AMEA Power's 120 MW South African project raises finance; Mali getting 100 MW solar plant with Chinese help; TNPA selects Amulet group for 20 MW solar plant; Tronox signs PPA for solar and wind in South Africa; Scatec's Release bags new contracts in Cameroon.
Financial close achieved for 120 MW: Dubai-based renewable energy company AMEA Power has achieved financial close on its 120 MW Doornhoek Solar PV Project in South Africa. It comprises $100 million debt funding from the Standard Bank South Africa, and $8 million equity funding from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to the local partners Ziyanda Energy and Dzimuzwo Energy, both owned by African women. AMEA recently secured a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for the project it won in the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP) with national utility Eskom (see AMEA Power Secures South African Power Purchase Agreement).
New large-scale solar plant in Mali: Mali's President of the Transition Assimi Goïta recently launched the construction of a 100 MW solar power plant in Koulikoro region's Safo. To be equipped with monocrystalline silicon solar panels, the project will be built in partnership with China, according to a report by local African news portal Afrik21. Recently, Russia's NovaWind launched the construction of a 200 MW solar power plant in the Koulikoro region (see Africa Solar PV News Snippets).
20 MW at South African bay: The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) of South Africa has selected the Amulet Group consortium as the preferred bidder for a 20 MW solar PV project at the Port of Richards Bay. This is TNPA's maiden solar PV plant and is aligned with its commitment to decarbonize its port operations under the Renewable Energy Purchase Program. Under this program, it aims to install around 100 MW of renewable energy across the country's 8 commercial seaports. Amulet will install and operate the 20 MW plant with a BESS for 7 years. The construction of the plant is planned to begin in June 2024 and become operational by May 31, 2026.
RE PPA for over 200 MW: US-headquartered titanium dioxide pigment manufacturer Tronox has announced signing a long-term PPA for 497 GWh of renewable energy with the NOA Group in South Africa. It will be supplied by more than 200 MW of wind and solar power capacity under fixed and flexible arrangements. Tronox will utilize it for its mines and smelters when the project is fully implemented by 2027-end. Tronox says this will contribute to reducing its total Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by an incremental 12% globally as it targets to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Along with the addition of its 200 MW solar power agreement signed with the SOLA Group in 2022, Tronox says the latest project will ensure that close to 70% of its South African electricity needs are met by renewable energy.
Cameroon expansion for Release: Norwegian renewables group Scatec says its leasing agreement business for pre-assembled solar PV and battery storage equipment Release has secured 2 new contracts in Cameroon. The new lease agreements with the national electricity company ENEO expand its existing PV and storage power plants in the country to 64.4 MW and 38.2 MWh, respectively. It had already completed the existing solar plants in Maroua and Guider in Cameroon with a combined 35.8 MW solar and 19.5 MWh BESS. It is now adding 28.6 MW solar and 19.2 MWh storage to the 2 plants. ENEO Cameroon CEO Amine Homman Ludiye says this doubling the capacity of the Maroua and Guider plants will enable it to further secure power generation in the Northern regions, while improving service quality for households and the industrial sector.