NEWS IN BRIEF
MOROCCO INSTALLED PV PANELS IN 100
MOSQUES
Morocco: The government says it has installed solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar thermal water heaters and energy-efficient lighting at over 100 of its mosques during 2016. The ‘green mosque’ scheme is planned to expand to 15,000 mosques, or 30% of Moroccan mosques, within five years. Mosques have been shown to consume around 90 kW per day, according to the SIE state energy in- vestment company, which noted that energy costs for each mosque could be reduced by 40% under the scheme. Initial investment costs have been covered by Morocco’s ministry of Islamic affairs in partnership with Germany.
ABB COMPLETES MICROGRID FOR RED
CROSS
ABB has completed a hybrid micro- grid to serve the International Committee of the Red Cross in Nairobi, Kenya. The facility will incor- porate both solar power and diesel, to ensure a reliable power supply and to reduce carbon emissions. It is the first time the centre in Nairobi, Kenya, has had access to reliable power, as the region suffers from frequent power outages. It is particularly important to supply the hub with uninterrupted power, as it is responsible for delivering food, medicines and relief supplies across the African continent. Welcoming the development ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer said: “Micro- grids have enormous potential in Africa, where more than 600 million people live without access to electric-
USAID OFFERS $4M LOAN TO OFFGRID AFRICAN SOLAR BUSINESSES
With efforts to support geographic expansion throughout Africa, the United States Agency for International Develop- ment (USAID), has announced that it will award a $4 million loan to multiple innovative, off-grid solar businesses work- ing in sub-Saharan Africa. This forms part of the USAID’s Scaling
Off-Grid Energy: A Grand Challenge for Development, a global partnership be- tween the U.S. Agency for International Development, Power Africa, the U.K. Department for International Develop- ment, and the Shell Foundation. Funds will be earmarked for early-growth stage companies that can show a 2:1 private investor match – i.e. USAID will award $500,000 to companies showing a
$1 million private investment match. One long-standing barrier many early stage, off-grid entrepreneurs face is access to capital. USAID designed this funding opportunity specifically to address that problem. It aims to empower entrepre- neurs and investors in achieving 20 million connections to provide households in sub- Saharan Africa with clean, modern and af- fordable access to electricity by 2030.
KENYA WILL SPEND $2.1 BILLION ON ELECTRIFICA- TION IN OFF-GRID AREAS
Kenya says it will spend US$2.1 billion on electrification in off-grid areas, with a focus on renewable-powered minigrids over the next four years.
As part of the nation’s 2016/17-2020/21 strategic plan, the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) aims to install around 450 minigrids powered by solar and other renewable sources. REA chair Simon Gicharu told the media: “The plan focuses more on the use of renewable energy for provision of electricity to areas that are far away from the national grid. This is expected to enhance industrialisation and emergence of cottage industries. ‘Renewable energy
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is our utmost priority since Kenya has ample sunlight that can generate enough power to power homes and industries.’ According to Gicharu, the plan aims to power public facilities including primary schools, health centres, trading centres, churches and mosques by summer 2018. Gicharu said the REA has already in- creased primary school electrification in Kenya from 30% in 2006 to 70% in 2016. Kenya's current effective installed (grid connected) electricity capacity is 2,177.1 MW as at March 2015.
Its electricity supply is predominantly sourced from hydro and fossil fuel (thermal) sources.
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