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Tag: renewable energy

  • ”How Nigeria Could Turn Climate Change into Economic Opportunity”-Prof Okereke

    ”How Nigeria Could Turn Climate Change into Economic Opportunity”-Prof Okereke

    The ongoing effort to stem the negative impact of climate change presents Nigeria with unique opportunities to boost its economy and improve electricity supply through renewable sources, expert on climate change issues, Professor Chukwumerije Okereke has said.

    Okereke who is the Director, Centre for Climate Change and Development, CCCD, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, stated this in Abuja at the award ceremony for the winners of the second National Essay Competition titled ‘Climate Change and Nigeria’s Economic Development: A letter to Mr. Incoming President’.

    Prof. Okereke said the essays written by the three finalists would be sent to whoever emerges Nigeria’s President in the general elections.

    He noted that climate change was not just an environmental issue but a national emergency that should be paid serious attention to by all Nigerians.

    According to him, “Many people misunderstand climate change as a small environmental problem somewhere. We are saying that climate change is a national economic development issue. It has to do with agriculture. It has to do with migration. It has to do with security. It has to do with water resources. It has to do with energy. It has to do with urban planning. It has to do with transportation.

    “Nigeria is losing according to the statistics and research done by the UK Government up to $100 billion a year to climate change as at 2020. And that number may go up to $250 billion per year by 2050 if Nigeria fails to take drastic action to tackle the problem. And the youth is the future.

    “They’re our leaders. You can see how massive their engagement in the current election campaign is. So we thought that it’s important to bring the youth together, to animate them, to equip them to empower them, to sensitise them so that they can champion the cause of climate change and the action to solve the problem in Nigeria.

    “As to whether the right is going to get to the President, absolutely. We will make sure that we email these three winning essays to whoever becomes the next president”.

    Prof. Okereke explained that the government needs to create more awareness among Nigerians on the impact of climate change and also set out a national plan to tackle the issues.

    He said that the national plan has to be implemented to the letter and also ensure that institutions charged with implementing the policies are staffed with competent people to drive the process.

    “The good news is that if we can act on climate change in a sensible and wise and intelligent manner, we can actually turn it from being a threat to being an opportunity. For example, in the area of renewable energy, we have just about 4,000 megawatts of energy that we are generating for a country of about 200 million people. South Africa generates about 40 gigawatts. And yet, Nigeria is a land of sun, we can harvest all the energy we need to meet our power and electricity from the sun.

    “Second, we can begin to utilise what we call green agriculture to be able to deal with the issue of desertification, desert encroachment, the degradation of the Lake Chad lecture and begin to create opportunity for women and men to go into green agriculture, which will build resilience to climate change and also lead to a lot of job opportunities.

    “We should stop the flaring of our gas in the Niger Delta, because its contribution is about 55 million metric tonnes of CO2 per annum to Nigeria. And yet if we harness those gases we can use it to power modular cooking and energy in the rural areas of the country”, he added.

    Source:(CCCD Post)

  • Climate change: Africa has a major new carbon market initiative – what you need to know

    Author: Jonathan Colmer

     Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Virginia

    Published: January 23, 2023 4.55pm SAST

    Climate finance for the African continent got a boost at the 2022 United Nations Climate Conference (COP27), with the launch of the African Carbon Markets Initiative. This aims to make climate finance available for African countries, expand access to clean energy, and drive sustainable economic development.

    Led by a 13-member steering committee of African leaders, chief executives and industry specialists, the initiative promises to expand the continent’s participation in voluntary carbon markets.

    Carbon markets are trading platforms which allow individuals, firms and governments to fund projects that reduce emissions (instead of reducing their own emissions).

    Kenya, Malawi, Gabon, Nigeria and Togo have already indicated their intention to collaborate with the market.

    Our mission is to share knowledge and inform decisions.

    About us

    Climate projects include reforestation and forest conservation, investments in renewable energy, carbon-storing agricultural practices and direct air capture. In return for funding projects like these, investors receive carbon credits – certificates used to “offset” the emissions that they continue to produce.

    The African initiative’s goal is to produce 300 million new carbon credits annually by 2030, comparable to the number of credits issued globally in voluntary carbon offset markets in 2021.

    However, there is considerable scepticism about whether carbon offset credits do mitigate climate change.

    Two important issues

    In assessing the effectiveness of carbon credits, one important concern is the concept of “additionality”. Emission reductions or removals are “additional” if the project or activity would not have happened without the added incentive provided by the carbon credits. For example, if a landowner is paid to not cut down trees, but had no plans to cut them down in the first place, the project does not deliver additional emissions savings. The landowner is paid for doing nothing and the buyer’s emissions are not offset.

    Providing carbon credits to projects that would have been implemented anyway delivers zero climate mitigation, and can result global emissions that are higher than if the credits hadn’t been issued. This is a serious challenge for carbon offset markets because additionality is not measurable, despite industry claims. While project managers may claim that they are unable to proceed without funding, there is no way of knowing whether these claims are true.

    A second issue is permanence. Carbon offsets have to be permanent because carbon emissions remain in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. It is almost impossible to guarantee that emissions will be offset for this length of time. But it depends on the type of offset project.

    There are two types of carbon offset project:

    • those that reduce the amount of carbon that is emitted
    • those that remove carbon from the atmosphere.

    In the case of carbon reduction projects, overall emissions remain positive. Examples of carbon reduction credits include investments in renewable energy. Even though the supplier of the carbon credit is not generating any emissions, the buyer continues to emit, and so the overall level of emissions is positive. Carbon neutrality – net-zero emissions – cannot be achieved using carbon reduction credits.

    There should be more funding available for carbon reduction activities in Africa, but investors should not receive carbon credits to offset their own emissions when supporting these activities. Such investments would be philanthropic – for the good of the planet, not to balance the carbon accounting books.

    Carbon removal projects do, however, have the potential to deliver a permanent net-zero emissions outcome. Direct air capture projects, which use chemical reactions to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store them deep underground, can meet this goal. The cost of direct air capture, however, remains very high.

    Forest growth, a less costly type of carbon removal project, is less permanent. Landowners may commit not to cut down trees, but wildfires, disease, and other disruption events can release much of the stored carbon back into the atmosphere. There is still value to forest carbon credits, but they can’t guarantee permanence. Forest projects provide “carbon deferrals”. Additional forest growth projects remove carbon from the atmosphere for a fixed amount of time. There is value to this delay because it can reduce peak warming and gives society more time for the costs of decarbonising technologies to fall. While there is value to these carbon deferral projects they should not be used to generate carbon credits that are used to permanently offset the emissions produced through economic activity.

    Goals of the market

    The African Carbon Markets Initiative has bold ambitions. It will attract investments in Africa by firms, consumers and governments in countries that have historically contributed the most to climate change. Whether these investments result in any meaningful climate benefit, however, is unclear. Time will tell.

    Existing carbon offset projects lack credibility. This doesn’t mean that carbon credits can’t be more useful in future. Being transparent about what projects actually deliver, rather than what we hope they deliver, is paramount. Given the limited resources available to mitigate climate change, we need more than good intentions.

    Source:(The Conversation)

     

  • Seychelles holds successful talks with Masdar UAE in relation to Seychelles’ Energy Generation plan

    Seychelles holds successful talks with Masdar UAE in relation to Seychelles’ Energy Generation plan

    18 January 2023 | Energy

    Abu Dhabi, UAE 18 January 2023: President Wavel Ramkalawan chaired successful discussions with a Masdar delegation, during his participation at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ASWD).

    The meeting, which was held with the Masdar Chief Green Hydrogen Officer, Mohammad Abdelqader El Ramahi and the Senior Manager of Project Management Services, Simon Bräunigerr, focused on the way forward for the implementation of a comprehensive Seychelles’ Electricity Generation plan.

    This is in line with the growth of the Seychelles economy and the increased need to implement an electricity generation plan that will meet the long-term demands associated with the rise in economic activities whilst also addressing the Nationally determined contributions (NDC) commitments made by Seychelles government at COP27.

    Seychelles is supportive of a transition towards integration of more renewable energy and the use of cleaner fuel for generation of electricity in the short to medium term. The meeting held yesterday was an opportunity for Seychelles to propose to Masdar several projects for consideration that will get Seychelles on track towards strengthening its role further in the global combat against climate change. Hence, the proposal for implementation various key renewable energy projects proposed for Mahé, Praslin and La Digue.

    This includes various Renewable Photo Voltaic (PV) Projects for the above three main islands, in the form of Agri-Voltaic PV, Floating PV Systems, PV plant mounted on elevated structures as well as others. PUC also recognizes the need to transit to a cleaner fuel in the short to medium term, hence discussions with the Masdar team also revolved around potential conventional generation projects such as transitioning to hydrogen.

    Following the talks held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, confirmation of most suitable and feasible projects will be approved and Memorandums of Understanding between the two entities will be drawn up.

    Also present for the discussion from the Seychelles delegation were the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Climate Change, Mr. Flavien Joubert, the Chief Executive Officer for Public Utilities Corporation, Mr Joel Valmont and the Chief Executive Officer for Meteological Services, Mr Vincent Amelie.

    Source:(Seychelles State House)

  • Independents Energy Companies are Raring to Go in Africa in 2023 with Sustainable Energy Development (By NJ Ayuk)

    Independents Energy Companies are Raring to Go in Africa in 2023 with Sustainable Energy Development (By NJ Ayuk)

     

    OPINION PIECE
    They’re bringing private capital, experience, and know-how to the continent
    JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, December 26, 2022/ — By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber

    In late 2019, Africa Oil Corp. President and CEO Keith Hill told Petroleum Economist that, given Africa’s unproven oil and gas basins, the continent was probably “the greatest frontier,” with outstanding opportunities for exploration, production, and development companies, including independents.

    Three years later, Hill remains bullish about Africa, and Canada-headquartered Africa Oil Corp. is driving oil and gas exploration here. The company is part of a growing trend we’re seeing: independent oil and gas companies that recognize the tremendous promise of our underexplored continent and are finding ways to thrive here — and make a positive impact.

    I’m extremely optimistic about independents like Africa Oil Corp and BW Energy, which are building on their successful track records in exploration and production, and Perenco, which is building Africa’s natural gas industry. I’m encouraged by the efforts of Trident Energy, which is finding ways to bolster production in mature fields, and by Eco Atlantic, which has been convincing investors not to turn their backs on our continent. Companies like these are exactly what Africa needs. They’re bringing private capital, experience, and know-how to the continent. They are accelerating resource monetization and maximization for the good of Africa. And, honestly, I can’t wait to see what they do in 2023.

    Putting Natural Gas to Work for Africa

    As David Christianson so eloquently put it in a recent blog for Trade Law Centre (tralac), a South Africa-based think tank, “Africa’s gas future is floating offshore.” Floating liquified natural gas (FLNG) units are an ideal way to capitalize on Africa’s abundant natural gas resources. They can be deployed rapidly and more affordably than onshore LNG trains, creating a practical pathway to gas monetization. London-headquartered independent, Perenco, which has operated in Cameroon for nearly 30 years, is capitalizing on these opportunities.

    Not only did Perenco establish an FLNG plant in Cameroon, it made history there. The Hilli Episeyo FLNG, which began commercial operations in March 2018, is the world’s second-ever FLNG plant to enter operation and the first in the world to operate from a converted LNG tanker. The plant, moored off the coast of Kribi, is the property of Norwegian Golar. Not only does the project have global significance, but it also involves local entities. Perenco partnered with Cameroon’s Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures (National Hydrocarbons Company) to launch the project. The Hilli Episeyo is designed to produce 2.4 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) of LNG and has 125,000 cubic meters of storage capacity. Natural gas for the plant is sourced from Perenco’s Sanaga and Ebome gas fields.

    What’s more, Perenco is growing its upstream activity in the continent. Earlier this year, it signed a deal with oil and gas company New Age Ltd. to buy its stake and take over the operatorship of the Etinde gas field, which is in shallow water in the Rio del Rey Basin offshore Cameroon. In July, Perenco acquired Anglo-Swiss multinational Glencore’s entities in North Africa, The acquisition includes PetroChad Mangara, which operates the Mangara, Badila, and Krim oilfields in Chad’s Doba Basin. And in November, the company announced it had discovered oil in the Tchibeli North East pre-salt Vandji exploration prospect offshore Congo, describing it as a potential “play opener.”

    Each of these activities and successes represents potential for greater energy security, economic growth, and based on Perenco’s track record, more good jobs for Africans.

    Perenco is a strong example of an independent that has successfully developed strategies for Africa’s unique challenges, needs, and opportunities. And, it’s not alone.

    Breathing New Life Into Maturing Fields

    Look at British independent Trident Energy, which is introducing a new era of operational efficiency and production improvements in Equatorial Guinea.

    Trident’s business strategy calls for acquiring mid-life producing assets around the globe, particularly oil and gas fields lacking attention and investment, re-developing them, increasing production, and unlocking reserves. In Africa, where we’re seeing production declines occur in legacy assets throughout the continent, this approach is tremendously valuable.

    In Equatorial Guinea, Trident is the operator of Block G, which includes the producing Ceiba and Okume Complex fields — made up of six oil fields in the Gulf of Guinea, in shallow and deep water in the Rio Muni basin –  with a 40.375% working interest. The company also holds a 40% stake in Block S, W & EG-21.

    In May of this year, the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea and Trident’s joint venture partners for Block G, Kosmos Energy, Panoro Energy, and GEPetrol, agreed to extend the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for the block through 2040, giving Trident more time to unlock the block’s full potential.

    Trident has earned the respect of both the government and the companies it works with. Trident credits those strong working relationships with the company’s commitment to be an active, visible member of the communities where it operates.

    Foreign project leaders and their families relocate in-country, as the company fulfils its role as a major contributor to the local economy and community. Most importantly building local capacity and improving local content has been a key strategy for the company’s leadership.

    Trident also is known for offering local residents high-quality jobs and respectful treatment; for creating empowering skill development, healthcare, and education programs in host communities; and for implementing best practices to protect the environment.

    Trident Energy’s upgrades at Okume Field, which have been underway this year, call for converting 15 gas lift wells to electrical submersible pumps (ESPs), which are more affordable to operate and maintain.

    To prepare for the conversion, the company has been working on a $57 million upgrade at Okume’s central processing facilities. Trident Energy’s team in Equatorial Guinea has managed every aspect of the project including supply chain, logistics, and coordination. Approximately 55% of the services (in-value) were provided by local contractors; 32% of services were provided by regional contractors; and only 13% were provided by international contractors.

    Projects that boost production in declining assets, like the Okume upgrades, are extremely important for both Equatorial Guinea and the continent at large. We hope more companies follow Trident’s lead.

    Setting the Stage for Success

    The African Energy Chamber also has been impressed with Norwegian independent BW Energy, which has been very strategic in its approach to gas exploration and production in Namibia.

    BW, which also has a strong presence in Gabon, targets proven offshore oil and gas reservoirs and minimizes risk with phased developments. By operating in sites with existing production facilities, the company reduces time to first oil and keeps cash flow in check, the company website explains.

    In 2017, the company acquired a 56% stake in the Kudu gas field in the northern Orange sub-basin, approximately 130 kilometers off the southwest coast of Namibia. Several years later, BW increased its interest in the gas project to 95%.

    The Kudu field is believed to hold at least 1.3 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas, but the site has remained undeveloped since ChevronTexaco first discovered gas there in 1974. The field has had a long string of operators, but as Pan-African research agency Hawilti put it, factors ranging from the inability to agree on a gas price to delays in getting governmental support projects have kept the project in limbo. The site’s isolated location, and lack of infrastructure to transport gas, have not helped matters.

    But, with BW in the driver’s seat, I believe that chapter is now closed. As announced during African Energy Week in Cape Town, BW is pursuing a revised development plan for Kudu that includes using a repurposed semisubmersible drilling rig as a floating production unit (FPU), which will allow it to move gas onshore for domestic energy generation. BW purchased the rig it needs for this effort earlier this year.

    BW’s efforts could have far-reaching effects on day-to-day life in Namibia. Currently, the country relies on electricity imports to meet its domestic needs. BW’s work at Kudu will help provide the gas Namibia means to reliably deliver electricity to its people, drive industrial growth, create jobs, and position Namibia as a regional energy hub.
    Overcoming Hurdles, Modeling Determination
    Another independent modeling what can be achieved in Africa is Toronto-headquartered Eco Atlantic. It has been overcoming the challenges of raising capital in an era when companies are being pressured not to begin new oil and gas projects on our continent.

    In April, Eco Atlantic raised approximately $25.5 million to cover drilling expenses on the Gazania-1 well, on Block 2B offshore South Africa, although the company announced that its evaluation well did not show evidence of commercial hydrocarbons. That’s not stopping the company from moving forward in Africa. Along with its partners, Africa Energy Corp, Panoro 2B Limited (a subsidiary of Panoro Energy ASA), and Crown Energy AB, Eco Atlantic is planning additional exploration drilling, including a two-well campaign on Block 3B/4B offshore South Africa, set to begin in 2023, and at least one well on the Orinduik Block offshore Guyana.

    “While it is naturally disappointing not having made a commercial discovery, the Gazania-1 well was only the first of four wells we have planned for the next 18-24 months across our wider portfolio,” Eco Atlantic co-founder and CEO Gil Holzman said.

    Tenacity is a required trait for all companies in this industry. Eco Atlantic’s ongoing commitment to exploring South Africa’s offshore basins is commendable.

    As recently as Dec. 19, the company announced its subsidiary, Azinam Limited, had acquired another 6.25% participating interest in Block 3B/4B offshore South Africa. Eco Atlantic also received regulatory approval for the acquisition. Now Eco Atlantic will hold an increased participating interest of 26.25% in Block 3B/4B, with Africa Oil Corp., the block’s operator, and Cape Town-based upstream company, Ricocure.

    Big Finds, Big Ambitions
    As for Africa Oil Corp., one of its strengths is the respect it has earned in the sector and among government leaders. The company has been involved in such major finds as the 2022 Venus light oil discovery made with Total Energies offshore Namibia (through subsidiary Impact Oil & Gas Limited).

    Since then, the company has kept its focus on continued exploration operations. It has producing and development assets in deep-water offshore Nigeria, development assets in Kenya, and a portfolio of exploration assets in Guyana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, and the Senegal Guinea Bissau Joint Development Zone (AGC).

    The companies’ successes in East Africa are particularly exciting. Exploration in Kenya within the last decade has opened two new basins that extend into southern Somalia. Keith recently told Energy, Oil & Gas magazine that the basins cover an area the size of the North Sea.

    And in Puntland, the company is confident that it found an oilfield through drilling on the Shabeel well.

    Hill said he remembers when most companies believed opportunities in East Africa were limited.

    “At most oil and gas conferences today the universal opinion is that East Africa now represents one of the hottest oil and gas exploration areas anywhere in the world,” he said. “Africa Oil Corp’s forward thinking approach meant that it was able to get in and secure all the acreage it wanted before this region really took off. What that means is that today you are looking at an organization that boasts the best onshore acreage position of any company now present in East Africa.”

    Well done.

    Earlier this year, I said Africa will not achieve the energy future it wants, including making energy poverty history, without the presence of independents. Today, that truth is clearer than ever. Yes, majors and national oil companies still have an important part to play in Africa’s energy industry, but the independent companies at work here are giving us every reason to be optimistic about Africa’s future.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Week (AEW).

    SOURCE
    African Energy Week (AEW)

     

     

  • Hydroelectric power plant in Hatta,UAE, is 58% complete: DEWA

    Hydroelectric power plant in Hatta,UAE, is 58% complete: DEWA

    The power plant will have a production capacity of 250 MW, a storage capacity of 1,500 Mwh, and a life span of up to 80 years once completed

    Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced that the pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant site, which it is building in Hatta, is 58 per cent complete.

    The power plant will have a production capacity of 250 MW, a storage capacity of 1,500 Mwh, and a life span of up to 80 years once completed.

    It is the first station of its kind in the GCC, with investments of up to Dhs1.421bn. The project is planned for completion in Q4 2024.

    Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), recently visited and inspected the construction site at the hydroelectric power plant, where he was briefed about the progress of the project.

    The visit also included the inspection of the power generators site and the upper dam, where the water intake in the Hatta Dam connected to the power generators has been completed.

    Construction of the 72-metre main roller compacted concrete wall of the upper dam has also been completed.

    Al Tayer also inspected the work progress of the water tunnel, which is 1.2 kilometres long and connects the two dams. The concrete lining of the water tunnel is complete.

    Al Tayer said the plant in Hatta is part of DEWA’s efforts to achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100 per cent of Dubai’s total power production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.

    The project supports the comprehensive plan to develop Hatta and meet its social, economic, developmental, and environmental needs, in addition to providing innovative job opportunities for citizens in Hatta.

    The hydroelectric power plant will be an energy storage facility with a turnaround efficiency of 78.9 per cent that utilises the water stored in the upper dam, which is converted to kinetic energy during the flow of water through the 1.2-kilometre subterranean tunnel.

    This kinetic energy rotates the turbines and converts mechanical energy to electrical energy which is sent to DEWA’s grid within 90 seconds in response to demand. To store energy, clean energy generated at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be used to pump the water through this tunnel back to the upper dam by converting the electrical power to kinetic energy making the whole project 100 per cent renewable.

    In recent news, DEWA also reported a net profit of Dhs6.47bn for the first nine months of the year, recording near parity with its full-year net profit for 2021.

    Credit(Gulf Business)

     

  • Rwanda’s Kigali Green City, the first of its kind to be built in Africa

    Rwanda’s Kigali Green City, the first of its kind to be built in Africa

    An international team has been appointed for the implementation of the Kigali Green City project in Rwanda. The team was appointed by the UK headquartered Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, which won an international design competition for the project.

    The FCBS team comprises the local architects Light Earth Designs, A Studio Space, and Studio FH Architects, as well as Turner & Townsend. The team also included Grant Associates, AKT II, and Atelier Ten

    Top of Form

    In addition, the East Africa leading planning, design, architecture, and engineering firm, FBW Group, was appointed to offer the key services of architecture and structure. The FBW Group will also offer civil engineering services, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering

    The company’s initial roles will involve supervising local compliance, making suggestions for local material suppliers, and maintaining environmental standards. It will also be involved in dealing with and receiving submissions from stakeholders.

    Implementation of the construction phase of the 16HA Kigali Green City project 

    The FBW team will be taking part in the planning for the construction phase of the 16HA pilot scheme as the project goes on. FBW Group is delighted to be a team player on what looks to be a revolutionary development. This was revealed by the Group’s director, Antje Eckoldt.

    The pilot project will lay the foundation for the development of high-quality, resource-efficient, low-carbon housing types suitable for a range of sizes and densities. It will also make way for future sustainable urban development.

    It is said that one of the project’s goals is to show that the urban environment has everything it needs to sustain its community. The urban environment can also enable people to live sustainably. This is through combining proper technologies, forward-thinking ideas, and local skills and materials.

    She continued by saying that they are currently exploring local low-carbon construction ways. According to her, they are also exploring materials and how they can be used to the best effect.

    Project Overview

    The Kigali Green City will be built on 620 hectares of land. The site is located approximately 16km from the Rwandan capital. More precisely in Kinyinya, in the district of Gasabo. The sustainable city is expected to consist of 1,749 housing units built on a total of 18 hectares. It is set to feature clean technologies, electric vehicles, electric bicycles, and motorcycle lanes.

    Moreover, it will have renewable energy, sustainable waste treatment, biogas plants, and urban forests, among others. Construction will mainly use local building materials. As a result, these will make houses more affordable and environmentally sustainable. The government of Rwanda is also planning to build commercial establishments and offices to accommodate “innovative green enterprises”.

    The project, the cost of which is US $5bn will be implemented in phases. The first phase (“Cactus Green Park”) will comprise a housing development with multiple green aspects.  This will act as a pilot to lead the way for further scaling up of green building and green urban planning projects. As part of this phase, 410 houses will be developed by Horizon on a total of 13 ha.

    The second phase will be developed by RSSB on 125 ha. The next phases will be developed subsequently. These will include commercial and office buildings attracting “Innovative Green Businesses”.

    Kigali Green City reportedly aims to demonstrate that green building is a necessity, not a luxury. This will be achieved by working to change the stereotype that sustainability is expensive. Living in resource-efficient housing will significantly reduce electricity and water bills for a population that often spends up to 20% of its income on utilities.

    Summary 

    Name:                 Kigali Green City

    Location:            Kigali Rwanda

    Type:                  Sustainable Urban Development

    Credit:(Construction Review Online)

     

  • Nigeria signs MOU for solar mini-grids project

    Nigeria signs MOU for solar mini-grids project

    Modified date: Nov 25, 2022

    CarbonAI has signed an MOU with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) of Nigeria to develop solar mini-grid projects across the country. According to CarbonAI, the carbon credits produced by its gas flare capture projects, which it has set up all over Nigeria, would be used to pay for the solar mini-grid installations.

    The initiatives will concentrate on underprivileged neighborhoods close to CarbonAI’s technologies that are harmed by gas flares. While CarbonAI will be in charge of financing, designing, and building, the REA will locate prospective project areas and communicate with locals.

    Credit:(Construction Review)

  • Conference of the Parties (COP27): Africa’s time to shine?

    Conference of the Parties (COP27): Africa’s time to shine?

    S-RM’s Strategic Intelligence practice explores the realities of Africa’s energy transition and the risks and opportunities that lie ahead in the wake of COP27 in Egypt
    LONDON, United Kingdom, November 21, 2022/ — Described as the ‘African COP’, the recently concluded COP27 held in Egypt’s Sharm el Sheikh region (6 – 18 November) was set to shine a spotlight on Africa’s role in the energy transition. Africa finds itself in a unique position when it comes to the climate crisis. Despite being responsible for only three to seven percent (http://bit.ly/3V4bhiO) of global greenhouse gas emissions (estimates vary), Africa is likely to be at the forefront of the extreme weather consequences. Africa’s susceptibility to the impacts of climate change will herald significant challenges in the coming years, in both human and economic terms. With agriculture accounting for some 23 percent of total GDP in sub-Saharan Africa, both increasing water scarcity and unpredictable flooding, for instance, will destabilise agricultural markets, and negatively affect economic growth.

    At the same time, the continent’s energy needs are growing. Sub-Saharan Africa’s population is expected to reach 2.2 billion by  2050 (http://bit.ly/3VgJn2W) and with only 67 percent of the population (http://bit.ly/3ENYrjr) with access to electricity currently – or rather 600 million people without (http://bit.ly/3hWXvQH), governments will need to produce more energy more quickly. With this top of mind, the governments of Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and others under the Kigali Communique  (http://bit.ly/3US0jgI) and Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) are eager to bring gas under the umbrella of transition fuels, committing to replacing this with renewables in the longer term. African countries sitting on major oil and gas reserves (http://bit.ly/3Vcdg4v), including Nigeria (206.53 tfc), Senegal (120 tfc), Mozambique (100 tcf), Tanzania (57.54 tfc) and others, are seeking to leverage the price boom and lure investors. Yet, with institutions such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) cautioning investors against funding new oil, gas and coal supply projects in the weeks leading up to the conference, and climate activists hopeful that conference stakeholders would take a hard stance on the continent’s gas ambitions, the conference was going to offer little in the way of concrete solutions. Furthermore, the developed world’s renewed commitments to the USD 100 billion earmarked to help the developing world in its transition and to adapt to the impact of extreme climates did little to reduce growing mistrust that developed countries will pay their fair share, having failed to meet these targets thus far.

    But beyond the challenges in securing the financing to support the transition, how feasible is an energy transition in Africa, really?

    Despite the urgency to address both the impacts and drivers of climate change on the continent, most African countries are positioned differently to those in the global north to shift to renewable or transition energy production. There are various challenges that relate to energy production, distribution, and access, which will only be exacerbated by the dual impact of a growing population and increased industrialisation. And crucially, the percentage of the population in sub-Saharan Africa currently with access to electricity is the lowest of any developing region.

    Opportunities green(er)

    The continent has several options available to steer away from heavily polluting coal or oil, but much like investments into the traditional energy sector, there are limitations, not least concerns over adequate infrastructure, political will, and the upfront investment required to get the transition right.

    Solar. In many parts of the continent, sunlight is in ample supply. A recent report (http://bit.ly/3tJNDfO) estimates that Africa has 60 percent of the best solar resources globally, yet only a tiny proportion of this capacity is currently being tapped: the entire continent’s installed solar capacity is estimated to be half that of the UK (http://bit.ly/3ENRwqe). Compared to other renewables, solar is relatively easy to install even in remote locations, and small-scale solutions can provide off-grid power both at the individual household or community levels. While pay-as-you-go or power purchase agreement models for solar are being introduced across the continent to get around the relatively high upfront costs of installation, solar cannot offer a complete solution. For one, photovoltaic panels rely on sunshine to operate, meaning they have a much smaller capacity factor (http://bit.ly/3Asz8k7)  than other power generation methods that offer more consistent output. And second, while the technology is constantly developing and getting more efficient, solar requires large areas for installation, capital investment and remains reliant on increasingly in-demand battery minerals.

    Gas. Ghana’s deputy minister of oil, Mohammed Amin Adam, recently spoke (http://bit.ly/3AwBA9m) about the need for gas to be part of Africa’s transition from more carbon intensive fuels such as coal, lest it risk falling victim to  “the transition curse” of revenue losses. He further warned of a more cautious investment approach to hydrocarbon exploitation. The International Energy Agency’s Africa Energy Outlook 2022 (https://bit.ly/3tJNDfO) report estimates there are some 5,000 billion cubic meters of discovered but untapped natural gas resources on the continent. The emissions impact of using these reserves would be minimal to the global greenhouse gas total, but there is some debate (http://bit.ly/3V0RykA) as to whether gas presents a more attractive long-term investment than renewables, particularly given the infrastructural challenges inherent in expanding the user base of gas in more rural areas.

    Nuclear. Currently only one African country, South Africa, produces nuclear power commercially. There is no shortage of uranium on the continent, with Namibia and Niger among the top six global uranium producers (http://bit.ly/3UUeUYW). Several African countries, including Algeria, Ghana, Morocco and Nigeria host operational research reactors, and are planning the commissioning of commercial plants over the coming decade. But while nuclear plants offer a cleaner alternative to hydrocarbon power production, they are expensive, and particularly in politically less stable economies the investment risks for projects are high. Once brought online, nuclear power requires steady maintenance from skilled technicians over long lifespans, which again increases the costs of delivering nuclear power safely. Here, small modular reactors (SMRs) (http://bit.ly/3AvJOPb), at about a third of the size of the typical plants currently in use in most places may offer a viable alternative. SMRs are safer to operate and use substantially less water – a particularly attractive feature in arid climes.

    According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the energy sector worldwide are involved in over 50 percent of global existing and planned fossil-fired power generation. Often holding a monopoly over a country’s power generation and transmission, these entities are critical in leading Africa’s transition. Yet, public utility companies including South Africa’s Eskom, the DRC’s Société Nationale d’Électricité, as well as the Tanzania Electric Supply Company to name a few, have become severely hampered by aging infrastructure, mismanagement, corruption, and debt. And despite government promises of change, private investors in the renewable sector have been hesitant to embed with power SOEs. This caution is warranted, as overestimating the political will and avenues for change could prove foul in a political context where the regulatory landscape is complex, private-public partnerships (PPPs) are challenging and community expectations for power delivery are high. Local partners play a key part in navigating this space making getting into bed with the wrong stakeholders a key risk, particularly amid weak governance.

    These challenges are likely to be only aggravated by the more severe climate consequences for Africa.

    In addition to the direct consequences of a warming planet and more unpredictable weather patterns, climate change also acts as a “conflict threat multiplier”. Competition over increasingly scarce resources such as water or arable land, both of which are potentially threatened by climate change, is already contributing to (http://bit.ly/3AxuXnd) a range of conflicts on the continent. The war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, the proliferation of terrorist groups in countries around Lake Chad, and conflict across Sahel have all been linked (http://bit.ly/3TRAtb5) to changes in their respective environments driven by climate change.  Studies have shown (http://bit.ly/3TSw3kr) that conflict risk increases by 10 to 20 percent with each 0.5°C of global warming. The consequences of climate change on communities are exacerbated where governance, poor infrastructure and services and socio-economic challenges already exist. While the effect is not universal, Africa’s disproportionate vulnerability to the effects of climate change means there is an acute need for sustainable and unique remedies to its energy needs.

    Navigating Africa’s energy transition, be it for those directly involved or operators keen to build the resilience of their businesses that plug into the energy picture, will now more than ever require an innate understanding of the interplay between the commercial, the political and the social. But, with the needs great, the opportunities for investing in an inevitable transition are ample.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of S-RM.
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    Hal Wardroper – Associate Director
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