UGANDA TOPS LIST AGAIN investment ,” says Dr Kevin Kariuki , vice president , Power , Energy , Climate and Green Growth , at the African Development Bank .
The third edition of the ERI report was launched during the Digital Energy Festival of the Africa Energy Forum , on 5 November 2020 . The event brought together more than 70 stakeholders in the energy sector , regulators , international organizations , and development finance institutions like Africa50 and the World Bank .
Uganda has for the third time in a row emerged as the top performer in last year ’ s Electricity Regulatory Index Report published by the African Development Bank .
The East African country , along with Namibia , Tanzania , Zambia and Kenya , the other top performers , have regulators with the authority to exert the necessary oversight on the sector . However , the overall electricity regulatory frameworks of African countries are poorly developed , and most countries experience major regulatory weaknesses .
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Main findings of the ERI 2020 report :
• 69 % of countries surveyed have regulatory mechanisms in place to facilitate electricity access .
• In 21 of the 36 countries surveyed , the utility is not involved in funding rural electrification . The government , NGOs and consumers do this .
• In 90 % of the countries surveyed , the Executive holds the power to appoint board members and heads of regulatory institutions who report to them . This removes the core of decision-making independence from regulators , who are subjected to subtle and direct political pressure to skew key regulatory decisions towards the political inclination of the government in power .
• Most countries have legislation to deal with conflict of interest among commissioners and heads of regulatory institutions while in office . However , few have adequate mechanisms to regulate conflict of interest and other ethical issues , affecting the integrity of regulatory decisions .
• Political authorities have significant influence on the finances of regulatory authorities . In many instances , laws establishing regulatory institutions do not clearly indicate sources of funds for the institution .
The ERI , a flagship report of the African Development Bank , is a composite index which measures the level of development of electricity sector regulatory frameworks in African countries against international standards and best practice .
“ The African Development Bank has been at the forefront of efforts to mainstream electricity sector regulation issues in Africa within the broader sector discourse , recognising the importance of establishing robust legal and regulatory frameworks to support the financial sustainability of the sector and attract private sector
Uganda has for the third time in a row emerged as the top performer in last year ’ s Electricity Regulatory Index Report published by the African Development Bank .
SA ’ s BOKPOORT BREAKS RECORDS
Sudi Arabian developer , investor and operator of power generation and desalinated water plants ACWA Power , recently announced that the Bokpoort CSP plant has become the first renewable facility on the continent to complete a full week of continuous round the clock operation . ACWA is the major shareholder in Bokpoort CSP .
Bokpoort CSP set the new African continental benchmark achieving 13 days ( 312 hours ) of continuous operations on 23 October 2020 , almost double the previous record it had set
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Mining • February 2021 in March 2016 . This accomplishment was made possible by optimally managing 9.3 hours of the thermal salt storage system overnight , which allowed for a perfectly-timed transition to the solar field every morning for the entire duration of this effort .
The 50MW concentrated solar power ( CSP ) plant with thermal storage was commissioned during the second-day bidding window of South Africa ’ s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme ( REIPPP ) and has been setting consistent records since the commencement of its operation in 2016 . •
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