Day: January 17, 2024

 

LAGOS, Nigeria, January 17, 2024/ — As we head into 2024, the renewable energy sector is set to see innovation that will transform the way energy is accessed, stored and deployed across Africa. Paul van Zijl, Group CEO at Starsight Energy (https://StarsightEnergy.com/), discusses 4 key trends that he thinks will profoundly shape the industry over the next year.

Batteries will provide benefits far beyond backup for behind-the-meter projects

One of the most significant shifts in solar technology revolves around the integration of battery energy storage systems (BESS) – especially for behind-the-meter solar (also known as onsite solar). Traditionally, batteries were seen primarily as backup storage when paired with a solar system, ensuring a steady power supply during cloudy days, nighttime or when the grid is unavailable. However, in 2024, the focus is vastly shifting towards load management, where batteries play a dynamic role in optimising energy consumption.
As the trend for the deployment of batteries across the continent grows, cutting-edge management systems will become a key part of solar installations with an integrated battery component. These systems use advanced algorithms to predict energy demand patterns. This allows for the strategic use of battery storage – discharging it during expensive peak times and charging it using solar energy or the grid during off-peak – to reduce the costly demand charges that come with variable tariff structures. Along with enhancing the efficiency of solar systems, integrated battery storage solutions can also contribute to grid stability by reducing strain during high-demand periods.
When it comes to front-of-the-meter (or offsite) storage, BESS is also set to play a bigger role in the deployment of utility-scale renewable energy technology like wheeling – where power is generated at an offsite location (like a solar or wind farm) and transported using the available power network to different off-takers.
In South Africa for example, the national energy provider Eskom announced the deployment of around 343 MW in BESS projects as part of an overall 500 MW BESS initiative aimed at addressing the country’s long-running electricity crisis. The systems will be in remote areas (with limited access to Eskom’s network) but still close to renewable energy plants built by independent power producers (IPPs).
This collaboration between the public and private sectors supports more widespread deployment of utility-scale power and the adoption of renewable energy projects. By adding battery storage components to the national grid, businesses and consumers can gain quicker access to reliable electricity while the power utility can address peak energy demands more easily. This also ensures that the increasing amount of power generated from utility-scale solar projects can be stored and consumed outside of daylight hours to avoid stranded grid capacity.Data, banking and tourism: The rise of sustainable off-grid solar solutions

Off-grid renewable energy solutions, including stand-alone systems and mini-grids, offer a unique opportunity to expand modern energy access services. The distributed nature of these systems allows them to be tailored to local conditions, tap into available renewable resources, deliver diverse energy services, and utilise local capacity to ensure long-term sustainability.
We will see a rise in these solutions as more and more commercial and industrial businesses realise the value of effectively moving off-grid. This will be prevalent in three industries:Data centres: Africa is a global hub for data centres. According to research from African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), there is around 250 MW of installed data centre capacity across Africa – with the demand for centres in Africa expected to exceed supply by 300% by 2030. These powerhouses of technology rely heavily on a steady and safe electricity supply. From operating to maintaining their vast cooling systems, large data centres simply can’t afford the risk of a grid collapse or any possible power interruptions. Power autonomy is the name of the game here, making battery storage a necessity from the get-go.

Banking: While the prevalence of mobile financial services continues to soar on the continent, there is still a tangible need for brick-and-mortar banks and ATMs in countries where access to these services remains essential. These sites need to remain operational should there be any sort of grid collapse or catastrophic power failures – making an off-grid solution a non-negotiable component of the future of banking in Africa.

Tourism: With the rise of conscious consumerism and eco-tourism, sustainability is fast becoming the differentiating factor for discerning travellers choosing their next holiday destination. Luxury lodges in popular destinations in East and Southern Africa are fast moving towards fully off-grid solar battery operations to offer their guests uninterrupted access to power while boosting the lodge’s green credentials in the process.
As more and more businesses become aware of the benefits of off-grid solar, it is likely that we will see an even greater adoption of this technology in the coming year.

Seamless access to renewables through a reimagined aggregation model

We will certainly see a shift towards aggregated solutions, wherein energy providers will consolidate diverse technologies and services into comprehensive packages in 2024. This trend is driven by the recognition that a holistic approach to energy solutions is not only more convenient for consumers but also more effective in optimising energy production and consumption.
his can be done in several ways. For example, trading of electricity in South Africa allows a service provider of solar energy to buy and sell, excess wind energy without having to invest substantial capital expenditure amounts. Similarly, instead of having gas-powered energy compete with renewable energy, the aggregation model will also allow providers of such services to aggregate their energy solutions and provide the client with a holistic offering. The goal is to provide consumers with a seamless and integrated final product that maximises the benefits of renewable energy across various aspects of their daily lives. The real value for customers lies in a collaboration of providers who can meet their specific needs and power the entire energy lifecycle.

Tackling complexities through an increasingly consolidated sector

As the solar industry matures, a trend towards consolidation will become increasingly evident in 2024. Larger energy companies will consider merging or acquiring smaller players, creating more robust and diversified entities. This consolidation is driven by the desire to achieve economies of scale, increase market share, and foster innovation by pooling resources and expertise.
Consolidation in the industry is not limited to manufacturers but extends to service providers, research and development firms, and energy management companies. By joining forces, these entities can tackle the complexities of the evolving energy landscape more effectively, driving down costs and accelerating the adoption of alternative energies across the continent.
This trend is fostering the emergence of holistic service providers capable of providing end-to-end solutions that address the diverse needs of businesses, consumers and communities. Our recent market-milestone merger between Starsight Energy (https://StarsightEnergy.com/) and SolarAfrica (https://SolarAfrica.com/) is a case in point. Customers in Eastern, Southern and Western Africa can access our comprehensive mix of cost-effective solutions that provide power security and carbon reduction. These include solar energy, battery storage, wheeling, and energy management, among others.
The future is bright. If 2023 was anything to go by in terms of transformation for the energy sector, 2024 will be marked by accelerated innovation and a collective commitment to harnessing the full potential of renewable energy that holds the promise of a more resilient, more sustainable, and more tightly connected energy future for Africa.

BRUSSELS, Belgium, January 17, 2024/ — The Council today decided to add one individual to the list of those subject to restrictive measures against ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda and persons, groups, undertakings and entities associated with them.
The measures target Ahmed Khaled Müller, a member of Al-Shabab in Somalia. The sanctioned individual has participated in combat operations and committed terrorist acts on behalf of Al-Shabab. The latter operates in the Horn of Africa region, is responsible for numerous terrorist acts in Kenya, Somalia, as well as neighbouring countries, and is affiliated with Al-Qaida.
With this new listing and the de-listing of a deceased individual today, a total of 15 persons are subject to a travel ban and an asset freeze, and five groups to an asset freeze. In addition, EU persons and operators are forbidden from making funds or economic resources available to the listed persons and groups.
Today’s decision reconfirms the EU’s resolve in countering the continued terrorist threat posed by Al-Qaeda, ISIL(Da’esh) and their regional affiliates. The EU remains committed to taking decisive action against those who continue to threaten international peace and security by planning, financing and committing terrorist attacks, and by spreading their deadly terrorist propaganda around the world.

 

LICHINGA, Mozambique, January 17, 2024/ — Early in the morning, queues begin to form outside the Lichinga health centre in Mozambique’s northwest Niassa province, as staff prepare to treat patients.
Nearby, health workers offer HIV tests and information about family planning options – a crucial commitment to service provision as communities across the region grapple with violence, insecurity and a series of health crises.
The initiative is particularly welcome for women and girls in Niassa province, where more than 40 per cent give birth before the age of 19 and where already high HIV prevalence rates are nearly double for women, at over 10 per cent, than they are for men.
Since 2017, Niassa and the neighbouring provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula have faced mounting attacks by non-state armed groups, with millions of people fleeing their homes in search of safety. This has come alongside repeated climate shocks – from flooding to drought and powerful cyclones – and ensuing public health emergencies such as malaria and cholera outbreaks.
The ongoing instability and decimated health facilities have rendered pregnancy and childbirth increasingly life threatening, while conflict and displacement are also putting women and girls at greater risk of gender-based violence and trafficking.

Ensuring services amid crisis
Despite the crisis, the Lichinga health clinic and UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, are committed to providing communities with critical health care and gender-based violence response services.
“In five years, the health services have changed, capacities have increased and family planning has started to work,” said Pascoal Vilanculos, who heads the public health department in Lichinga. “With the support of UNFPA now we can do family planning with long-acting methods, and early pregnancies have decreased in the district.”
In Mozambique, only around one quarter of women are using modern contraception – and even fewer in rural areas. This is chiefly due to a lack of services and access that has led to high rates of unintended pregnancies and maternal deaths from pregnancy and childbirth complications and unsafe abortions.
To help fill this gap, UNFPA is distributing contraceptives and raising awareness through mobile teams and clinics across northern Mozambique. In Niassa, health providers from all 16 districts have received training on long-term family planning methods, such as the Pill, implants and intrauterine devices.

Supporting people living with HIV
Through the Lichinga centre, community leaders and volunteers have also spoken to around 2,500 adolescents and young people from the region, discussing cultural barriers to sexual health and the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS.
“We do this because it’s about our health and our future, and the well-being of our families, of those we love,” explained Filipe Jorge, 20, a youth community activist.
“When young people test themselves and the result is positive, I work [with them] on accepting their serostatus. As a community, it’s our duty to embrace them.”
Young advocates and activists encourage others to make informed decisions about their bodies and take charge of their reproductive health. They also work with health officials to ensure people can choose the contraceptive options that meet their needs.
“We use this approach in schools to make young people aware of family planning and of HIV and AIDS. That’s why we have a condom distribution campaign,” explained José Manuel, director of the provincial health service.

Promoting bodily autonomy
The health centre’s programmes are part of a project funded by the Government of Sweden in Cabo Delgado, Niassa and Nampula provinces, with a particular focus on meeting the needs of vulnerable populations such as LGBTQI+ individuals and people with disabilities.
A collaboration with Rádio Moçambique and Radio Comunitária de Cuamba also produced over 360 broadcasts that discuss sexual and reproductive health services and gender-based violence. Presented in local languages such as Ciyao and Cinyanja and Emakhuwa, the outreach efforts reached around 1.6 million people in Niassa province alone.
“Girls’ sexual and reproductive rights are being guaranteed – they choose what to do with their own bodies, as it should be everywhere,” added Mr Manuel.