Mini-grids, mobile payments and smart meters are all helping to create an off-grid model of electricity provision in Africa, helped by bottom-up funding and low-cost solar power, according to Michael Gera, managing partner and co-founder of specialist venture capitalist firm Energy Access Ventures (EAV). EAV has received a EUR 10 million commitment from the European Investment Bank and recently made its first investment in a company called Off:Grid:Electric, based in Tanzania.

The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) and German Solar Association, or BSW-Solar, have agreed to co-operate on a number of critical initiatives required to support the development of the nascent roof-top PV market segment in SA. Roof-top solar PV systems are distributed electricity options, which help to meet a building's electricity needs or provide power within an existing distribution network. The clean energy systems have the potential to help address SA's electricity demands.

The Government and the Federal Republic of Germany, yesterday, signed a bilateral agreement worth €15 million (about Rwf13 billion) to support energy supply in the country and the Great Lakes region. During the signing ceremony at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning headquarters in Kigali, the minister, Amb. Claver Gatete, explained that the grant will be fully designated to the regional "Hydropower Station Ruzizi III" project. The fund is expected to contribute to improving energy supply in Rwanda as well as in fostering socio-economic development in the Great Lakes region as the hydro power project is shared by Rwanda, Burundi and the DR Congo. Gatete said: "This bilateral agreement shall increase Rwanda's clean energy generation capacity by about 50 megawatts. We very much appreciate the support of the German government.

Source: allafrica.com

Convened under the theme ‘Business and Science: Leading the Way to Sustainable Energy,’ the Second Stakeholder Forum brought together EU and African ministers and heads of regional institutions, as well as more than 300 high-level delegates from public, private and non-governmental sectors with a view to galvanizing renewable energy innovation, investment and Africa-EU energy cooperation. The Forum was jointly organized by the AEEP, the Italian Government, the African Union Commission and the European Commission. The Forum was organized around technical thematic discussions on the AEEP themes of energy access, energy efficiency, and renewable energy and energy security on the first day, and a high-level session on the second day. In addition to plenary and specially structured panel discussions, there were targeted networking, business match-making and media events, as well as a parallel exhibition and fair showcasing the latest technological innovations.

Source: paepard.blogspot.be

The Swedish Government has provided K264 million for the rehabilitation of Kariba Dam to save the dam from collapsing and ensure power generation for Zambia and Zimbabwe. And Kariba Dam has recorded an increase in water levels to 15 percent from 12 percent observed at the beginning of March. According to a report in Swedish Development Today publication, Swedish embassy deputy head of mission David Wiking said the deal could be concluded in June and that the assistance will come to Zambia through Sweden’s development arm – Swedish Development Aid (SIDA).

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) has given Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) €4.7 million to implement the energy-for-agriculture (E4A) project in Zambia aimed at installation of bio-digesters to enable rural households and smallholder farmers have increased access to renewable energy. In an interview on Tuesday, E4A project manager Prakash Ghimire said the aim of the programme is to develop viable markets for biogas in Zambia that will lead to improved livelihoods for smallholder farmers through increased savings on fuel and income generation from the productive use of biogas and bio-slurry.

On March 9 2016 the German Government and the Caribbean Community have agreed to extend their joint programme, “Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technical Assistance (REETA)”. The REETA Programme aims at strengthening, at the regional and national level, sustainable development within the Caribbean Community through the increased use of renewable energy technologies and increased energy efficiency in the building sector. Under this new phase of the German-Caribbean cooperation, the German Government is providing 3 Million Euros to support the institutional and technical requirements for improving the financing environment for sustainable energy projects within the Region.

In West Africa, TRANSCO Energy Company announced that preparations to develop the West Africa energy network project is expected to commence soon in Sierra Leone. During a media briefing, TRANSCO Energy finance and administrative manager of TRANSCO Jigba Yillah explained that plans are now in place and very soon the West Africa Power Pool network and distribution energy network project will take-off. (…) Once the energy ministry has reviewed the draft reports for the energy network, proper bids will be presented by the chosen contractors who will be tasked with the implementation of the four lot segment energy projects: two lots in Sierra Leone and two in Liberia. Four donor partners including the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank and German Export Bank (KFW) are funding the energy project.

Germany is to assist Ghana to develop a strong renewable energy and agricultural sector as part of its contributions to the development of the country. The German Ambassador to Ghana, John Rudiger, announced this in Kumasi when he paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. William Otoo-Ellis, last Thursday. The meeting was to develop new partnership agreements in the areas of science and technology. Mr Rudiger did not however give details of the assistance to Ghana but said it would help reshape the energy sector and promote agriculture.

Sweden and the United Kingdom have raised $67 million towards Tanzania's rural electrification programme. 'The main objective of the financing programme is to increase access to modern energy services in rural areas of mainland Tanzania for sustainable social economic development and poverty alleviation,' the official statement read sin part. Sweden through the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) together with the UK government through the Department for International Development (DfID) last week entered into an agreement in which they would finance Tanzania a total of $67,727,272 (Tsh.241 billion) for energy development.