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Ghana

Home Energy Africa Reports Progress On 100 MW Solar Power Project In Ghana

written by saurabh

Ghana-based solar power project developer Home Energy Africa Limited has announced major progress in the development of a 100 MW solar power project.

The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has awarded US$704,815 grant to Home Energy Africa for the development of 100 MW solar power project in Ghana. Home Energy Africa has selected US-based GreenMax Capital Advisors to carry out technical assessment of the project.

The Ghanian government has taken several measures in the recent past for development of solar power capacity in the country. In April, the largest solar power project in the country, till date, was commissioned. The 20 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) project developed by the Chinese firm Beijing Xiaocheng Company (a subsidiary of Beijing Fuxing Xiao-Cheng Electronic).

Last year, The President of Ghana has announced that the levy on petroleum products will be increased to $0.02 per litre. As per the provisions of the customs and excise duty act in Ghana, liquefied petroleum gas will be exempt from the levy. A part of the revenue raised from this levy will be used to establish the Renewable Energy Fund.

In 2011, Ghana passed the Renewable Energy Act which introduced a feed-in tariff structure for project developers and renewable energy purchase obligation for distribution utilities. The Act gave powers to regulatory bodies to implement appropriate feed-in tariffs and renewable purchase obligation after discussions with stakeholders.

05/29/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

West Africa Slated For 2 GW “Clean Energy Corridor”

written by James Ayre

New plans from the ECOWAS Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) will see a “clean energy corridor” featuring a combined capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW) developed in West Africa.

In an interview at the Solar and Off-grid Renewables West Africa event in Accra, Ghana, with PV Tech, the executive director of ECREEE, Mahamma Kappiah, commented that the corridor will feature numerous 10 to 15 megawatt (MW) solar PV plants, accompanied by wind energy and hydroelectric projects as well.

He continued: “In the 2 GW, we have different contributions from each country. Nigeria wants to take 1 GW of it, the rest is shared among other countries, some with 200 MW and some 500 MW. We are going to auction all the projects under a common system.”

The plans are expected to cleared by the end of 2016.

Kappiah continued: “By the end of this year, we will have gotten a clear picture of whose projects we are talking about, in which areas, how much each one of them (costs) and how they are linking with the transmission infrastructure.”

The plan is to tender all of the associated project capacity at once — primarily as a means of simplifying the process for the governments involved, thereby cutting costs.

Image by SEWA (some rights reserved)

04/30/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

West African Countries Plan 2 GW Renewable Energy Corridor

written by saurabh

Several west African companies are planning partnership over a landmark renewable energy project which will also be a significant step towards interconnectivity in the power sector.

The ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) has proposed a 2 GW renewable energy corridor across the west African countries. The project could see contributions from wind, solar and hydro power projects from various countries.

According to media reports, Nigeria has agreed to contribute 1 GW capacity while others are expected to contribute between 200 MW and 500 MW. Contributions are likely to come largely from various sizes of solar power projects.
 ECREEE is currently working to identify possible sites for solar power projects and how much various countries can contribute towards the project. After sites for the projects are identified they are expected to be allocated through a common competitive auction.

Several west African countries have already attracted significant renewable energy investment.

Nigeria approved feed-in tariff regulations for renewable energy projects, with electricity distribution companies required to source at least 50% of their total procurement from renewable energy sources.

Several foreign project developers have already announced plans to develop large-scale renewable energy projects in Nigeria. Solius NGPC, Peoples Home Association, and Solar Force Nigeria Limited, all have plans to set up a cumulative solar power capacity of 1 GW. A joint venture company between SkyPower Global and FAS Energy plans to set up 3 GW of utility-scale solar power projects.

Hanergy Solar was reportedly working on a 400 MW solar power project in Ghana. Last year, the President of Ghana announced that the levy on petroleum products will be increased to $0.02 per litre. A part of the revenue raised from this levy will be used to establish the Renewable Energy Fund. Additionally, a levy of $0.02 will be charged on a per kWh basis on electricity transmitted. Revenue from this levy, too, will be used for supporting solar power projects.

Image Credit: Mondo Magic | Public Domain

04/23/2016 0 comment

Water & Conservation

Clean Water Filtration: A Basic Necessity

written by Walter Wang

Clean water is a vital concern as many parts of the world struggle with its availability. Kenya is a prime example of a country on the edge. Kenya’s people have long struggled with lack of availability of fresh water creating hazardous health conditions. According to the World Bank, the country’s population is well over 43 million people. The country is one of the

11/29/2013 0 comment

Renewable Energy

E-Waste Dump in Africa Contaminating Community

written by Walter Wang

Electronic waste, or “e-waste“, is a major problem of the information age. As consumers continually upgrade their electronic devices, the old devices are discarded and usually end up in a toxic e-waste dump, usually located in a poor developing country. Such a dump is located in the capital city of the African country,

11/02/2011 0 comment