AFRICA
Empowering, Insightful, Engaging
Volume 1 | ISSUE 3 | mar-apr 2022
I N T E R V I E W
W W W . S O L A R Q U A R T E R . C O M
We have continuously innovated the smart PV solution with string inverters as the core, promoting the digital and intelligent transformation of the PV industry.
- VICTOR KOYIER Executive Manager-Business Development, Huawei
COMPANY FEATURE
C O R E
CHAMPIONS CORNER
V A L U E
Put customers first, respect shareholders interests and let our employees grow
-JA SOLAR
RECOGNITION FOR THE GRANDMASTERS OF SOLAR INDUSTRY IN KENYA
CONTENTS NEWS
AFRICA NEWS
03 INTERVIEW
10
JENNY FLETCHER CEO, Ariya Finergy
PUBLISHING Firstview Media Ventures Pvt. Ltd.
EDITING
12
GILLES VAES CEO, InfraCo Africa
Ashwini Chikkodi Nikita Salkar editorial@firstviewgroup.com
CONTENT
VICTOR KOYIER
14
Executive Manager-Business Development, Huawei
Sadhana Raju Shenvekar Anand Kumar publishing@firstviewgroup.com
DESIGNING Radha Buddhadev Neha Barangali design@firstviewgroup.com
GEOFFREY RONOH
16
Co-founder and Director, OFGEN
Sadhana Raju Shenvekar
JA SOLAR
THE CHAMPIONS CORNER
KENYA
Smriti Charan Andrew Ferreira advertise@firstviewgroup.com
CIRCULATION
COMPANY FEATURE
17
ADVERTISING
Subcription
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SOLAR WEEK
LEADERSHIP AWARDS 2022
W W W . S O L A R Q U A R T E R . C O M
AFRICA NEWS
MARCH-APRIL 2022
BUZZ >
KIBO ENERGY ACQUIRES 100 MW VICTORIA FALLS SOLAR PARK IN ZIMBABWE Kibo Energy PLC has signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) to acquire a solar power project in Zimbabwe. The transaction concerns the acquisition of a 100 MW Victoria Falls Solar Park from Broomfield International Ltd (Broomfield). The cost of the transaction is GBP 10 million ($13.2 million), payable in new ordinary shares of Kibo at an issue price of 5 pounds for each share. The solar power project will be developed in several phases of 25 MW, the first of which is already in the construction phase.
TRONOX ANNOUNCES 200 MW SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT FOR ITS OPERATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA Tronox has announced an agreement with Sola Group for the development of solar power for its operations in South Africa. The proposed 200 MW of solar project will power the mines and smelters of Tronox. The future solar facility is planned to be fully operational by the final quarter of 2023. The solar project will be majority-owned and operated by Sola and the IPP is expected to deliver around 540 GWh of energy to 5 different mining operations through long-term power purchase agreements (PPA).
ENGIE SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH GABON TO ELECTRIFY 40,000 OFF-GRID HOUSEHOLDS WITH SOLAR KITS Engie Energy Access, the subsidiary of French utility company Engie Group, has signed a partnership with the Ministry of Energy in Gabon to electrify off-grid households across the country through solar home systems. The company aims to electrify 40,000 households in Gabon through the sales and distribution of quality home system kits, over a period of 5 years. The project will benefit over 200,000 people living in rural and peri-urban areas with clean, reliable, and affordable energy. In addition to household electrification, Engie Energy Access is also expected to electrify schools, health-care facilities, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), etc.
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AFRICAN GUARANTEE FUND AND EMPOWER NEW ENERGY PARTNER TO BOOST AFRICA’S SOLAR INDUSTRY African Guarantee Fund for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (AGF) has signed an equity guarantee agreement with Norwaybased renewable energy provider, Empower New Energy, (Empower) paving the way for long-term clean energy investments for C&I businesses across Africa. This guarantee is the first of many which will help Empower scale up its African clean energy investments. The current guarantee will cover part of Empower’s investment into Solarplast Project Company Limited in Ghana and a 700 kWp rooftop solar photovoltaic plant at the Miniplast Limited’s factory in Accra.
SCATEC REFINANCES SOLAR POWER PLANTS IN SOUTH AFRICA AND RECEIVES NET PROCEEDS OF USD 36 MILLION Scatec has refinanced the non-recourse debt facilities for the solar power plants Kalkbult, Dreunberg, and Linde in South Africa with the existing lenders. Scatec’s share of proceeds from the refinancing, based on its 45 percent ownership in the power plants, amounts to ZAR 540 million (USD 36 million). Key amended terms include increased debt amounts, reduced margins, increased tenors, and release of cash from debt reserve accounts, implying minor impacts to expected future dividends from the power plants. The refinancing will further benefit the South African authorities through a 50:50 profit split between the shareholders of the power plants and the authorities, in accordance with the Refinancing Protocol issued by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.
MAR-APR ISSUE 2022
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AFRICA NEWS
MARCH-APRIL 2022 LATEST>
SOLARISE AFRICA COMMISSIONS 1.8 MWP ROOFTOP SOLAR PLANT IN KENYA
BBOXX LAUNCHES NEW SOLAR-POWERED PRODUCTS FOR OFF-GRID COMMUNITIES IN AFRICA
Solarise Africa, a pan-African Energy-as-a-Service company, has recently commissioned a solar photovoltaic system on the roof of United Aryan EPZ Ltd.’s factory in Kenya. United Aryan is a global player in apparel manufacturing, which is now equipped with a brand new 1.8 MWp rooftop solar plant, making it one of the largest operational rooftop solar facilities in East Africa. The rooftop solar plant consists of 3,334 solar panels and was built by Premier Solar Solutions. Solarise Africa expects the annual generation capacity of the rooftop solar plant at 2.3 GWh. The plant will reduce the United Aryan’s annual carbon emissions by 33,100 tonnes, which is equivalent to the CO2 absorbed by more than 64,500 trees.
Bboxx, a next-generation utility, has recently launched a new service to provide renewable solutions to off-grid communities in Africa. The service named “Flexx by Bboxx” will offer entrylevel clean energy products for the people at the bottom of the energy pyramid. As part of the launch, Bboxx announced two new solar-powered products under the banner Flexx. The first one is an upfront cash sales product named Flexx10, a ‘plugand-play’ portable solar lantern. Flexx10 is capable of charging mobile phones. The second product is a ‘pay-as-you-go’ tokenbased multi-light system with charging ports. This system, named Flexx40, comes with dimmable LED light bulbs, allowing better control over energy usage.
RES4AFRICA AND AMER SIGN MOU TO EXPAND COOPERATION IN AFRICA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
BUZZ >
SENEGAL TO REDUCE GHG EMISSIONS, INTENDS TO DOUBLE ITS RE CAPACITY BY 2025 The Senegalese authorities have set up a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% by the year 2030. The initiative called “Co-Construction of a Low-Carbon and Resilient Development Strategy” is a part of Senegal’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The initiative will be coordinated by the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) and funded by the public financial institution, French Development Agency (AFD) through its “2050 Facility” program over the period of three years. Renewable energy share in Senegal’s total electricity production is nearly 23% and the country intends to double this capacity by 2025. Adama Diallo, Secretary-General at the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy mentioned that the initiative promotes the implementation of the Paris Agreement signed in 2015 at the end of COP 21.
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Renewable Energy Solutions for Africa Foundation (RES4Africa) and Mozambican Renewable Energy Association (AMER) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand their cooperation in promoting renewable energy development in Mozambique and Africa. The two parties have agreed to collaborate in the co-organization of courses and workshops, as well as engage and facilitate dialogue with national and international industry stakeholders to promote and speed up RE investments in the continent. In addition, their joint forces will aim at raising awareness of RE development through organizing outreach and advocacy activities, identifying synergies, exchanging know-how, and covering mutual support in communication, marketing, and dissemination.
KENYA AND EU LAUNCH SETA INITIATIVE TO BENEFIT COUNTIES CLEAN ENERGY PLANS The Energy Ministry of Kenya and the European Union (EU) have launched a program to empower the counties of the nation to meet their energy generation provisions. The program named Sustainable Energy Technical Assistance (SETA) is an institutional capacity development initiative that aims towards implementing nearly 15 renewable energy projects. The SETA initiative is funded by the EU and will support 20 counties including Meru, to finalize their energy plans in alignment with the Integrated National Energy Planning Framework. The project is designed to consist of wind, solar, and battery energy storage, providing clean power to the national grid.
MAR-APR ISSUE 2022
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AFRICA NEWS
MARCH-APRIL 2022
SOUTH AFRICAN MINING COMPANY LAUNCHES 75 MW RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT South African-based Pilanesberg Platinum Mines, a subsidiary of Sedibelo Platinum, has appointed the consortium of panAfrican Independent Power Producer Sturdee Energy and Juwi South Africa, as the preferred bidder to supply renewable energy for its mining operation. The renewable energy program will constitute two projects. The first one is a combination of solar PV and wind system projects that will deliver a 40 MW mine load via a wheeling arrangement from two separate sites, one in Limpopo and another in Western Cape province. This project is planned to commence operation in 2024 and will supply 55-60% of the mine’s electricity needs. The second project involves the construction of a 35 MW solar power plant at the Pilanesberg mine for the direct provision of power to meet its growing energy needs. The solar PV facility is planned to begin operation in 2026.
AFRICAGOGREEN FUND RECEIVES US$30MN INVESTMENTS FROM AFDB, SEFA, AND NDF The African Development Bank and the Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) have approved a combinedequity investment of $20 million in the AfricaGoGreen Fund, a debt fund established to promote private investments in energy-efficient technologies and business models, with the objective of decarbonizing African economies and accelerating the energy transition. Launched in early 2021 with EUR 45 million in catalytic capital, the AfricaGoGreen Fund is a flagship project under the G20 Compact with Africa. The AfricaGoGreenFund provides flexible and tailored debt instruments to private businesses in green appliances for domestic and industrial processes, green buildings, e-mobility solutions, and battery energy storage projects. It is managed by LHGP Asset Management, part of Lion’s Head Global Partners group.
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GABONESE AUTHORITIES, SOLEN SIGN AGREEMENT TO BUILD 120 MW SOLAR POWER PLANT IN ESTUAIRE PROVINCE The Gabonese government authorities have signed a framework agreement with Solen for the construction of a 120 MWp solar PV plant. The solar power facility is planned to be located in Ayémé Plaine, Estuaire province. According to the agreement, Solen will be in charge of the construction of the solar PV plant. The plant will be commissioned in two phases of 60 MWp each. Gabon intends to increase its total installed electricity capacity by developing its renewable energy capacity. The government aims to increase the renewable energy share in its electricity mix up to 80% by 2030. The short-term target for the country is to increase the electricity generation capacity by 250 MW by the year 2023.
BBOXX ENERGY ACCESS NIGERIA SIGNS AN AGREEMENT TO DEPLOY SOLAR HOME SYSTEMS Bboxx Energy Access Nigeria and Rural Electrification Agency Nigeria (REA Nigeria) have signed an Output-Based Fund (OBF) grant agreement, under the Solar Home Systems (SHS) component of the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP). The deal anticipates the deployment of a total of 15,442 solar home systems by Bboxx Energy Access Nigeria towards transforming the lives of thousands of people with clean, reliable, and affordable electricity. More than 40% of Nigerians are living without access to electricity, and the percentage rises to 74% for the rural population. There is a significant opportunity to positively impact the lives of millions of Nigerians through clean energy provision.
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AFRICA NEWS
MARCH-APRIL 2022 DETAILS>
NORFUND AND CDC JOINTLY INVEST $39 MILLION IN S.AFRICA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
AMAZON LAUNCHES 10 MW SOLAR PV PLANT IN SOUTH AFRICA
Norfund, the Norwegian development finance institution, and CDC Group, the UK’s Impact Investor and development finance institution, have announced an investment of ZAR 600 million ($39 million) in H1 Capital – a South-African renewable investment and development company, to support South Africa’s clean energy goals. Norfund will invest ZAR 360 million, while CDC Group will chip in with the rest amount. This investment is in line with the South African clean energy goals, as it will enable H1 Capital to fund a pipeline of over 2.4 GW of renewable energy projects, including wind and solar projects. These projects will generate approximately 6,400 GWh per year and will contribute to avoiding annual CO2 emissions of 6.2 million tons.
Tech giant Amazon has recently launched a solar photovoltaic plant in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. This 10 MW solar power plant added to Amazon’s portfolio of over 270 renewable energy projects across the world. The solar PV plant covers 20 hectares of land and consists of 24,000 bifacial solar panels, which gives the ability to capture solar energy on both sides. The clean energy plant is expected to generate up to 28,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of renewable energy annually, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of over 8,000 South African homes.
RURAL CLINICS IN ZIMBABWE GET SOLAR INSTALLATIONS UNDER UNICEF’S SE4HF PROGRAM The Ministry of Health and Childcare (MoHCC) of Zimbabwe joined hands with United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in a project to equip rural health facilities with solarpowered systems. The project targets four districts in Zimbabwe to improve quality healthcare services for women and children. The districts that will be benefited are Chimanimani and Chipinge in the Manicaland province, as well as Gokwe North and South in the Midlands province. A total number of 30 health facilities in the targeted districts are planned to have solar-powered system installations, sustaining the cold chain for vaccination and improving other general conditions of certain facilities. The objective is to improve the healthcare facilities for women and children from deprived communities, through the provision of sustainable energy solutions.
AMEA POWER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TBEA WINS BID FOR 100MW SOLAR PROJECT IN TUNISIA The Ministry of Industry and SMEs of Tunisia has officially announced that a consortium formed by TBEA Xinjiang New Energy Co., Ltd., and AMEA Power has been awarded a 100MW solar power plant project in Kairouan in Tunisia, following an international tender. This project was part of a large international tender launched by the Ministry of Industry and SMEs in Tunisia in 2018 and is aligned with the government’s 2030 New Energy Vision. Under this international tender, a total capacity of 500MW solar projects was awarded to various successful bidders. The 100MW solar project will be located in Kairouan. The power plant will be able to generate nearly 250,490 GWh per year and will contribute to avoiding 247,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year.
EU AND GERMANY PROVIDE GRANTS TO GREEN MINIGRID COMPANIES IN NIGERIA Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA), along with financial and technical support from the European Union and Germany, is providing grants to eight green mini-grid electricity providers to accelerate the electrification in rural Nigeria. The value of the funding from the EU and Germany is not yet disclosed. But it will be accompanied by technical assistance from the GIZ, the German international development agency. The funding will enable eight Nigerian-based companies to implement electrification projects numbering from 18 to 24, under Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP).
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MAR-APR ISSUE 2022
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AFRICA NEWS
MARCH-APRIL 2022 INDUSTRY >
MASDAR SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH TANESCO TO SUPPORT CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS
MOZAMBICAN AUTHORITIES SELECT TOTAL EREN TO BUILD THE DONDO SOLAR POWER PLANT
Masdar has signed an agreement with Tanzania Electric Supply Company Ltd. (TANESCO) to develop renewable energy projects in the East African nation. TANESCO, the sole provider of electricity in Tanzania, is looking to add more renewable energy sources to the national grid to meet the country’s growing demand for power and increase energy access. The Tanzanian government is targeting an electrification rate for the entire country of 75 percent by 2035.
Mozambique’s Energy Regulatory Authority (ARENE) has chosen Total Eren, the subsidiary of the French group TotalEnergies, for the development of the Dondo solar power plant. The 40 MWp solar plant is under development in the Dondo district in the central province of Sofala. Total Eren will design, finance, build and operate the solar PV plant under a public-private partnership (PPP). The plant will generate electricity to feed into the grid of the public utility, Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM).
DEVELOPMENT BANK OF NAMIBIA FINANCES ROSH PINAH SOLAR PV PLANT The Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) has signed an agreement to finance a solar park at Rosh Pinah town in the ||Karas region. With this agreement, the bank’s commitment to financing in the field of clean energy amounts to N$1.038 billion (USD 67.4 million), encompassing 87.9 MW capacity from 13 projects. Rosh Pinah Solar Park is owned by two Namibian firms, Otesa Energy Projects and Emesco Energy (Namibia). As the majority shareholder for the project, Otesa Energy Projects will construct the plant, whereas Emesco will develop the solar plant. Once commissioned, the RPSP will generate 5.4 MW for the Rosh Pinah Zinc Corporation’s (RPZC) operational energy requirements.
G8 AWARDED LOI FOR NEXT GENERATION 65MW FLOATING SOLAR SYSTEM IN GHANA G8 has announced that it has been selected as the provisional contractor to develop a floating solar plant within the Bui hydropower complex in Ghana. The 65 MW floating solar project will be built to lift the power generation capacity of the hydropower plant. G8 has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Bui Power Authority for the installation of the GPM-65 Solar-Hydro System which will occupy around 350,000 sq. meters of water space at the Bui dam, built on the Black Volta River. G8 will deliver the future project on a full turnkey basis. The floating solar system is part of an extension to a current 5MW system and is expected to be commissioned by the third quarter of 2023.
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FUND APPROVES $5.5 MILLION GRANT TO FUND PHASE TWO OF FLAGSHIP DESERT TO POWER ENERGY PROJECT The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund has approved a $5.5 million technical assistance grant to kick-start the roll-out of the flagship Desert to Power initiative in the Eastern Sahel region countries of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan. The project will develop technical studies for regional solar parks and associated battery storage near regional energy interconnectors, and high-voltage cables that connect the electricity systems of neighboring countries. Desert to Power will ultimately add 10 GW of solar generation capacity and provide electricity to around 250 million people in the 11 Sahelian countries by 2030.
ARCELORMITTAL SOUTH AFRICA CONSIDERS TWO RE PROJECTS OF 100 MW FOR GAUTENG AND WESTERN CAPE ArcelorMittal South Africa has initiated feasibility studies for two 100 MW renewable energy projects to supply electricity to its existing facilities in Gauteng and the Western Cape. The studies are expected to be finalized during 2023-to 2024. The alternative energy source will also offer more energy security by enabling the ArcelorMittal South Africa plants to be less dependent on costly electricity supply from the national grid which has significantly impacted business performance in recent years.
ENGIE ENERGY ACCESS COMMISSIONS SOLAR MINIGRID IN NIGERIA Engie Energy Access has inaugurated a solar PV mini-grid in Nigeria. The off-grid solar facility is being developed in the Gbangba region in Niger State and has the capacity of delivering 90 kWp of solar power. The solar mini-grid will benefit the locals of the Gbangba community with an electricity supply for the first time ever and empower over 300 customers, comprising households, micro and small enterprises (MSEs), etc. The mini-grid will directly impact the lives of 1,500 people.
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MAR-APR ISSUE 2022
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AFRICA NEWS
MARCH-APRIL 2022
SOUTH AFRICA LAUNCHES 2.6 GW CLEAN ENERGY TENDER UNDER REIPPP PROGRAMME
NAMIBIA LAUNCHES GREEN PEOPLE’S ENERGY PROJECT UNDER SRF
The South African government has kicked off the sixth round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). The program is designed to facilitate private sector investment in renewable energy development. Under this sixth round, the authorities aim to procure 2.6 GW of solar and wind power. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) is launching the prequalification process for the development of new renewable energy capacity, which includes 1 GW of solar PV and 1.6 GW of wind power. The procurement exercise is also part of South Africa’s plan to tender almost 12 GW of solar capacity and follows the recent publication of the new Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) of the country. The IRP aims to develop up to 6 GW of new large-scale solar, as well as 6 GW of distributed-generation PV capacity, by 2030.
Namibia’s Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy, Kornelia Shilunga recently launched the Green People’s Energy (GPE) project (under the Solar Revolving Fund (SRF) of the ministry. The GPE is a joint initiative between Germany, through the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and Namibia. The SRF provides credit facility help that facilitates the deployment of clean energy technologies for the off-grid communities in rural areas, as well as in peri-urban areas. It offers IPPs working in the renewable energy sector with subsidized loans at a 5% interest rate per annum over five years. The SRF fund finances renewable energy technologies including solar home systems, photovoltaic water pumps, and solar water heaters. The project aims to strengthen the clean energy sector in Namibia by promoting off-grid rural electrification.
SOLARCENTURY AFRICA CLOSES FINANCING FOR SOLAR PV PLANT AT BALAMA MINE IN MOZAMBIQUE Solarcentury Africa has reached a financial close on a solar photovoltaic facility at the Balama graphite mine in Mozambique. The solar PV plant will be combined with a battery energy storage system to power the mining facilities of Syrah Resources. The project involves the construction of an 11.25 MWp solar power plant, along with an 8.5 MWh storage system. The solar facility will be combined with the thermal power plant that has been powering the Balama mine. The solar project will allow Syrah Resources to reduce the carbon footprint of the Balama mine, as well as reduce its electricity bills. Syrah Resources estimates that the power system will reduce the use of diesel in its mining operations by 35%.
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THREE HOSPITALS IN ZIMBABWE GETS SOLAR PV PLANTS Three hospitals in the Matabeleland region will be benefited from solar power plants. A consortium of local independent power producers (IPPs) in Zimbabwe and German partners will be implementing this project. The project is led by Enduring Sun Energy, Geobase Clean Energy, and German solar technology provider, Frenell. The health facilities that will be benefited from solar energy are Manama Mission Hospital, Maphisa District Hospital, both in Matabeleland South province, and Tsholotsho District Hospital in Matabeleland North province. The construction work for a 2.5 MW solar PV plant has already started in Manama at a cost of US$4.5 million. The solar plant will be fitted with German-made panels embedded with the ability to access wifi from the satellite and are expected to have a minimum lifespan of 30 years. The plant will power Manama Mission Hospital, nearby schools, a business center, and other institutions.
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AFRICA NEWS
MARCH-APRIL 2022 BUZZ >
IFC MOBILIZES $400 MILLION FOR ELECTRIFICATION VIA SOLAR MINI-GRIDS IN DRC
AMEA POWER AND SNEL SIGN AGREEMENT FOR A 100 MW SOLAR PROJECT IN DRC Emirati independent power producer AMEA Power has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the development of a 100 MW solar energy project. Amea Power is continuing its expansion in Central Africa where the company has planned to build a 50 MWp solar photovoltaic power plant in Oyem, in Gabon. The subsidiary of Al Nowais Investments (ANI) group has now set its eye on the DRC’s energy sector, where the energy challenge is much greater. The Democratic Republic of Congo has immense renewable energy potential, including hydroelectric, biomass, solar, and geothermal power. But the country has just an installed electricity capacity of 2,844 MW. According to the World Bank, the DRC has an electricity access rate of only 19 to 20%, for a population of 84 million.
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The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a subsidiary of World Bank Group, has launched its Scaling Mini-Grid (SMG) program in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Under the program, IFC will mobilize $400 million in private investment for electrification through mini-grids powered by solar energy. The program recently launched in the DRC will initially target two cities, Mbuji-Mayi and Kananga, both located in Central DRC. The initiative will help the Government of the DRC to develop 180 MW of solar capacity with electricity storage, which will bring clean power to 1.5 million people, including households, schools, businesses, and medical facilities.
NAMPOWER BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF 20 MWP KHAN SOLAR POWER PLANT IN NAMIBIA NamPower recently presided over the ground-breaking event for the construction of the Khan Solar PV plant located near Usakos in the Erongo Region. The solar power project is being developed by the independent power producer (IPP) Access Aussenkehr Solar One Namibia. The Khan Solar project supports Namibia’s national policy of sourcing 70% of its total electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030. The solar project will further contribute towards achieving the goal of self-sufficiency targets of 80% in the near future, assisting the country to reduce electricity imports. The ground-mounted solar PV plant will have a capacity of 20 MWp. Access Aussenkehr Solar One Namibia will invest nearly N$300 million (~ US$20.6 million).
MAR-APR ISSUE 2022
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INTERVIEW
JENNY FLETCHER CEO, ARIYA FINERGY
We are in the process of building the second system and combined, the two systems will total 2.2MWp." SolarQuarter Africa magazine had an exclusive chat with Jenny Fletcher - CEO, Ariya Finergy, and understood about the company’s offerings and recent successful contributions to the region. She also spoke about the company’s growth and expansion plans and the solar sector’s future outlook. Please brief our readers about Ariya Finergy’s presence and offering in the region? What is unique about the services provided by your company? Ariya Finergy (Ariya) is an industry leader in designing, constructing, and financing solar PV, storage, and power quality systems for commercial and industrial (C&I) clients in East Africa. We provide a seamless end-toend service from initial project development and design through to the operations and maintenance of all the systems. Based in Nairobi, Ariya’s portfolio includes 12 MW of solar PV across 38 systems, the commissioned systems have to date generated over 7 GWhr of solar electricity in East Africa displacing 4,210 tonnes of CO2. Ariya prides itself on being our clients’ Power Partner, consistently delivering innovative solutions above and beyond traditional solar PV systems. Below are two attributes that make Ariya unique: Power stabilization solutions Integrating solar, the grid, generators, and batteries to provide seamless highquality power to our clients. The ability to provide power stabilization solutions for both small and large power users is made possible because of our inhouse research and development team that manages the controllers to ensure consistent and reliable dispatch and control of the various power sources. We are commissioning a new power stabilization solution later this month that will provide our client 650kVA backup power solution that can operate for up to
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6 hours during the daytime. We are excited about this technology and ready to offer it to many large industrial clients as a way for them to boost productivity, and decrease product losses and material waste which occur during power outages. Effectively integrating solar power into the power stabilization solution translates to reduced energy costs and an increase in the backup power duration. Dedicated Operations and Maintenance team Service is a core value of the company; accordingly, we have created a dedicated operations and maintenance team that focuses exclusively on ensuring high levels of uptime and fast troubleshooting responses for all our clients.
We are looking forward to commissioning our game changing power stabilization solution with Solar PV and a 650kVA battery that will provide this industrial client with reliable and stable power, drastically reducing their power costs"
What do you think about the solar sector in Kenya? In your view, what is needed to strengthen the growth of the solar sector in the Country? The Kenyan market for solar has really evolved over the last few years, there exists healthy competition among the other solar providers in the country. Power costs remain higher here in Kenya than in neighboring countries like Uganda and Tanzania; therefore, the adoption of solar remains high as a way of reducing operating costs for large industrial clients. From an Ariya perspective, to truly maximize the impact of solar energy innovations in Kenya, we are seeking support from institutions that can provide capital for our team to continue research and design new solutions that integrate with solar but also go beyond just solar to bring clean power to the market. Lastly, continued support from the government like the reinstatement of VAT exemptions on renewable energy products has certainly helped make the investment in solar more tangible.
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Looking to build on the momentum of our expansion into Uganda, we are actively building out our worldclass team to allow us to pursue opportunities in Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and beyond."
A few words on your company's recent successful contributions to this industry. What has been your biggest challenge so far? In addition to the abovementioned power stabilization solution, we are proud to commission our first solar thermal project using concentrated parabolic mirrors to create 160°C and 4bar steam for a power plant here in Nairobi. We continue to make great strides in expanding our client base; earlier this year, we commissioned our first system outside of Kenya for a large plastics manufacturer located in Kampala, Uganda. We are in the process of building the second system and combined, the two systems will total 2.2MWp. Shipping and logistics challenges persist which will likely continue throughout 2022. As we continue to innovate and bring new solutions to the market, I believe one of our biggest challenges will be to bring the right level of awareness to the different markets and prove to our potential clients that these solutions are cost-effective investments that will provide returns for many years to come. We are ready to tackle this challenge!
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How do you see your company contributing to the clean energy sector in Africa in the next couple of years? What are your plans for expanding your services in the region? We want to be Africa’s Power Partner and bring our innovative power stabilization solution to commercial and industrial clients across Africa. The instability of national grids and constant spike/sags in voltage results in large operational losses due to increased reliance on running generators (high diesel costs), high product losses, greater costs on annual motor maintenance, and adverse costs related to productivity losses/downtime of the workforce during power outages. With the savings provided by correcting the power challenges, we envision companies being able to expand their operations which in turn has a profound on local communities by providing greater access to jobs. Looking to build on the momentum of our expansion into Uganda, we are actively building out our world-class team to allow us to pursue opportunities in Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and beyond.
Finally, what is your outlook for the Solar sector in the region by 2025? 2025 seems so far away, but it will be here in the blink of an eye! I remain very optimistic that the continued adoption of solar for larger power consumers will trend upwards across East Africa as more and more people realise the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy. My hope is that the cost of batteries will come down in the next 1-2 years which will allow us to offer competitive storage solutions to our clients as a means of furthering the value of solar PV systems. Lastly, my goal is to have Ariya as a leading force in the push for solar adoption across the region and serve as a model that can be effectively deployed across the whole of Africa.
MAR-APR ISSUE 2022
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INTERVIEW
GILLES VAES CEO, INFRACO AFRICA
Renewables – both on and off-grid – can support governments’ plans for universal electrification whilst also contributing to global goals around the mitigation of climate change and achieving global net-zero. " SolarQuarter Africa magazine got an excellent opportunity to interview Gilles Vaes - CEO, InfraCo Africa. He shared details about the company’s offerings and further plans on contributing to the solar growth in the region. He also expressed his thoughts on the solar market challenges and potential in the region. Please give our readers a bit of background about yourself and your company - its presence and offerings. I have an energy background and came to InfraCo Africa in 2019 having spent 15 years with Engie working in emerging markets in downstream natural gas and renewable energy. InfraCo Africa is part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and is supported by the governments of the UK, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. A developer at heart, I was attracted by the company’s somewhat unique mandate – delivering sustainable development impact through infrastructure and doing that by mobilizing private sector finance into some of sub-Saharan Africa’s least developed countries. Alongside renewable energy, we invest in water, transport and logistics, housing, and agri-infrastructure – often operating at the frontier of new technologies or in geographies where the private sector has previously feared to tread. Yet we do this by operating as a private company, seeking to develop bankable infrastructure projects and to invest our equity into those projects and innovative businesses which have the potential to be profitable and to operate at scale.
We have teams in London, Nairobi, and Casablanca and currently have a total of 29 active projects and investments across 13 countries. InfraCo Africa’s dedicated business development, investment, and asset management teams can support projects from concept to bankable reality and we also benefit from our ability to draw on the support of PIDG, our sister PIDG companies, and our Owners to ensure that our projects can overcome challenges as they arise in order to succeed and thrive. I am very proud of the fact that all of our projects and investments are aligned with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. To ensure that we achieve inclusive development impact, we embed high standards of health and safety and environmental and social good practices in our projects. We also seek to ensure that women, girls and underserved communities have access to jobs and opportunities and to the benefits of infrastructure. To ensure that every penny of our Owners’ money is well spent, we have a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption and work with our partners to enhance their own ABC management systems.
What is your assessment of the African Solar Market? What do you think the potential and opportunities are? The African solar market is an increasingly exciting space to work in – at InfraCo Africa we have an established track record in ongrid solar and off-grid solar but even in these areas we are seeing the considerable change:
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For our on-grid projects – such as the two operational solar plants we have with JCM Power in Malawi - we are seeing innovation and cost reductions for battery energy storage, something which is key to integrating intermittent renewables with existing grid infrastructure. In the off-grid space, there are increasing opportunities to develop large portfolio projects - such as our Sierra Leone Mini-grid project - and also to develop pan-African offgrid solutions. I also believe that there is considerable scope to expand the productive use of solar power. Both approaches increase the demand for clean energy which will, in turn, increase the profitability of off-grid utilities. Our solar-powered irrigation project in Senegal and the water pumping, street lighting, and affordable appliance microfinance applications being advanced by KUDURA Power East Africa in Kenya are just some examples of projects targeting productive use, so too is the initiative to develop solar charging hubs for our NopeaRide electric taxis in Kenya. There are also exciting developments in the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector which we are following with interest, and, in the solar home systems sector, we recently announced our commitment to provide US$15 million by way of convertible loan notes to a nextgeneration utility, Bboxx, to ramp up the provision of clean, reliable and affordable energy in underserved communities across a number of sub-Saharan geographies.
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In the next five years, what is your company's plan to support and promote renewable energy on the continent?
Your company is active in many African countries, what is a major challenge that you face in most of these countries during the implementation of a project? I would say that a major challenge we are facing right now across sub-Saharan Africa is the impact of the global inflation and logistics crisis – linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and further heightened by the war in Ukraine – which means that project development has become riskier and more costly and that existing businesses are under increasing pressure. We have unfortunately seen increasing political instability on the continent itself over the past two to three years and, at the same time, we are facing the broader threat of climate change. A very clear example of how climate change heightens the potential risk for project development is the uncertainty around the future hydrological behavior of rivers we may seek to utilize for hydropower. As such, we expect 2022 to be a particularly challenging year in which large and complex infrastructure developments will come under severe pressure, whilst some businesses may require restructuring efforts. We are committed to working alongside our partners to navigate these challenging times in order to ensure that our projects remain bankable and resilient and are attractive investment opportunities for the private sector in the longer term. The pandemic is not yet over, and it is also key that we continue to ensure that our teams and the communities close to our infrastructure projects stay safe from the virus. With support from PIDG Technical Assistance, we have been able to implement a raft of hygiene and awareness-raising measures on our projects.
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A ‘win-win’ scenario by which governments can achieve greater economic prosperity without incurring a heavy carbon cost. ."
Any piece of advice that you would like to give to the governments across the Continent who are looking to grow their country’s renewable energy capabilities? I think engaging with the private sector and keeping those lines of communication open is key. So is developing and implementing clear regulations and “rules of the game” so that the private sector’s perception of risk diminishes. There is a huge amount of expertise and finance available locally and internationally which is looking for somewhere to go. Renewables – both on and off-grid – can support governments’ plans for universal electrification whilst also contributing to global goals around the mitigation of climate change and achieving global net-zero. A ‘win-win’ scenario by which governments can achieve greater economic prosperity without incurring a heavy carbon cost. Our recent announcement of further investment into Africa GreenCo in Zambia is a great example of public/private cooperation as the Zambian government and national utility, ZESCO, have really engaged with the model and have supported GreenCo’s vision for developing a pioneering renewable energy buyer and services provider in the region.
PIDG and InfraCo Africa have long been committed to renewable energy on the continent. In the next five years, I would envisage our continuing our focus on offgrid, a space where people can rapidly gain access to clean electricity to power their homes, schools, clinics, and businesses, and also expanding the work I discussed earlier around productive use applications for renewables. Battery energy storage will be another key area of focus for us to ensure that new on-grid renewable capacity can integrate effectively with existing grid infrastructure. We will also continue with our larger ongrid projects, these can take longer to come to fruition but, as with our large hydro projects and the Corbetti Geothermal project, can have real potential to prove that a resource is viable and to deliver significant mega wattage of clean power for domestic and business customers. In order to achieve the scale and pace of change that is needed, we need to look beyond projects to adopt a platform approach. InfraCo Africa will do this by continuing to develop initiatives such as Africa GreenCo that seek to fundamentally transform renewable energy markets, by exploring opportunities to develop local capital markets through vehicles like InfraCredit in Nigeria. Using learning from InfraCredit we are working to develop a new credit enhancement facility in Kenya. We are also working together with Helios Investment Partners to launch a panAfrican investment vehicle, Climate, Energy Access and Resilience (CLEAR), which will fund climate-aligned infrastructure and growth businesses. Finally, as is fundamental to the PIDG mandate, we will continue to innovate at the frontier, developing projects and mobilizing private investment into new countries and renewable technologies to demonstrate to others what can be done and to accelerate a just transition to netzero.
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INTERVIEW
VICTOR KOYIER EXECUTIVE MANAGER-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, HUAWEI
We have continuously innovated the smart PV solution with string inverters as the core, promoting the digital and intelligent transformation of the PV industry. In an exciting interview with SolarQuarter Africa magazine, Victor Koyier - Executive Manager-Business Development, Huawei spoke about the key developments at their company and briefed us about the highlights and advantages of FusionSolar Smart PV solutions. He also told us about the tech trends we are likely to see in the near future and their plans for expanding the product portfolio and market share. How is the year 2022 progressing for Huawei in the African region? Any key developments? Huawei Smart PV business in Huawei Southern Africa region continues to grow rapidly this year, and its annual revenue is expected to increase by more than double. In the Utility scenario, we will work with our clients to build a showcase solar plant with an energy storage system in Ghana. In the C&I scenario, Huawei will continue to maintain its leading position and distribute more than 400 MW through channel partners. In the residential scenario, we expect to provide our Fusionsolar residential solution to more than 10,000 households, helping them obtain a stable, green power supply and a good home electricity experience. In addition, we will launch a next-generation Micro-grid solution this year, to help customers in Africa (such as campuses, hotels, universities, etc.) improve power outages and reduce diesel generator usage.
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Please tell our readers about the FusionSolar Smart PV solutions provided by your esteemed company. What are their key highlights and advantages? Over the past decade, we have continuously innovated the smart PV solution with string inverters as the core, promoting the digital and intelligent transformation of the PV industry. On the power generation side, new ICT technologies such as AI and cloud are further integrated with PV to build a smart PV plant capable of safe, reliable, and efficient power generation, intelligent O&M, and grid forming. On the power consumption side, Huawei has launched the Commercial & Industrial (C&I) solution for enterprises, enabling reduced power consumption costs and providing active safety, and the Residential solution for households, which generates clean energy for a zero-carbon life. This is in addition to our smart string energy storage system solutions which overcome the consistency and reliability problems inherent to lithium batteries. With a modular design, the new smart string energy storage system increases the discharge capacity, reduces O&M costs, ensures safety and reliability, maximizes investment returns, and achieves a 20% reduction in LCOS (Levelised Cost of Storage).
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Huawei's opinion on Future Trends in Inverter technology The key to carbon neutrality is to build a new power system based on new energy sources. We believe that the new power system has the following main characteristics: High proportion of renewable energy. High-proportion power electronic equipment. Highly digital and intelligent.
What updates/additions are you planning to your product portfolio for this year? Driven by the goal of carbon neutrality, our focus is on further innovation as well as the integration of information and energy flows to create greater value for customers in the future. The first and most important factor is core technologies, including Power Electronics technologies and Digital Technologies. AI, cloud, and connectivity, what we called Digital Technologies, are something that Huawei has been investing in for the past 20 to 30 years. On the other hand, power electronics technology has also been stockpiled, including semiconductor materials and power electronics semiconductor devices such as SiC and GaN.
We bring these two types of technology together to support the overall solutions above. In addition, we have five major enabling platforms, a smart string controller, a smart module controller, BMS, a communication platform, and a software algorithm platform to form all our products. With these products, we can apply them in five major scenarios, Smart PV&ESS Generator, Smart String ESS, C&I Smart PV Solution, Residential Smart PV Solution, and Smart Micro-Grid Solution, in which we all combine PV and energy storage. Above all, we have an energy management cloud which is a Professional Energy PaaS and SaaS Platform. Our partners can also use it to manage all equipment with high efficiency.
What are your plans for growth and development in 2022 in terms of new products, market share, etc.? Our first strategy is to replace fossil fuels (such as coal and oil) with clean energy such as solar, wind, nuclear, and hydropower. Secondly, electrification on the energy consumption end is also a trend that we embark on. Our third strategy is to enable the digital transformation of the energy industry, which reduces power generation costs, increases energy efficiency, and provides greener and safer energy. In the meantime, we will integrate generation, grid, load, and storage with digital technologies to build a new power system with renewable energy as the primary source, as well as for our work on low-carbon campuses and cities.
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INTERVIEW
GEOFFREY RONOH CO-FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, OFGEN
We successfully commissioned our first carport solar plant with a capacity of 340kWp and 715 kWh Tesla Powerpack at UAP Equatorial Towers in Juba South Sudan." In an exciting interview with SolarQuarter Africa magazine, Geoffrey Ronoh - Co-founder and Director, of OFGEN spoke about the company’s presence, services, and successful contributions to the region. He also spoke about the energy storage solutions and their importance and his views on the renewable sector’s performance in the coming future. Please brief our readers about OFGEN’s presence in Africa and the services you provide. OFGEN's presence has been in the Eastern Africa region for the last few years, but we shifted our focus to the wider African continent last year because we saw a great opportunity for renewable energy, particularly solar, due to the increased demand for more clean and reliable power. Currently, OFGEN develops, designs, finances, procures, builds, operates, and maintains photovoltaic systems for the commercial and industrial sectors in Africa. To date, the company has cumulatively built and financed over 30+ on-grid and off-grid solar plants with 10+ MWp solar capacity and 9.3MWh of battery energy across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan markets. The company has delivered projects for the likes of Williamson Tea Estate, GlaxoSmithKline, Serena Group of Hotels, Toyota, and British American Tobacco.
A word about your recent successful contributions to this industry? We successfully commissioned our first carport solar plant with a capacity of 340kWp and 715 kWh Tesla Powerpack at UAP Equatorial Towers in Juba South Sudan. The solar project was built on the building's parking lot to provide shade to vehicles during the day. Excess energy from the PV plant is stored in Tesla power packs, lowering the cost of diesel consumed by generators. OFGEN’s innovative financial model enabled the end-user to pay only for the energy consumed, resulting in immediate savings.
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Your company does many Solar Projects with Storage Solutions. How do you see the energy storage market evolving in the region in the near future? The African energy storage market is rapidly expanding as demand for alternative energy sources grows, particularly in areas without grid power. With the adoption of solar and wind power increasing in Africa, battery storage solutions will be critical in assisting green energy resources to reach their full potential in the region.
What are the challenges you see with this? The key challenge right now is that energy storage is quite expensive and not widely deployed in large energy projects in Africa. Therefore, there is a need to make it more affordable and locally available.
Your company has been doing projects in many African countries, what is the major challenge you face in most of these countries which you believe should be addressed immediately. Lack of proper government legislation in most African countries that support a low-carbon transition, i.e., high tax rates and customs clearance. Regional governments need to increase their support and investment in renewable energy, i.e., in the form of subsidies, policies, financial assistance, tax incentives, and infrastructure development. Additionally, there is a need for increased investment in public-private partnerships, especially in the development of renewable energy plants, i.e., solar and wind power plants.
Another challenge is the difficulty in market entry, whereby renewable energy companies compete with the already well-established existing technologies in this case use of fossil fuels an energy source that already has existing infrastructure, expertise, and policy. Hence the private sector to push for market transformation policies by encouraging low carbon transition within the sector
How do you think the Renewable Energy sector is going to perform in the next 5 years in Africa? Do you see more foreign investors coming in and investing in the sector? The renewable energy sector is rapidly expanding due to the increased demand for clean and reliable energy sources, particularly solar power, which has a potential capacity of 10 TW in Africa. The continent should be able to reach its full potential in terms of access to renewable power if enough support is provided not only by the government but also by private investors. Africa has excellent investment opportunities since it has one of the world's largest untapped solar energy resources. Hence, I foresee more foreign investors coming and investing in the renewable energy sector.
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COMPANY FEATURE
JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd, founded in May 2005, is a worldleading manufacturer of high-performance photovoltaic silicon wafers, cells, modules and PV power stations. With a module production capacity of 40GW from 12 global manufacturing plants, JA Solar is ranked among the top three tiers 1 PV manufacturer for several consecutive years with a cumulative global shipment volume of 79GW as of Q3 2021. JA Solar has been well received on its home turf and abroad, being listed on Fortune China 500 and Global Top 500 New Energy Enterprises
VISION: Being a great enterprise
MISSION: Develop solar power to benefit the entire human race
CORE VALUES: Put customers first, respect shareholders interests and let our employees grow
ATTITUDE: Integrity and professional ethics JA Solar is always at the forefront of technology driven by years of Strong R&D efforts, solid financial performance, wellestablished global sales and service networks. The company has always attached great importance to R&D and innovation of product technology and the constant improvement of product performance as well as strict testing of modules for quality, reliability and performance ensuring that the customers' interests are sufficiently guaranteed. These products are available in over 135 countries and regions and are used extensively in ground-mounted power plants, commercial & industrial rooftop PV systems and residential rooftop PV systems. JA Solar was the first firm in the world to mass-produce its high-efficiency Mono PERC MBB cells and modules using Ga-doped wafers and is providing high-efficiency DeepBlue 3.0 PV products to its customers worldwide. DeepBlue 3.0 integrates the latest PERCIUM+, Ga-doped
silicon
wafers,
11
busbar
technology and half-cut cell configuration. These modules have been developed to achieve the best LCOE and compatibility with the manufacturing processes, transportation, leading solar inverter and PV mounting solutions. At year-end 2021, the cumulative global shipment of DeepBlue 3.0 exceeded 12GW across 86 countries and regions around the world The Company has been recognized by BloombergNEF 2021 PV Module Bankability Survey as 100% Bankable and by PVEL's 2021 PV Module Reliability Scorecard as a TOP Performer for the sixth time. In RETC's 2021 PV Module Index Report (PVMI), JA Solar was recognized as an Overall High Achiever. JA Solar has also been awarded the Top Brand PV seal in European, the Middle East
&
North
Vietnamese
Africa,
markets
Australian gaining
and high
recognition in the global PV market JA Solar as a member of PV CYCLE strives for continuous improvement in our environmental, health and safety management systems and in the environmental quality of our products, processes, and services. The company has also been awarded Silver Medal by EcoVadis for ongoing CSR Efforts
Website: https://www.jasolar.com/html/en/
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KENYA
SOLAR WEEK
LEADERSHIP AWARDS 2022
Recognition For The Winners At Kenya Solar Week Awards 2022 The Top Solar Leaders Of Kenya Honored And Awarded At Solar Week 2022 “OPPORTUNITIES DON’T HAPPEN, YOU CREATE THEM.” SolarQuarter is very proud to create this opportunity for the great achievers and leaders of the Kenya Solar Industry. The stage was set to honor and award some of the finest products, projects, technologies, leaders, and teams that have revolutionized the Kenyan Solar Industry. The Award Ceremony was graced by our Guests of Honor - Mr. Andrew Amadi, CEO, KEREA, and Mr. Tom George, Kenya Country Coordinator, AMDA.
Unveiling the proud winners: Honorary Awards: For their outstanding work in the development of the solar energy sector in Kenya. Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA) Rural Electrification & Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) Energy & Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Mr. Andrew Amadi, CEO, KEREA For His outstanding work in the development of the solar energy sector in Kenya
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS: Solar Company of the Year: Module - JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd JA Solar emerges in 2021 as a worldclass solar panel manufacturer in shipment, performance, bankability, and quality. It is ranked No. 2 in global shipment ranking 2021 according to the PV infolink and has achieved 79GW cumulative global shipment as of Q3,2021.
Solar Company of the Year: Inverter - Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. Huawei reinvented the wheel by being the first global company to innovate smart string inverters, at a time when centralized inverters were in use. This company has the largest market share in string inverters, having shipped over 200 GW globally in 2022, and by now in Kenya, over 90 ME.
Solar Company of the Year: Monitoring Solutions - EcoPhi Renewables Engineering The company has All-in-one monitoring and control of solar home systems, biomass boiler systems, solar water pumping systems, solar off-grid systems, solar on-grid systems (C&I), and water treatment systems. Their modular systems can efficiently monitor and control both small and simple as well as large and complex plants.
Solar Company of the Year: Developer: OffGrid - NAL OFFGRID LIMITED The company develops solar photovoltaic projects with a focus on solar-powered mini-grids. They design, install, commission, and operate Solar mini-grids in the off-grid areas in Kenya. They are licensed by the Energy and Petroleum Authority as a power utility company in Kenya.
Solar company of the year: EPC Spenomatic Solar Ltd Spenomatic expanded into the Solar PV space in 2018 with one of Kenya’s largest roof-mounted systems at the time; A 1.4 MW PV solution. In a short 3 years, they have managed to hit a milestone of 55 MW installed or under commissioning with an additional 35 MW worth of order booking of Solar PV Systems across all possible industries.
Solar Project Excellence Awards: Best Solar Project of the Year: Commercial - Rockwill Green Energy East Africa Ltd The Kenyan company deals with the provision of Commercial Solar PV Systems for various institutions and all areas with High Electricity Demand. The ASL LUSAKA ROAD SOLAR PROJECT handled by the company has a capacity of 162.34KW, with an actual monthly generation of 20,000kWh.
Best Solar Project of the Year: Floating - Ariya Finergy The company has financed and launched the first floating solar system designed by Kenyans, for Kenyans. The floating solar PV system is 66 kWp with 31 kWh of battery storage that was commissioned in August 2021 at a winery in Naivasha, Kenya. The floating solar design came to fruition through a collaboration of the company’s engineering.
WINNERS ARE THOSE THAT CONVERT PROBLEMS INTO OPPORTUNITIES. Best solar project of the Year: Industrial - Spenomatic Solar Ltd The project is a 1.3MW grid-tied solar PV solution for a footwear manufacturer in Mombasa. The impact of this installation on the client was that approximately 1.95 million units of electricity are generated annually by this Solar PV plant, thereby allowing a saving of up to 30% per annum on electricity costs.
Best Solar Offgrid project of the Year: Rural Irrigation - Oasis Green Africa (Oasis Solar Ltd) Oasis promotes the use of renewable energy solutions. Founded in 2017, it is their advocacy to make solar energy the ideal means of providing clean energy solutions in diverse markets. They have installed Solar Micro Water Pumping Systems for Rural Homes and Farmers in Kitui, Makueni, and Machakos.
Best Solar Offgrid project of the Year: Rural Electrification Renewvia Energy The company has built 22 mini-grids in SSA so far and has a voluminous pipeline. They have installed a solar mini-grid to serve Village One, which is currently providing electricity at an affordable cost to almost 500 households, schools, businesses, institutions, and places of worship. The current distribution is over 5 km of medium voltage transmission to the load center and an additional 20 km of low voltage to each individual subscriber.
https://solarquarter.com/studio/
Technology & Innovation Excellence Awards: Best Solar Technology of the Year (Module) - JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd JA’s technology is based on a 182mm by 182mm wafer and includes the latest PERC high-efficiency cell technology PERCIUM+, Gallium doped silicon wafers, 11 busbar design, and the half-cell configuration. This technology has been recognized by the global PV market for its excellent power generation performance. At the year-end of 2021, cumulative global shipments of DeepBlue 3.0 exceeded 12Gw around the world.
Best Marketing Team of the Year - JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd. JA’s marketing team works with a commitment to promoting R&D, the application of high-efficiency PV technology, and services to its customers. Over the last 3 years, the company’s Africa department has experienced significant growth in terms of market share and shipments into Africa as a result of providing quick & better customer services, marketing campaigns, and providing direct training to industry players. In 2021 the shipments in Africa exceeded 500MW.
Best Solar Technology of the Year (Inverter) - Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. Huawei innovates and optimizes throughout the entire lifecycle of PV energy generation. Their smart inverter is a touch-free inverter; fuseless, no buttons, no LCD. It has 99.996 Availability; very low failure of less than 0.05%. The inverter is fanless with very low operation noise, a responsive energy management system with Fusion Solar App, and an Inbuilt WLAN for local commissioning up to 40KTL Inverter.
Team Excellence Awards: Best Engineering Team Of The Year - Spenomatic Solar Ltd. Spenomatic is a homegrown engineering major and current leader in providing sustainable solutions in the energy and environment sector for the East African market for over 20 years. Their engineering team goes the extra mile in ensuring each project is done neatly, safely, and overall handover a plant that is appealing to the eye even though there was no such expectation. The engineering team has been playing an integral part in also taking on the job of reducing the cost of projects whether it means finding better suppliers of certain components or fabricating elements in-house.
Individual Leadership Awards: Business leader of the Year Mr.Vivian Vendeirinho Founder & CEO, KUDURA Power East Africa Ltd Mr. Vivian is considered a Minigrid Sector thought leader and is currently serving a second term as President of the African Minigrid Developers Association and a founding member. He grew the company from 2 employees in 2018 to over 50 in 2021 and provided renewable grid power to over 20,000 people. Poised now to quadruple the consumer-based and increase staff by 50%. He believes that he has created "a great place to work".
Rising Star of the Year - Mr.Alvin Michael Sigala, Solar Technician, Fireside Group
Best Sales Team of the Year Jinko Solar According to a report for the year 2021, the top five PV modules vendors in Kenya accounted for more than 80% of the market, with Jinko taking the top spot after shipping close to 50MW of PV modules, approximately 50% of the market share. They have recently announced it had delivered 100GW of solar modules worldwide and it is the first company in history to achieve this milestone. This can only be accomplished by the hard work of the entire sales team.
Mr. Alvin has over nine years of rich working experience in this field. He is a team player, a quick learner, and a highly trainable, self-motivated, and proactive star. His core competencies include Designing, Installation, and commissioning Solar PV hybrid energy systems, Energy Auditing and report writing of the audited unit, Renewable Energy site screening, and Feasibility Studies. To know more about our awards visit us
https://solarquarter.com/studio/
Recognition For The GrandMasters of Solar Industry In Kenya “OPPORTUNITIES DON’T HAPPEN, YOU CREATE THEM.” SolarQuarter is very proud to create this opportunity for the great achievers and leaders of the Kenya Solar Industry. The stage was set to honor and award some of the finest products, projects, technologies, leaders, and teams that have revolutionized the Kenyan Solar Industry. The GrandMaster ceremony was graced by our Guests of Honor - Mr. Tom George, Kenya Country Coordinator, AMDA, and Mr. Hadyr Koumakpai, GM Africa, JA Solar. They addressed the audience with their wonderful remarks and presented the award to the Solar leaders.
Unveiling the proud winners: Excellence In Project Design & Innovation - Mr. Saidi Ngutu, CEO, Oasis Green Africa.
Emerging Business Leader of the Year- Mr. Vivian Vendeirinho, Founder and CEO, RVE SOL
Mr. Ngutu is a skilled leader in publicprivate partnership, WASH value chain program design & development, rural and urban water sector development, strategic management, governance and financial management of water services, facilitation skills, coaching, and mentoring. He is a lead facilitator of the Water Safety Planning Course developed by the World Health Organization and administered by the International Water Association.
Mr. Vivian is the President and founding member of the Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA), where he has been instrumental in setting up AMDA as an organization as well as providing strategic direction and advice. Under his guidance, the company has successfully completed its expansion into multiple counties with 300kWp of rural solar mini-grids (98% renewable) serving over 20,000 people in two counties with over 90% connection penetration.
Women Leader of The Year - Ms. Chaltu Marta, Regional Lead, W Giertsen Energy Solutions Ms. Marta has successfully oriented the company to focus on market segmentation. She got the company their first biggest commercial industrial system. A Pioneer of the Western Kenya region market, she is fronting Tea Industry Solarization and Boiler Solarization to reduce firewood consumption by 50%. She has Organized mentorship programs through the company portfolio reaching out to thousands of young women.
WINNERS ARE THOSE THAT CONVERT PROBLEMS INTO OPPORTUNITIES.
Excellence In Business Development - Mr. Nirav Shah, Director, NAL OFFGRID LIMITED Mr. Shah has developed his line of business from scratch and now it is a multi-million dollar business. His company only deals in Energy equipment and solutions for the African Market. He started off with 2 mini-grids initially and slowly expanded from 4 to 6 now, aiming to be part of the vision 2030 for universal access to electricity and without minigrids, this can never be achieved.
Young Leader Of The Year Ms.Irene Mutua, Account Manager- Solar Projects, Adrian Kenya Limited Ms. Mutua is good at troubleshooting problems and building successful solutions. Under her leadership, the team has been instrumental in doing timely closures of projects due to streamlined planning, encouraged collaboration among internal and external stakeholders in business development and actualization, and Increased market share in supply and installation of solar solutions by 5%. She has successfully commissioned several projects for the company.
Excellence In Project Technology - Mr.Troy Barrie, CTO & CoFounder, Ariya Finergy Mr. Barrie oversees both the Research and Development arm and the Engineering teams of his company. He has a rich experience of 10+ years with on-grid, off-grid storage + PV systems with a lifetime install of 18 MWhr of energy storage projects. He has led the R&D team to bring to market the Ariya Vision energy controller which accelerates essential Green Technologies.
Women Leader of The Year Ms.Khilna Dodhia, CEO, Kenergy Renewables Limited Mr. Dodhia brings in 17 years of solid experience in the development of over 2GW of utility-scale renewable energy power plants across Europe and Africa. The empowerment of employees and supporting professional growth have been important to company culture. Under her leadership, the employees have been provided the right tools and amount of support to progress in their professional growth. Annually, the employees are required to enroll in courses that improve their skills and provide a way toward career growth.
Excellence In Project Engineering - Mr. Bhavinkumar Chovatiya, Head Design n Engineering, ASTONFIELD SOLESA SOLAR KENYA LIMITED Mr. Chovatiya is a well 12+ years of an experienced leader who has developed all the automated templates for the team to generate Power logger analysis, proposals, technical design calculations, design formats, QA Checks, FQA, MQA all the documents. All these templates have helped the team to fast-track the individual process of the project design, calculation, and implementation. He has taken the initiative to hire the ERP System for the solar project methodology and has developed the internal process to update all the project-related tasks on a digital platform called Solar ladder.
Excellence In Business Development - Mr.George Mosomi, Head of Business Development, GridX Africa Mr. Mosomi is a renewable energy engineer with more than 10 years of experience. He has worked in marine, wind, and solar energy developments in Africa, Europe, South East Asia, and South America, and at the Energy and Petroleum Regulator in Kenya. He has maintained good relationships with the clients and ensured they are happy which goes a long way in achieving the company’s portfolio.
Excellence In Project HSE Mr.Amolloh Melyne Achieng, Health Safety, and Environment Services Manager, KUDURA Power East Africa Ltd. Mr. Achieng has developed Health safety and Environment systems for the company in 2021 which has tremendously helped in cultivating a safety culture. The monitoring and annual plans, developed by him have guided the day-to-day monitoring of the Health Safety, and Environmental performance of the organization. The escalation of the various learning points and recommendations from the monitoring reports have been useful in ensuring implementation and general improvement.
Excellence In Project Construction - Mr. Kipyegon Geoffrey, Construction Manager, New Southern Energy Kenya. Mr. Geoffrey has 10 years of experience in the field. He is working for a leading renewable energy solutions provider based in South Africa helping businesses reach their energy goals by designing and constructing premium, bespoke solar energy systems. Under his leadership, the team has managed many timely completion of projects.
Women Leader of The Year - Ms. Jenny Fletcher, CO-Founder & CEO, Ariya Finergy. Ms. Jenny with 10+ years of rich experience in the field has led the company and its team to successfully complete its game-changing power stabilization, Solar PV, battery, and auto controller project made possible by an award from Innovate UK. The success of the floating solar system has led her to identify three more floating solar sites which will be installed and commissioned in the second half of 2022. She continues to champion R&D which has led the company to introduce affordable energy security through power stabilization and voltage correction which integrates storage solutions and renewable energy into the East African market.
Excellence In Project Engineering - Eng. Mathew Arthur, Electrical Engineer, Texas Solutech Co. Ltd. Mr. Arthur is a well-experienced engineer who is registered by the engineers' board of Kenya, having T3 and A1 EPRA licenses for competent solar and electrical design. He has been instrumental in the Preparation of engineers' reports to facilitate generation license by the regulator EPRA. He has consulted several other EPC companies and supported solar installation quality control along with mentoring more than 5 graduate engineers to professional engineers.
Leadership Impact of the Year Mr. Hadyr Adebayo Koumakpai, General Manager, JA SOLAR Mr. Koumakpai is a leader who holds a double Masters' degree in Energy and Sustainability. With over 15 years of experience in China and Africa Solar sectors. He has been associated with top brands and is responsible for the growth of business as well as brand position. Presently he is working for the world's leading manufacturer of highperformance solar power products that convert sunlight into electricity. Under his leadership, the company has Shipped over 500 MW into Africa in 2021 To know more about our awards visit us
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AFRICA
UPCOMING WEBINAR Solar Market Outlook: Western Africa JULY 7, 2022
WHY ATTEND? We are bringing to you the Solar Market Outlook series for the Western Africa Region. In this series, we'll host 4 region-based customized webinars in which leaders from the industry will discuss the Policies, market Trends, Technological Advancements, Installed capacity, and the Outlook for 2022.
KEY TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:
Installations in 2022
Anticipated growth of Industry in 2022
Policy interventions required to boost the growth
key issues faced in new project construction & execution
For Collaboration Opportunities With Solar Quarter Africa, contact: Smriti Charan:
Andrew Ferreira
smriti@firstviewgroup.com
andrew@firstviewgroup.com
+91-77188 77514
+91-96309 11134
