Saudi Arabia to build $200bn solar power farm to reduce dependence on oil
Businessam Staff
March 28, 2018
In its latest efforts to increase access to renewables and reduce dependence on oil, Saudi Arabia has drawn up plans to build the world’s biggest solar farm, which, if realized, would create 100,000 jobs in the oil-rich kingdom and produce 200 gigawatts (GW) of energy, a third more than the global photovoltaic industry supplied worldwide […]
More Africa homes get powered as Kenyan M-KOPA Solar secures more fund
Businessam StaffMarch 22, 2018
M-KOPA Solar, Kenyan pay-as-you-go solar energy provider has secured a new round of funding that will be used to extend their product offering to more homes and individuals across Africa. The investment amount, which is undisclosed, includes a first-ever $10 million investment from FinDev Canada, according to ITWebAfrica. Led by U.K. government-owned investment company CDC, […]
Off-grid power rollout to boost rural telephony
Businessam StaffMarch 12, 2018
Telecommunications services across Nigeria, especially rural areas, would improve in the near term as plans are underway to rollout a massive infrastructure for rural cellphone telephony system across Nigeria by Raeanna Nigeria Limited, an indigenous telecoms infrastructure company that creates affordable voice and data solutions. The company, according to its Canadian-based technical partner, Clear Blue […]
Microsoft to buy solar power in Singapore in first renewable deal in Asia
Businessam StaffMarch 1, 2018
Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it will buy solar power from the Sunseap Group in Singapore, the technology company’s first renewable energy deal in Asia. Microsoft, according to report by Reuters, will purchase 100 percent of the electricity generated from Sunseap’s 60 megawatt-peak solar power project for 20 years for its Singapore data operations, the […]
United Capital analysts call for cleaner, renewable energy on fluctuations in gas-generated power
Businessam StaffFebruary 12, 2018
Power analysts are calling for a large-scale diversification to cleaner and renewable energy such as solar, wind, and biomass to ensure more reliable electricity supply. The call is at the instance of vagaries and fluctuations in power generation in the country, which have been affected by too much reliance on gas-powered thermal stations, requiring high […]
Opportunities seen in diversifying Nigeria’s renewable energy sources
Phillip IsakpaFebruary 5, 2018
The major differences between fossil fuel and renewables as sources of energy can be found in two words: reliability and exhaustibility. Fossil fuels are controllable and readily available, but not inexhaustible. However, renewable energy, such as biomass, sun, wind, and water, is somewhat unreliable because we don’t control the energy to be generated, but they […]
Africa’s richest man, Dangote, staking $150m on solar to ramp up industrial activities in Nigeria’s Kano
Ajose SehindemiJanuary 23, 2018
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has his eyes set on reviving business activities in Nigeria’s ancient city of Kano with an investment of $150 million in a solar power plant to generate electricity that will power industries and ramp up production, it has emerged from different sources who provided information to Businessamlive for this story. […]
Saudi Arabia plans up to $7bn of renewable energy projects this year
Businessam StaffJanuary 16, 2018
Saudi Arabia expects to start up to $7 billion of renewable energy projects this year, with solar plants leading the way. Tenders will be issued this year for eight projects totaling 4.125 gigawatts of capacity, Turki Mohammed Al Shehri, head of the kingdom’s Renewable Energy Project Development Office, said Tuesday in an interview in Abu […]
Demand for remote renewable energy systems propels power storage market in Sub Saharan Africa, Frost & Sullivan
Businessam StaffJanuary 12, 2018
The drive to integrate renewable energy into the grid whilst at the same time supply constant, reliable power for industry activities is one of the key factors driving the power storage market in Sub-Saharan Africa. Similarly, more residential consumers and rural communities are relying on RE technologies to meet their daily power requirements. While demand […]
Solar-powered cool rooms making big difference, fighting waste in Africa
Businessam StaffJanuary 4, 2018
Food waste in Africa is a serious issue. Half of all the fruit and vegetables produced there are thrown away, even though millions of people across the continent are going hungry. Intermittent power supplies and poor storage facilities mean that staple foods – among them cereals, roots, and tubers – are too often lost after […]