkoRent Africa, a business supported by InfraCo Africa and EEP Africa, and Strathmore Energy Research Center have signed a ‘Solar Charging Project Collaboration Agreement’ to set up a framework for developing Kenya’s first Nopea SolarHub Electric Vehicle Charging Station. NopeaRide is an all-electric taxihailing service in Nairobi, operated by EkoRent with 14 grid-tied EV charging points in six different locations across the city. The new solar hub will now facilitate its electric vehicles with solarpowered charging. Under the terms of the agreement signed, the Strathmore University Energy Research Center will provide access in its campus for NopeaRide to develop and install the solar-powered charging stations for use by NopeaRide’s 100% electric taxis.

GREEN HYDROGEN PROJECT IN SOUTHERN AFRICA EXPANDS TO 5 GW, SAYS AFSIA’S ANNUAL REPORT The annual report of the solar trade organization, Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) shows that the renewable-powered green hydrogen project in Southern African nations demonstrates the huge clean energy potential of the continent.

The green hydrogen project in Namibia and Botswana has been recently increased from 1 GW to 5 GW of generation capacity.

AFSIA reiterated the suggestion that Africa should consider harnessing the green hydrogen output which could be offered by the high renewables potential of the countries such as Algeria, Namibia, and South Africa to develop domestic ammonia and fertilizer industries.

AG ENERGY OBTAINS LICENSE FROM LIBYA’S PIB TO BUILD A 200 MWP SOLAR PV PLANT IN GHADAMES AG Energy has been issued an execution license by Libya’s Privatization and Investment Board (PIB) for the deployment of a 200 MWp solar power plant in Libya. The solar PV plant will be constructed in the Ghadames, a town in the Nalut District in the northwestern region of the country. The Ghadames solar power plant will be the first renewable energy project to be carried out by an IPP in Libya. Libya has lagged far behind in renewable energy development as compared to its neighbors, due to the civil war and political instability that followed in 2011.

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GREENYELLOW AND AXIAN GROUP JOINTLY DEVELOPS 1.4 MW HYBRID SOLAR PLANT IN MADAGASCAR

OIKOCREDIT INVESTS €5 MILLION IN ECOLIGO TO SUPPORT C&I SOLAR ENERGY IN GHANA AND KENYA

The renewable energy firm GreenYellow, a subsidiary of the French Groupe Casino has partnered with Axian Group in Madagascar to set up a 1.4 MW hybrid solar power plant. The future power plant is being developed in Morondava, the capital of the Menabe Region, with the aim to provide clean electricity for the local population. The hybrid renewable project consists of a solar PV power plant, equipped with diesel generators that will produce electricity after sunset. The hybrid solar plant will support the energy needs of the people and businesses in Morondava. According to GreenYellow, the new hybrid solar project will boost the local economy, which has grown through fishing, as well as agriculture.

The Dutch social impact investor, Oikocredit has granted a €5 million loan to facilitate Ecoligo to expand its operations in two African countries. Ecoligo leases and installs solar photovoltaic plants to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and NGOs in Ghana and Kenya. The loan from Oikocredit will help Ecoligo in providing solar-powered electricity for 15 SMEs and NGOs in both countries.

AFDB EXTENDS $27.39 MILLION FOR MINI-GRID AND SOLAR PV NET METERING IN GHANA The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund has approved a $27.39 million grant to Ghana for the development of renewable energy investments in the mini-grid and net metering space. The project involves the development of 35 mini-grids, standalone solar photovoltaic systems in 400 schools, 200 units in healthcare centers, and 100 units for community energy services centers in the Volta Lake region. It will also deploy up to 12,000 units of roof-mounted net-metered solar photovoltaic systems for public institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises, and selected households.

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TOTAL EREN AND CHARIOT TO DEVELOP A 40 MWP SOLAR POWER PLANT AT THARISA MINE IN SOUTH AFRICA Tharisa PLC, a Cyprus based mining company has joined forces with French renewable power producer, Total Eren and Africafocused transitional energy company, Chariot Ltd., to develop, operate, and maintain a solar photovoltaic project to provide electricity for the Tharisa mine, located in South Africa’s North West Province. The mining group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the proposed 40 MWp solar project, which is a precursor to the signing of a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for the electricity supply on a takeor-pay basis. In November 2021, both the companies signed a three-year deal to jointly develop wind and solar power projects for the mining customers in Africa, with an option for another two-year extension. The signing of MoU for the solar PV plant forms a part of this three-year deal.

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QUANTEL RENEWABLE ENERGY BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF 50 MWP SOLAR PLANT IN MALAWI A new solar PV plant has entered the construction phase in Malawi. The site for the solar project is selected near the Bwengu town in the Mzimba district. A consortium led by USbased renewable power producer Quantel Renewable Energy has begun construction for this 50 MWp solar power plant. The solar PV facility will be located in Ulalo Nyirenda village, situated just 1 km from the Bwengu Escome Substation power grid and the plant will spread over 105 hectares of land. The required investment for this project is estimated at $65 million.

EIFFEL INVESTMENT GROUP RAISES FUND TO INVEST IN AFRICA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKET

BAMBURI CEMENT TO INSTALL TWO SOLAR PLANTS IN ITS KENYAN MANUFACTURING UNIT Bamburi Cement Ltd has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with independent power producer Momnai Energy to set up two solar photovoltaic projects for its manufacturing plants in Kenya. The cement manufacturer is going to develop these solar plants in Mombasa and Nairobi sites, with a power capacity totaling 19.5 MWp. Under the agreement, Bamburi will buy electricity from Momnai Energy, which will finance, develop, manage, operate as well as maintain the solar photovoltaic plants. Momnai energy will build the larger solar plant with 14.5 MWp capacity near Bamburi’s plant in Mombasa on the Kenyan coast. The other solar PV plant in the Nairobi plant will have a capacity of 5 MWp. Bamburi Cement expects the combined capacity of both PV plants will meet nearly 40% of the electricity needs of its manufacturing plants.

French asset management firm, Eiffel Investment Group is partnering with Finergreen, an investment advisory firm dedicated to renewable energy, to launch a pan-African bridge loan strategy to accelerate electrification and energy transition in the continent. Initially, the fund will mobilize a $200 million investment. The new initiative to be launched aims to provide start-up capital before long-term investments for projects in renewable energy. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has started the verification process to invest 30 million euros in this fund, becoming its largest contributor. Eiffel and Finergreen are targeting a market estimated at 523 million euros (~$600 million) per year and will do so by obtaining investments from public and private institutions. The financing is intended to bridge the gap between an unforeseen event and a long-term financing solution, avoiding liquidity shortages. According to Eiffel, the program will be launched in the first half of this year and address the growing demand for bridge financing in Africa.

AMEA POWER NEGOTIATES WITH GABONESE AUTHORITIES FOR A 50 MW SOLAR POWER PLANT IN OYEM Amea Power has announced that the company is holding talks with the Gabonese government to build a new solar power plant in Oyem located in the Woleu-Ntem province of the country. The chosen site for the solar plant is located 7 km from the Oyem city center and near the substation. It will provide electricity supply to households and industries in the provinces of Woleu-Ntem and Ogooué-Ivindo. The solar project is one of the objectives of the “zero diesel” program of Gabon that has led to the construction of several solar power plants in the country, including the hybrid solar power plant of Ndjolé, and other solar PV plants in Bitam, Booué, Makokou, Mékambo, Minvoul, etc.

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MOROCCO SIGNS MOU WITH FINLAND TO EXPAND BILATERAL COOPERATION IN RENEWABLE ENERGY

AFDB APPROVES LEAF PROGRAM TO PROMOTE INVESTMENT IN DECENTRALIZED RE

Morocco and Finland have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation on energy.

The aim of the partnership is to implement cooperative actions in the field of renewable energy, cleantech, and energy efficiency, for both countries. From Finland’s point of view, Morocco will serve as a gateway to the growing African renewable energy market. Bilateral relations between the countries exhibit Finland’s growing interest in Morocco’s water, wind, and solar energy. In addition to renewable energy and cleantech, Morocco has shown interest in waste and water treatment plants as well as information and communication technology, the fields in which Finland has significant knowledge and expertise.

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group approved the Leveraging Energy Access Finance Framework (LEAF), under which the Bank will commit up to $164 million to promote decentralized renewable energy in six African countries. The $800 million programs will help spur commercial and local currency investments to scale up the activities of decentralized renewable energy companies in Ghana, Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tunisia. Under LEAF, some 18 decentralized renewable energy projects are expected to be financed, providing access to six million people and businesses, resulting in 28.8 million tonnes CO2 eq. in greenhouse gas emission reductions over the lifetime of the systems.

BOTSWANA ANNOUNCES TENDERS FOR 200 MW THERMODYNAMIC SOLAR POWER PLANTS The Botswana government has launched a tender for the construction of two thermodynamic solar power plants in the country. The Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology, and Energy Security (MMGE) of Botswana has issued the call for expressions of interest from independent power producers (IPPs) for the project. Botswana is set to connect solar thermal power plants to its national power grid. The tender call is for the pre-qualification process for the construction of two concentrating solar power plants, one in the town of Maun in the North-West District (Ngamiland District), and the other in Letlhakane town in the Central District.

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NORAD GRANTS $56 MILLION TO ATI FOR RENEWABLE PROJECTS IN AFRICA The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), a directorate under the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is providing a grant of NOK 500 million (~ $56 million) to the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI) for its renewable energy sector initiatives. The RLSF is a bilateral partnership launched in 2017 by ATI and the German development agency, KFW, that aims to mitigate climate change through the developments of renewable energy projects.RLSF has supported four major solar projects in Burundi and Malawi, financing over $150 million for a total installed capacity of 108.5 MW.

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IVORY COAST LAUNCHES TENDER FOR 20 MW FLOATING SOLAR POWER PLANT IN KOSSOU The state-owned electric utility of Ivory Coast, Côte d’Ivoire Energies (CI-Energies) has launched a call for tenders for the construction of the Kossou floating solar power plant and its associated transmission network. The floating solar power plant will be developed in the Kossou dam lake on the Bandama River. The Kossou dam, which has been in operation since 1972, has a 105 MW hydroelectric power plant. The renewable energy project to be built in the lake of the reservoir is planned to have a capacity of 20 MWp.

UAE LAUNCHES ETIHAD 7 PROGRAM TO FINANCE RE PROJECTS IN AFRICA The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation announced the launch of the Union 7 initiative within the activities of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2022, an innovative program led by the UAE, to secure financing for renewable energy projects in Africa, and the program aims to provide clean electricity to 100 million people by 2035. It will raise funds from the public and private sectors to invest in clean energy under the guidance and coordination of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change. This ambitious initiative builds on the UAE’s well-established and deep relations with Africa and will be a focal point in the country’s efforts to contribute to the global sustainability agenda over the next decade. Crucially, the initiative will help African countries meet their urgently growing energy needs without a corresponding increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

KANO STATE GOVERNMENT LEVERAGES SOLAR ENERGY TO POWER OVER 100 RURAL COMMUNITIES The State Government of Kano in Nigeria has launched an extensive rural electrification scheme, which targets more than 100 rural communities across the state. Under the scheme, individuals and households can access the solar-powered home systems for which the payment can be done later in installments. The scheme, owned by Chinese solar energy solution provider Shenzhen LEMI Technology Development Co., Ltd., and LEMI Renewable Electricity Ltd., targets to provide solar home systems to the people in small rural communities spread across the state. The state government has signed an agreement with LEMI to provide solar facilities. The country manager of Shenzhen LEMI Technology Ltd, Monica Liang, who signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the state government, assured the community of the provision of long-lasting and quality equipment for the project. The Commissioner for Rural and Community Development, Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso mentioned at the launching of the scheme, that the project would create many jobs for the teeming youths across the state, as well as elevate the socio-economic status of the rural communities.

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MALINDI SOLAR PLANT HAS STARTED GENERATING CLEAN ENERGY TO KENYA’S NATIONAL GRID The leading independent power producer (IPP) in sub-Saharan Africa, Globeleq has recently announced that its 52 MWp Malindi solar farm in Kenya is fully operational. The output of the solar PV plant is sold to national utility Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) under a 20-year power purchase agreement. Located in Langobaya, Kilifi County, the Malindi solar power plant construction was started in 2019 and took 2 years for its completion. The solar project also included the construction of a new 220-kV Weru substation, which has been handed over to KPLC and now forms a part of the national grid infrastructure. The solar project is owned by the Malindi Solar Group Limited, a special purpose vehicle company that is operating the solar farm. The financing for the USD 69 million power plant is majorly carried out by UK’s CDC Group and Globeleq. Globeleq, and its partner Africa Energy Development Corporation (AEDC) indicated that the solar PV plant has been supplying 40 MWac of electricity into the national grid since mid-December 2021. The solar plant is delivering clean and renewable electricity to approximately 250,000 residential customers.

FINDEV CANADA INVESTS $13 MILLION IN EEGF TO ACCELERATE CLEAN ENERGY ACCESS IN AFRICA Development finance institution FinDev Canada has invested $13 million into the Energy Entrepreneur Growth Fund (EEGF).

This funding will be reinvested in early and growth-stage energy startups in sub-Saharan Africa. A portion of this fund will be utilized for increasing access to clean electricity for off-grid households and businesses in the region. EEGF targets to accelerate the achievements of UN Sustainable Goal 7 of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for all by 2030. FinDev Canada has invested in EEGF through its 2X Canada: Inclusive Economic Recovery program, a recent initiative established with funding from Global Affairs Canada.

The aim of the program is to support the recovery of economies of the region that is affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The program will help in accelerating clean energy innovation in the African energy sector after the Covid-19 slowdown.

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AFRICA NEWS

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 DETAIL >

AGG PROVIDES $5.5 MILLION LOAN TO SUPPORT RENEWABLE ENERGY AND CLEAN COOKING ACROSS AFRICA Bboxx Capital Ltd, a London-based renewable energy system developer, has obtained a loan of USD 5.5 million from the ‘Africa Go Green Fund for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (AGG) to accelerate the deployment of its solar home systems and clean cooking solution in sub-Saharan Africa. The AGG is an initiative of the German development bank KfW, on the behalf of the German government to promote private investments in clean energy development. The senior secured medium-term loan will enable Bboxx to continue the deployment of its installment payment solar home systems, which range from photovoltaic installations for agricultural irrigation to domestic smartphone charging, and so on. The fund will also be utilized to develop environment-friendly cooking oven solutions specific to LPG, which it has identified as a significant development factor capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Africa Go Green Fund, the loan provided to Bboxx will help in reducing annual CO2 emissions by 760,000 tons, equivalent to the emissions of 150,000 cars driven regularly over a year.

HUSK SIGNS U.N. ENERGY COMPACT AS IT BEGINS SOLAR MINI-GRID EXPANSION IN AFRICA Husk Power Systems, a leading rural clean energy company, has signed a voluntary commitment with the UN to scale up the clean energy market in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The commitment falls under the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact, which aims to provide affordable, clean, and modern energy – with specific, trackable actions to help progress in energy transition and net-zero emissions. The renewable start-up, currently operating in India, Nigeria, and Tanzania has set the goal of installing at least 5,000 solar mini-grids by the year 2030, including 500 new mini-grids in Nigeria by 2026. Under Husk Power’s compact, the company has committed to establishing 1 million connections, powering 500,000 MSMEs and benefitting 11 million people. The company has also planned to install 500 MW of rural commercial & industrial (C&I) solar, sell 5 million energy-efficient devices, and reduce 7 megatons of CO2 emissions. The international organization, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) spearheaded the Energy Compact initiative as a key outcome to the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy and COP26.

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BBOXX SECURES $14 MILLION LOAN TO FINANCE SOLAR HOME SYSTEMS IN KENYA Off-grid renewable energy provider, Bboxx has secured a loan of KSh 1.6 billion (~ USD 14 million) from SBM Bank (Kenya) Ltd., to provide clean and affordable energy to nearly half a million people in Kenya, through off-grid solar home systems.

GuarantCo, a part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), has provided a partial guarantee of 75% against the loan facility. The fund will be utilized by Bboxx Kenya to buy new inventory over the next two years including 89,600 solar home systems and other essential home appliances. The equipment will serve 470,000 people mostly living in rural areas of the country, where 38% of people still lack access to electricity. This transaction is the largest single loan raised by Bboxx Kenya and it will enable the company to create a hundred new long-term jobs, with an effort to provide more opportunities for women in the process.

UN SDG-FUND APPROVES USD 45 MILLION RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAM IN ZIMBABWE The UN Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDG Fund) has approved a USD 45 million initiative for setting up a Renewable Energy Fund (REF) to help Zimbabwe implement renewable energy projects. The fund will catalyze investments in renewable energy including hydropower, solar, and biomass for accelerating the country towards the attainment of the SDGs. The 4-year program is jointly developed by UNESCO, UNWOMEN, UNDP, and the Government of Zimbabwe and is expected to launch in April this year. The program will leverage private investments to support clean energy projects in Zimbabwe and innovatively target Sustainable Development Goals 5, 7, 8, 9, 13, and 17. The program looks for harnessing the cross-cutting nature of these goals, achieving the rest of the SDGs. The SDG Fund of the United Nations has mobilized USD 10 million to the fund which will be contributed by several development partners. The partners include Zimbabwe government-owned Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ), Old Mutual Zimbabwe, and local contributors such as CABS, Zimnat Asset Management, the subsidiary of Zimnat Life Assurance Company, etc. According to an official UN statement, the active involvement of the United Nations system and Old Mutual in the program will provide credibility and a ‘halo effect’ thereby bringing forth a broader stage and audience for the activities of the REF.

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INTERVIEW

ASHRAF KRAIDY

DIRECTOR, REGIONAL CENTER FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY (RCREEE)

I believe the future is bright for distributed solar in Africa; the industry will only grow from strength to strength."

SolarQuarter Africa magazine got an exclusive opportunity to interview Ashraf Kraidy - Director, Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) Wherein he gave his views on the North Africa solar market, how RCREEE is supporting the development of the industry, and the challenges being faced by the region.

Please give a brief introduction about yourself to our readers and share your opinion on the Solar Market of North Africa.

My name is Ashraf Kraidy, Planning and Technical Project Director at The Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), I’ve been working in the field of sustainable energy for over 20 years and contributed to the transition towards RE&EE in the Arab region.

Solar Market in the MENA region in general and North Africa region in specific is witnessing dramatic growth in the last five years, energy strategies and plans recognized solar energy as one of the major components in energy mixes, and rules and regulations were adopted to create the enabling environment for solar energy investments. Considerable mega projects were installed and still more capacities are to be installed in the near future.

Improve the enabling environment for investment taking into consideration the cost-effectiveness analysis to guarantee the sustainability of growth." | AFRICA

Please tell us how your organization is promoting and supporting the Solar industry in the region. Give a brief about your major success as an organization in the past few years.

RCREEE has promoted and still is sustainable energy policies and investment in the region, we worked with many member states in the design and the adoption of the National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs) where clear RE targets were recognized including solar energy.

What are the challenges that the sector is facing currently and in your view how can they be tackled?

Moving to new electricity systems that can deal flexibly with variable RE from a technical and institutional point of view, will facilitate the expansion of the solar systems at small, medium, and large scales.

How do you think the growth of the solar sector in the region can be strengthened?

Improve the enabling environment for investment taking into consideration the cost-effectiveness analysis to guarantee the sustainability of growth.

Rooftop or Utility-Scale solar Projects: Which sector has more potential and opportunity to grow in the region and why?

Utility-scale is easier from an institutional point of view, some rooftop examples are working under even FiT or Net metering concepts but the potential is still high.

Considerable mega projects were installed and still more capacities are to be installed in the near future."

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INTERVIEW

YAZAN FAOURI CEO MENA, AMARENCO GROUP

In Africa, private and public sectors will need a new form of energy to combat the economic consequences of the covid crisis.

SolarQuarter Africa magazine got an exclusive opportunity to interview Yazan Faouri - CEO MENA, Amarenco Group and learn about the company’s presence and services offered in Africa. He spoke about how the solar industry dynamics have changed postCovid, the policy environment of the region, and the company’s recent JV with Solarize.

Please brief our readers about Amarenco’s presence in Africa along with the service you provide.

Amarenco Group is a European independent power producer with operations in more than 16 countries in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Asia Pacific. We have around 1GW of Solar assets operational And under construction with half a billion euros invested to date. We target to invest a 300 million euros in North Africa in the coming three years.

In the North African market, we are interested in providing commercial and industrial customers with cheaper and decarbonized electricity through private Power Purchase Agreements.

Renewables can play a transformative role in the African energy mix. However, Africa's policy environment cannot be considered in its globality. The regulations in some countries are much more mature than in others." | AFRICA

Amarenco has recently entered into a JV with Solarize. Please tell us more about it.

How have the dynamics changed for the Solar market in Africa after the Covid crisis.

Amarenco is expanding its operations globally; Solarize is already well-established and one of the market leaders in its segment in Egypt. The synergies will allow the Joint venture to consolidate its position within the industry. This definitive agreement between both parties agrees that Amarenco shall acquire 74% of SolarizEgypt’s portfolio of Solar projects and co-develop 300MW of assets at an estimated budget of 4 billion Egyptian Pounds (255MUSD) in the next four years.

The year 2020 was to mark the beginning of a “decade of delivery” for the global renewable energy transition. The majority of new power generation capacity is in the form of renewable energy. More than160 countries have made renewable energy and energy decarbonization commitments.

There has been substantial investment in energy storage and a considerable increase in private sector support. All of these are essential elements in a successful transition.

The Egyptian Energy market is one of the largest markets in Africa and the MENA region, with ambitious targets for a transition towards renewables and decarbonization.

We at Amarenco are committed to investing heavily in the Egyptian market to provide the local community with cleaner, sustainable, and cheaper sources of electricity.

In Africa, private and public sectors will need a new form of energy to combat the economic consequences of the covid crisis.

Further development of regulations will allow foreign direct investments in Africa. that will support the private sector to unlock a new form of cleaner, sustainable, and cheaper electricity and offer great potential in empowering local communities.

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The majority of new power generation capacity is in the form of renewable energy.

More than160 countries have made renewable energy and energy decarbonization commitments.

There has been substantial investment in energy storage and a considerable increase in private sector support."

Please give us a brief overview of the policy environment of the African solar market.

Renewables can play a transformative role in the African energy mix. However, Africa's policy environment cannot be considered in its globality. The regulations in some countries are much more mature than in others. Nonetheless, we see that each country is actively looking to deploy solar.

DFI also has a strong interest in supporting and facilitating solar projects implementation.

Creating an overall enabling environment for renewables in Africa requires finding the right mix of policies and incentives and multistakeholder collaboration at country and regional levels.

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In-depth consultation with key stakeholders is essential. For instance, Egypt introduced a merger fee applicable to renewable energy projects earlier this year, which is significantly impacting the sector and slowing renewables development.

Which have been some major projects executed by Amarenco in 2021 in Africa?

What projects are in the pipeline?

Despite not being a positive signal for foreign investors into renewables, we remain confident in the ability of the Egyptian energy sector regulators to support the renewable industry and show the example ahead of COP27.

We have completed several C&I projects for large clients in Egypt, such as Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Arabian Cement Company, and Gouna. Our pipeline includes further C&I and utility projects in Egypt and Morocco.

We at Amarenco are committed to investing heavily in the Egyptian market to provide the local community with cleaner, sustainable, and cheaper sources of electricity."

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INTERVIEW

KADDOUR ESSERSI CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, AFRICA SOLAR

AFRICA SOLAR offers complete solutions: Design,development, construction, operation, and maintenance" SolarQuarter Africa magazine got a chance to interview Kaddour Essersi, Chief operating officer, Africa solar, and learned about the services provided by the company, challenges faced by the renewable energy industry, along with their projects and upcoming technology trends.

Kindly brief our readers about the services Africa Solar provides.

Thanks to its expertise, AFRICA SOLAR provides customized photovoltaic solutions.

AFRICA SOLAR offers complete solutions: Design,development, construction, operation, and maintenance.

What are some of the renewable energy challenges being faced in the African region?

The challenges faced by the renewable energy industry are many, Political will and finance, government policies, corporate influence, age-old infrastructure, lack of proper battery storage system, and present market scenario stand in its way for a wider adoption worldwide

How has technology evolved in Africa over the last few years?

What are some upcoming technology trends?

Africa is currently experiencing a period of economic growth and sustained transformation. The transition to renewable energy in Africa has accelerated impressively over the past decade, with many countries striving to increase their renewable energy capacity in recent years.

Africa could also meet nearly a quarter of its energy needs through the use of indigenous, clean, and renewable energy by 2030. Solar Technologies Will Continue To Improve.

Which have been the major solar projects carried out by Africa Solar in 2021? Which projects are in pipeline?

Since its creation, our company has installed up to 10 MWp (divided Medium and low voltage installations). Among our projects, we can mention Poulina holding group 2.1 MWp and 1.8kwp for one of the largest hypermarkets in Tunisia.

What is the growth plan of Africa Solar for 2022?

Africa Solar aims at increasing its market share by increasing the number of successful projects.

We are very familiar with different types of weather in the continent and different projects sizes and market segments." | AFRICA

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COMPANY FEATURE

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd, founded in May 2005, is a worldleading manufacturer of high-performance photovoltaic silicon wafers, cells, modules and PV power stations. With a module production capacity of 40GW from 12 global manufacturing plants, JA Solar is ranked among the top three tiers 1 PV manufacturer for several consecutive years with a cumulative global shipment volume of 79GW as of Q3 2021.

JA Solar has been well received on its home turf and abroad, being listed on Fortune China 500 and Global Top 500 New Energy Enterprises

VISION: Being a great enterprise

MISSION: Develop solar power to benefit the entire human race

CORE VALUES: Put customers first, respect shareholders interests and let our employees grow

ATTITUDE: Integrity and professional ethics JA Solar is always at the forefront of technology driven by years of Strong R&D efforts, solid financial performance, wellestablished global sales and service networks. The company has always attached great importance to R&D and innovation of product technology and the constant improvement of product performance as well as strict testing of modules for quality, reliability and performance ensuring that the customers' interests are sufficiently guaranteed. These products are available in over 135 countries and regions and are used extensively in ground-mounted power plants, commercial & industrial rooftop PV systems and residential rooftop PV systems.

JA Solar was the first firm in the world to mass-produce its high-efficiency Mono PERC MBB cells and modules using Ga-doped wafers and is providing high-efficiency DeepBlue 3.0 PV products to its customers worldwide.

DeepBlue 3.0 integrates the latest PERCIUM+, Ga-doped

silicon

wafers,

11

busbar

technology and half-cut cell configuration.

These modules have been developed to achieve the best LCOE and compatibility with the manufacturing processes, transportation, leading solar inverter and PV mounting solutions. At year-end 2021, the cumulative global shipment of DeepBlue 3.0 exceeded 12GW across 86 countries and regions around the world The Company has been recognized by BloombergNEF 2021 PV Module Bankability Survey as 100% Bankable and by PVEL's 2021 PV Module Reliability Scorecard as a TOP Performer for the sixth time. In RETC's 2021 PV Module Index Report (PVMI), JA Solar was recognized as an Overall High Achiever. JA Solar has also been awarded the Top Brand PV seal in European, the Middle East

&

North

Vietnamese

Africa,

markets

Australian gaining

and high

recognition in the global PV market JA Solar as a member of PV CYCLE strives for continuous improvement in our environmental, health and safety management systems and in the environmental quality of our products, processes, and services. The company has also been awarded Silver Medal by EcoVadis for ongoing CSR Efforts

Website: https://www.jasolar.com/html/en/

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INSIGHTS

HOW HAS COVID IMPACTED THE SOLAR SECTOR IN NORTHERN AFRICA?

T

he spread of Covid-19 has led to a shift in priorities. In the last few months, the majority of governments across Africa have prioritized preventing the spread of the coronavirus over increasing the amount of solar capacity. This

change in focus has meant that new projects have been put on hold and existing projects have had their operations scaled back. Given the close relationship between energy and the environment, renewable energy policies will play a crucial role in combating climate change. The best energy policies will be those which focus on renewable sources of

According to the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA), the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to reverse the off-grid energy sector's progress toward universal energy access. In the past few years, several initiatives have been launched to scale up access to electricity in the African continent. However, considering the present situation the lack of progress in global efforts to provide universal access to modern energy services is having troubling implications for Africa. According to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), off-grid applications provide electricity to some 60 million people on the continent.

energy to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Way Forward Implications of the Covid-19 Pandemic The pandemic also had profound implications for energy systems around the world. The documented cases of COVID19 patients in North African countries have had significant ramifications for world economics, particularly their energy sectors. The energy sector was impacted by falling demand as people were confined and restaurants, shopping malls, and, in some countries, factories shuttered to prevent the virus from spreading. The drop in global oil prices has been a setback for many North African countries whose economies are highly reliant on oil. Declining petroleum prices and demand created a severe deficit in hydrocarbon revenues for countries like Algeria and Libya, whose economies are almost entirely dependent on oil exports. The shortage of currency reserves, hard currency, and income resulted in cutbacks or eliminations of health care, education and sanitation services for the population. Power consumption in Egypt and Morocco fell by 12% and 14%, respectively, based on changing demand loads, largely leading towards residential use. Countries are now facing tighter credit conditions in accessing finance because of restricted fiscal space, recent events bringing a repricing of risk across the global economy and energy sector, and reduced revenues.

The effects of climate change and increasing energy demand are forcing utilities to rethink their business models and infrastructure investments. A key concern for utilities is that they may not be able to access financing to implement the transition to a low carbon economy.

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To mitigate the effects of the pandemic on their economies, African governments are taking measures to support the energy sector, including absorbing the cost of electricity during lockdown periods, allowing citizens to delay utility payments, and waiving interest rates or taxes. They are also limiting regular maintenance activities, postponing or suspending planned power disruptions so that reliable power is available during the pandemic. The International Energy Agency (IEA) analyzed data from the Global Energy Review 2020 and found that global energy demand and carbon emissions declined in the wake of the pandemic, lockdown, and economic impact. Although this crisis is ongoing, the pandemic, lockdown, and economic impact will certainly shape global energy policy for North African countries. Clean energy transitions are important for planning countries’ economic recoveries because reliable, affordable, and secure power is essential for responding to the health crisis, for energy security, and for future economic growth. The International Energy Agency recently published a “Special Report on Sustainable Recovery,” which recommends that countries create economic recovery plans that boost economies, create needed jobs, and deliver resilient energy systems while reducing emissions.

The long-term implications of measures employed by African governments to combat the COVID-19 pandemic will be difficult to measure until they have been in place for some time. The global energy markets are affected by the outbreak, as well as the energy markets of Africa and the rest of the world. Given the massive economic and human toll of this disease and its evolving nature, it is still difficult to predict how it will affect the energy sectors in Africa and beyond.

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INSIGHTS

HOW READY IS THE REPUBLIC OF TUNISIA FOR RENEWABLES?

T

unisia has been dedicated to a clean energy transition for over three decades through a proactive and consistent energy management policy, placing itself as a regional leader.

Tunisia has begun an ambitious energy

transition to achieve several goals, including ensuring energy security through a diverse energy mix and improving the country's economic viability as part of its long-term strategy to transition to a low-carbon economy.

Opportunities for the Renewable Sector Tunisia is one of the MENA region's most exciting and fastpaced green energy markets. By 2030, the country wants to achieve a 30 percent renewables penetration in domestic production, as per a recent report issued by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The Republic of Tunisia is seeing a surge in demand for solar PV, wind, and biomass deployments. Additionally, the Tunisian government is set to make Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. These call for a 41% decrease in the country's emissions by 2030. The energy sector, which accounted for more than half of Tunisia's greenhouse gas emissions in 2012, will now have to contribute the most.

Moreover, Tunisia is blessed with good wind and solar resources, which provide the opportunity to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels and to contribute to global efforts to meet international climate change commitments. Large-scale renewables could help Tunisian policymakers achieve multiple national energy goals: to increase access to affordable power; to reduce reliance on natural gas imports, and to support Tunisia’s contributions under the UNFCCC. In addition, if Tunisia succeeds in developing its renewable energy sector, it can also become a regional hub.

The transition towards clean energy Tunisia has become increasingly reliant on imported fossil fuels in recent decades, owing to rising energy use across the economy and declining native hydrocarbon production.

Natural gas dominates Tunisia's electrical generation mix, but production has remained stagnant in recent years, making the country increasingly exposed to supply disruptions and variable energy prices.

STEG, a state-owned organization, generates 82 percent of Tunisia's electricity, with only one independent power producer (IPP) providing the rest. In the event of a power outage, there are no additional generating resources.

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Tunisia's yearly electricity usage is also increasing at a rate of 5% each year. Following a slowdown in recent years due to socio-economic factors, demand is predicted to increase significantly over the next decade, rising from 15.5 Terawatt hours in 2018 to 30 Terawatt - hours in 2030, with demand rising to roughly 60 Terawatt - hours in 2050.

As a result, as the government embarks on an energy transition as part of its sustainable socio-economic development strategy, energy efficiency and renewable have garnered increased attention. Tunisia gets over 97 percent of its electricity from non-renewable sources, mostly natural gas.

Renewable energy sources such as hydroelectric, solar, and wind power account for only 3% of Tunisia's electricity.

The way forward for clean energy development In the short term, hydrocarbon-based power output will continue to dominate Tunisia's overall energy picture, but natural resources, as well as renewable and alternative energy sources, can help fulfill expanding demand. Tunisia's government has passed legislation encouraging private companies to develop and use renewable energy. The Parliament, for example, passed a bill in May 2019 that allows businesses to incorporate distinct special-purpose vehicles specialized in power generation. This regulatory reform enables enterprises to create electricity for their use at more competitive pricing.

Tunisia's National Agency for Energy Management (ANME – Agence Nationale pour la Maîtrise de l'Energie) adopted a Tunisian Solar Plan (TSP) in 2015 with the objective of largescale renewable energy production, which was then adopted by the government in July 2016. The Tunisian Solar Plan (TSP) is a fundamental tool for implementing the goal to increase the amount of renewable electricity in the country's energy mix. The project is also negotiating a financing agreement with Tunisian institutions to establish a macroeconomic research expert network. This is intended to aid policymakers in their attempts to adjust the energy and reduced emissions plan.

Energy security, growing energy independence, lowering prices, and diversifying energy resources are the four fundamental pillars of Tunisia's energy transformation strategy. Given the social and economic benefits that this plan would deliver to the Tunisian economy in terms of higher investments, sustainable economic growth, employment generation, and environmental preservation, renewable technologies are the key pillar of Tunisia's energy transition approach.

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INSIGHTS

PROMISING LANDSCAPE OF SOLAR ENERGY IN NORTHERN AFRICA

T

he promising landscape of solar energy in Northern Africa is poised to change the power generation scenario on the African continent.

The region has made significant investments in recent years and various new projects are underway. North Africa is particularly important to the global energy sector, as it is predicted that countries such as Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco will experience a high rate of energy demand growth. North Africa is one of the most promising places for solar energy in the world. The region's sunny climate, vast deserts, and abundant sand and salt could provide enough energy to light up entire continents.

The Sahara Desert alone has an area of 9 million square kilometers and the highest solar insolation (global solar radiation) worldwide that receives more than 3,000 hrs./yr of sunshine.

Due to the rapid urbanization and population growth, a substantial increase in power consumption has taken place over the past decade. Rapid population and economic growth are creating phenomenal energy demand in North Africa. The shift towards renewable energy will have a significant impact on the energy landscape of North Africa.

From an energy standpoint, solar PV is undoubtedly the most interesting development on the continent.

The shift to renewable energy in North Africa has become a greater priority because climate pollution affects the entire world, many countries around the globe are working to find solutions. Several North African countries have set longterm goals for increasing electricity output from renewable sources. By 2030 Egypt plans to reach 54 gigawatts (GW), Tunisia 2.8 GW, Algeria 22 GW, and Morocco 10 GW while Libya plans to increase its capacity to 4.6 GW.

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Egypt - Egypt, is one of the world's fastest-growing

countries. Energy-diversification efforts have been made by the Egyptian government to fulfill this energy demand, under the Integrated Sustainable Energy Strategy (ISES) to 2035, which aims at ensuring continuous security and stability of the country's energy supply. According to the Irena report "Renewable Energy Outlook: Egypt", Egypt has great potential in solar power generation; it may reach 54 GW by 2030. The Egyptian government has launched many initiatives to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, such as Benban Solar Park. The park is a $3 billion project that uses solar power to help reduce electricity consumption in the region.

Tunisia - Tunisia is involved in a clean energy strategy that aims to deploy 2.8 GW of clean energy capacity by 2030. Recently, the Tunisian Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Renewable Energies announced that the second 70 MW solar tender had been won by six projects. Tunisia has also been focusing on its solar power industry, especially through the TuNur project, which focuses on exporting solar power from the Sahara Desert to Europe.

Algeria - Algeria's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Development Plan, launched with its first version in 2011 and later updated in 2015. The updated plan calls for Algeria to deploy 22 GW of renewable energy power generation capacity by 2030. Due to solar electricity production, the Plan predicts a 37% increase in overall national power generation by 2030. The strategic choice to focus on large-scale solar PV installations is motivated by the huge potential for renewable energy in Algeria.

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Morocco - Morocco is taking significant steps to develop the renewable energy sector. In 2018, it produced 35% of its electricity from renewable sources. Its energy strategy aims to boost Morocco's share of renewables in installed power generation from 35% to 52% by 2030. The nation is rich in solar resources and as one of the largest solar

markets worldwide, Morocco offers several favorable conditions for implementing ambitious projects in the renewable energy sector.

Libya - Libya currently has no renewable energy capacity, but the country's vast potential for solar and wind power,

coupled with its need to rebuild after years of conflict, offers the opportunity to develop new power sources.

Libya's location and long coastline give it a large amount of solar irradiation, but the country currently derives most of its energy from fuel imports. Libya is estimated to have one of the world's highest solar radiation incidents on Earth. By 2030, Libya aims to deploy 4.6 GW renewable energy power generation.

North Africa's renewable energy transitions are being driven by the goal of ramping up renewable energy. The region's renewable electricity generation has grown more than 40% in the past decade, driven by the expansion of wind, solar photovoltaic, and solar thermal generation.

Rapid population and economic growth are creating phenomenal energy demand in North Africa. The shift towards renewable energy will have a significant impact on the energy landscape of North Africa. From an energy standpoint, solar PV is undoubtedly the most interesting development on the continent."

SOLAR IN THE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL SPACE According to AFSIA report released in February 2021, more than 6,200 largescale, C&I and mini-grid project has been identified across the continent. Out of these 6,200, 2,400 are already in operation and are composed by C&I projects.

As the cost of investing in RE projects becomes more economically viable than fossil fuel projects and the need to transition becomes dire, development finance institutions, international banks, government agencies and private sector entities are putting in more money in the RE pool. World Bank recently announced its new $465 million fund to improve RE integration in West Africa. It has also approved $168 million financing towards Burkina Faso’s efforts to increase access to electricity in rural areas and support the country’s transition to clean energy.

While large scale solar projects have dominated the sector over the past few years, the commercial and industrial sector is booming and are now receiving a growing interest. Based on data collected by AFSIA, C&I could indeed represent 3040% of all solar capacities installed in the coming years. C&I catching the lion’s share of the number of solar projects in Africa is not a surprise though. There are a few reasons driving this First, more and more C&I end-users are now fully understanding the benefits of going solar. C&I end-users are by nature more acquainted with financial models, costbenefit analysis, and long-term projections than residential end-users or public servants. While it may have taken them some time to trust the quality of solar solutions, most of the C&I community is now educated about the benefits of solar energy and wants to jump on the band wagon so they can enjoy cheaper and more reliable electricity to run their business. Secondly, until now, the wide majority of C&I projects had been delivered on a CAPEX basis, meaning that the end-user has had to pay the full amount upfront for the solar installation. This has definitely limited the number of projects that have been built so far as only a small percentage of companies possess the required cash to make such an upfront investment, literally to purchase 25-year worth of solar electricity in one go. Luckily, the international investment community has understood the opportunity as well and has developed a growing appetite for investments in C&I projects in Africa. Companies like Westa Solar, a collaboration between RP Global and Oolu Solar, are leading this charge and are driving investment into solar C&I projects in West Africa. Examples of projects that have proved viable in Nigeria include the Petrichor 500kWP diesel-hybrid C&I installation which is a full PPA project that is operational and delivering immense value to the client.

(https://www.africanreview.com/energy-apower/renewables/rp-global-and-oolu-solar-to-launchwesta-solar-in-west-africa)

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POLICIES AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT Under the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), all 15 countries in West Africa have developed National Renewable Energy Action Plans, with clear targets in terms of access and deploying renewable energy capacities by 2030.

In the UCL report on Off-Grid Energy and Economic Prosperity, the author stated that “To reach universal energy access, governments and partners must promote both supply and demand-side subsidies. The former is essential to support off-grid companies scale up operations and serve more difficult market segments, including in more remote areas.

The latter can help to close the affordability gap for the poorest customers.”

SOLAR MARKET OUTLOOK FOR 2022 Solar Energy is a key enabler to contribute to the energy transition of emerging markets and regions. PV additions in emerging markets could reach 207 GW of total installed capacity within 5 years - with the highest potential in South Asia (112 GW) and in the Middle East and Africa (51 GW). This offers a huge business opportunity for solar companies to

World Bank recently announced its new $465 million fund to improve RE integration in West Africa. It has also approved $168 million financing towards Burkina Faso’s efforts to increase access to electricity in rural areas and support the country’s transition to clean energy. "

export their know-how and scale up investments in these new markets. The C&I business will lead this growth into 2022 and beyond and companies like Westa Solar would be fully involved in making this happen.

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Africa Rooftop Solar Congress Awards 2022

Recognizing & Honoring The Top Achievers Of Africa Solar Industry Leaders & Corporates Share The Secret Behind Their Success At Africa Rooftop Solar Congress Awards 2022 Awards do not only acknowledge success; they recognise many other qualities: ability, struggle, effort and, above all, excellence. It is an acknowledgement of appreciation for your Team's hard work and dedication to achieve the milestone.

SollarQuarter set the stage to honor and award some of the finest achievers in the African Rooftop Solar Industry.The Award Ceremony was graced by the Guest of Honor - Dr. Segun Adaju, President, Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria.

A visionary, a clean energy specialist and a legend who has contributed highly to the development of Renewable energy in Africa.

Unveiling the proud winners: INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP AWARDS

Company of the Year: Offgrid Systems - New Southern Energy

EPC Company of the Year - Ariya Finergy

The company is a leading renewable energy solutions provider with offices in South Africa and Kenya.It is an off-grid energy solution specialist with the capability of leveraging multiple battery and battery inverter technologies. These include Tesla, Rolls Royce, Blue Nova and SMA. Due to their diverse expertise, they are able to offer turnkey solutions that enable grid reliability and with their ability to work with extremely unstable grid voltages and frequencies in most parts of East Africa, they are positioned as a leading off-grid energy solutions provider.

The company has continued to redefine the African solar market as an industry leader in supplying and financing clean energy, storage, and power quality systems. The company has 11 MW of solar PV across 36 systems. It offers competitive financing options in the form of Power Purchase Agreements , Power Lease Agreements / Installment sales. The company has commissioned and provided services across various industries including universities, retail, manufacturing, flower farms, tea farms, beverages, nut processing, and agricultural processing.in 2021.

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS: Company of the Year: Module Jinko Solar The company is a global leader in the solar industry.It distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in more than 80 countries worldwide.The company has a total module capacity of more than 40GW in 2022 out of which 10GW has been allocated to the new Tiger Neo Module and it is all set to.break cell and modules efficiency records in 2022.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERSHIP AWARDS: Entrepreneur of the Year Patrick Mbejere, Managing Director, Sunvalley Solar contractors Mr. Mbejere is a Renewable Energy specialist with 20+ years of experience. He dedicatedly serves the underprivileged community of Africa. His dedication has brought electricity to the most unexpected places, which have changed the life of many underprivileged.The Students are now able to study at night and people to fulfill their daily requirements.A solar pump has helped the community to have an all year round farming which has helped them to achieve surplus harvest which they can capitalize on. Indeed a very noble work by Mr. Mbejere.

WINNERS ARE THOSE THAT CONVERT PROBLEMS INTO OPPORTUNITIES. Business Leader of the Year Anré Gustav Gous, Managing Director, ACES Africa (Pty) Ltd. Mr. Gous is a hard working entrepreneur, who always has a vision for the next big step within Africa's clean energy future. Under his leadership the company has grown from 10 to over 70 employees in the last 16 months and the business revenue as well as project value has grown by 200% over the last financial year. Under his leadership the company is completing Africa's largest Building Integrated Photovoltaic solution in Kenya.

Emerging Business Leader of the Year - Taiwo Emmanuel, CEO,OAKS AND PEARL ENGINEERING PARTNERS LTD Mr. Emmanuel is a highly qualified dynamic business leader with more than 20 years of experience. A great team leader and a futurist who is always looking at the technoeconomy of the project providing the best for the company’s clients.

He has contributed profoundly in the sector towards the development of green energy and energy conservation. A true advocate of United Nations 2030 sustainable goals. To know more about our awards visit us at:

https://solarquarter.com/studio/

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