Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy Categories

Sonatrach, Eni get 34 bids for Algerian solar power plant

March 17, 2017 | Algeria, Solar

Algiers, Algeria |  – Algerian state energy firm Sonatrach and Italy’s ENI have bids from 34 international firms to build a 10 megawatt solar power plant at Bir Rebaa North (BRN) in eastern Algeria, a Sonatrach source said. Major oil and gas producer Algeria is looking to expand into solar energy as it tries to meet growing domestic energy demand and officials say the North African country will soon launch a major project to build a 4,000 megawatt solar plant. Those bidding for the plant …

Africa’s first grid-connected biogas plant powers up

January 10, 2017 | Biofuels, Kenya, Renewable Energy

Naivasha, Kenya | –  A commercial farm in Kenya has become Africa’s first electricity producer powered by biogas to sell surplus electricity to the national grid, cutting the carbon emissions associated with oil-powered generation. The Gorge Farm Energy Park in Naivasha produces 2 megawatts (MW) of electricity – more than enough to cultivate its 706 hectares (1,740 acres) of vegetables and flowers, and with sufficient surplus to meet the power needs of 5,000-6,000 rural homes. The new plant generates not only electricity, but also heat …

Italy’s Eni to build solar power plant in Algeria

September 27, 2016 | Algeria, Solar

London, UK | – Italian energy giant Eni has reached a strategic agreement with Sonatrach for the implementation of renewable energy projects in Algeria. The first project will be the construction of a 10 MW photovoltaic plant in the Bir Rebaa North (BRN) field, co-operated by the two companies through GSA (Sonatrach-Agip Groupement). The goal is to start activities before the end of the year. This project is a step of the strategic cooperation agreement on renewable energies in Algeria that Eni’s CEO, Claudio Descalzi, …

Statoil to pilot battery storage for offshore wind project

March 21, 2016 | North Sea & Western Europe, Renewable Energy, Wind

Aberdeen, Scotland | – Norway based oil and gas company Statoil has launched 1MW storage system at its 30MW Hywind floating offshore wind farm located near the coast of Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Statoil has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Scottish Government, the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and Scottish Enterprise for the development of the storage solution called Batwind. Scotland’s Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: “The signing of this MoU will allow the signatories to work together in the development of …

Ex-French minister aims to launch $3 billion renewables fund for Africa

October 01, 2015 | Africa, Renewable Energy

Conakry, Guinea | – France’s former energy minister hopes to raise $3 billion from Western donors by next year to help cash-strapped African nations fund renewable energy projects, in a bid to tackle pollution and spur development. Jean Louis Borloo said his Energies for Africa project already had commitments from Western governments which would be used to ensure African nations had the capital to contribute their share of major renewables projects. Borloo did not give specific details but said he hoped to showcase the project …

Mali signs €52million deal for first West African utility-scale solar plant

July 10, 2015 | Budget & Investment, Solar, West Africa

London, UK | – A historic build, own and operate agreement signed on Friday between Norwegian company Scatec Solar (SSO), the Malian Ministry of Energy and Malian electricity utility Water and Electricité du Mali (EDM) will see the construction of West Africa’s first utility-scale solar power plant, near the ancient city of Segou, in south-east Mali. The 33 MW, €52-million facility, which would be developed in partnership with the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC’s) global infrastructure project development fund InfraVentures and local developer Africa Power 1, …

World Bank to ask oil companies to stop flaring gas by 2030

June 19, 2014 | Health, Safety & Environment, Renewable Energy

London, United Kingdom | – The World Bank will urge producers of oil to stop flaring natural gas by 2030, saying the amount of fuel wasted in the practice would generate enough power to meet all of Africa’s demand for electricity. “It will be voluntary but we hope that both companies and countries will see the sense in what we are proposing,” Anita George in the bank’s extractive industry unit said in a Moscow interview. “We are planning to propose it in September.” The World Bank is leading …

Skypower FAS Energy to build 3,000 mw of solar power in Nigeria at $5 billion

May 08, 2014 | Budget & Investment, Nigeria, Renewable Energy

Abuja, Nigeria | — SkyPower FAS Energy, a joint venture between SkyPower Global and FAS Energy, signs agreements with both the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Delta State Government for the development, construction and operation of 3,000 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects within Nigeria and the Delta State of Nigeria to be built over the next five years at an estimated cost of US$5 billion. These foundational agreements represent a monumental renewable energy milestone, which entails a multi-phase development and build …