The Civil Engineering Contractor July 2018 | Page 10

INFRASTRUCTURE AFRICA

ALL OF AFRICA

Mixed outlook for renewables in Africa

Renewable energy has a mixed market outlook in Africa, says an article by GlobalData Energy published in www. power-technology. com. It reports that some countries appear reluctant to develop renewable energy due to abundant conventional resources, while for some the development of renewable energy is unaffordable. However, certain countries are actively pursuing a renewables programme through various support mechanisms such as renewable targets, feed in tariffs( FiTs) / auctions, net metering, and tax exemptions or subsidies. Some countries located in continental Africa— namely Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa— have renewable energy targets, implying that these governments are actively supporting the growth of renewable energy in their respective countries. The report found that while some countries have capacity targets, others target to achieve a fixed proportion of generation from renewable sources. A notable feature in this region is the growing popularity of the auction / tender mechanism to develop large-scale renewable projects; countries like Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa have auction mechanisms for various renewable energy technologies. Countries including Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania have already proposed renewable auctions and they are expected to announce these within a year. The report stated that from 2011 to date, six rounds of reverse auctions were held in South Africa. In these auctions, 6 376MW of renewable power capacity from 102 renewable projects has been awarded. Out of this awarded capacity, wind power accounted for more than 50 %, with 3 365MW capacity, followed by solar PV with 2 322MW capacity. The Egyptian government has decided to do away with a FiT programme for its third phase, replacing it with a tendering system for renewable energy projects in 2018. A tender for 600MW of solar power was issued in December 2017.

Source: www. power-technology. com

EAST AFRICA

RWANDA

Part-SA-financed Kigali water project wins award

According to the website of the Investec Asset Management-managed Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund( EAIF), in an online vote of water industry professionals from across the world, the 2018 World Water Summit’ s Water Deal of the Year Award went to Kigali Water Limited( KWL). The global award came tops from a list of projects in North America, Asia, and the Middle East, and was announced on 16 April at the World Water Summit in Paris. When operational, the KWL facility will supply 40-million litres of clean water daily. It is EAIF’ s first water project in a large city and a key component in Rwanda’ s drive to have fresh water available to its entire population. EAIF was the Mandated Lead Arranger of the financing of the project, which was announced on 27 November 2017. KWL is a subsidiary of Metito, one of the world’ s largest water infrastructure and utility providers. The global water award is the second international water award to go to the KWL project. Earlier this year, the media and infrastructure intelligence organisation IJGlobal presented its Africa Water Deal of the Year Award to KWL. During the Paris conference, Martin Proos, a director at EAIF’ s fund manager, Investec Asset Management, was a member of a distinguished panel of water industry finance experts looking at the issue of‘ Establishing Bankability’. The session addressed the challenge of making utilities bankable and looked at the dynamics of attracting private finance into public private partnerships in emerging markets. Source: http:// www. eaif. com /

SOUTHERN AFRICA

ZIMBABWE

Gwanda solar farm receives USD52m guarantee

Gwanda solar farm, part of Zimbabwe’ s series of national strategic power projects, has received a USD52-million guarantee for the 100MW project envisaged to reduce the country’ s power shortage, from Chinese electrical engineering group CHiNT Electric. The firm has announced it is willing and ready to provide a guarantee covering 30 % of the engineering, procurement and construction( EPC) aspect of the contract. By March this year, the solar project had not been able to proceed. The implementation of the solar project will also receive a boost following President Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s state visit to China. The project had been delayed as a result of arrears incurred under the previous regime, which scuppered financial mobilisation. The advance payment would be used, among other purposes, to fund the facility costs and fees. The advance payment will be for the completion of any outstanding works. Source: https:// constructionreviewonline. com

10- CEC July 2018