Addis Ababa, Ethiopia// — The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced a new Power Africa initiative for East and Central Africa to provide a five year, up to $88.9 million award, subject to the availability of funds, that will expand access to cleaner, reliable energy in sub-Saharan Africa.
Category: Electricity
ECOWAS kicks off Activities of the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project in Liberia, Mauritania
Abuja, Nigeria// — Renewable energy industry stakeholders in Liberia and Mauritania participated in the formal launch of activities of the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP) in Monrovia, Liberia and in Nouakchott, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, on Thursday 8 June and Monday 12 June, respectively.
Ghana: Independent Power Producers’s June 30th Ultimatum to Gov’t Still Remains
Accra, Ghana//-The Chamber of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) says its members will shut down their plants in three weeks unless government meets their demands to settle all outstanding indebtedness.
Farming in South Africa is Being Hobbled by Power Cuts and Poor Roads
The cost of irrigation adds to the farmers’ burden. GettyImages Wandile Sihlobo, Stellenbosch University South Africa’s agriculture has had great consecutive seasons since 2019/20. The sector’s gross value added grew by 14.9% in 2020, 8.8% in 2021 and modestly by 0.3% in 2022 . This was primarily supported by favourable weather conditions.
SA’s Power Blackouts: Solutions Lie in Solar Farms, Battery Storage and an End to State Monopoly
Protestors take to the streets in Johannesburg, South Africa against extended power cuts. Photo by Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images David Richard Walwyn, University of Pretoria Rolling blackouts are costing South Africa (SA) dearly. The electricity crisis is a barrier to growth, destroys investor confidence and handicaps almost every economic activity. It has raised […]
Ghana: Independent Power Producers Reject Government Bid to Restructure $1.58bn Debt
Independent power producers have rejected a government proposal to restructure $1.58 billion in arrears owed them by the state, the head of the group told Reuters on Friday, warning non-payment could lead to a shutdown of their operations.
Corruption in South Africa: Former CEO’s Explosive Book Exposes How State Power Utility Was Destroyed
Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter. PenguinRandomHouse Keith Gottschalk, University of the Western Cape One repeated theme of the memoir Truth to Power: My Three Years Inside Eskom, by Andre de Ruyter, former CEO of South Africa’s troubled power utility, Eskom, is that “negligence and carelessness had become cemented into the organisation”.
Farmers in South Africa Face Power Cuts and a Weak Rand – but a Number of Factors Are Working in Their Favour Too
All of South Africa’s wheat production takes place during the winter months. GettyImages Wandile Sihlobo, Stellenbosch University Winter is an important season for South African agriculture, with some of its key field crops being produced during the cold months of June, July and August, and maturing after that, with harvesting in December.
Power Cuts and Food Safety: How to Avoid Illness During Loadshedding
Keep as little food as possible in your fridge and freezer. Shutterstock Lise Korsten, University of Pretoria South Africa has been grappling with power cuts for 15 years, which have worsened in recent years. The persistent power outages have disrupted every facet of life, including food safety.
Regulatory Reforms Will Energise Private Sector Participation in Africa’s Electricity Sector
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia// — A timely regulatory overhaul of Africa’s fledgling electricity sector will attract private sector investment and ensure energy security on the continent, stakeholders meeting at an electricity dialogue, have agreed.