SOLAR-

Amea breaks ground on Uganda solar plant: UAE’s Amea Power has broken ground on the 24 MWp Ituka solar PV plant in the West Nile region in Uganda, according to a statement. The USD 19 mn project — set to be operational in 3Q 2025 — will generate approximately 53.9k MWh of clean energy annually, powering over 192k households, and offsetting 26.6k tonnes of carbon emissions each year.

The details: Amea signed an agreement with the London-based Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund to finance the project during COP 28, the statement adds. The project is set to be the largest utility-scale grid-connected solar PV project in the West Nile Region. The company also signed a power purchase agreement for the project with the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company last year.

RENEWABLES-

Ewec extends clean energy partnership with Mediclinic: Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec) has extended their clean energy partnership with UAE-based healthcare provider Mediclinic Middle East, according to a press release. Under the agreement, Ewec will continue to provide electricity generated from certified clean energy sources to all of Mediclinic’s advanced facilities in Abu Dhabi.

Ewec has been busy: The company is moving forward with several major projects, including its Saadiyat Island seawater reverse osmosis desalination project, which has just received four bids for its development and operation. Ewec also issued a request for proposals last month for eligible developers to submit their bids to develop, finance, operate, and maintain a 400 MW greenfield battery storage system power project in Abu Dhabi.

GREEN FINANCE-

EBRD boosts green investments and SMEs in Egypt with USD 20 mn loan: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a USD 20 mn loan to Crédit Agricole to support green investments and small businesses in Egypt, according to a press release. The loan — which includes USD 3 mn of concessional finance from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) — will be used for on-lending to local SMEs and households. The financing will be further supported by the EU with up to EUR 2.05 mn for incentive payments for verified projects and a comprehensive technical assistance package of up to EUR 6.2 mn. Crédit Agricole Egypt is the fourth bank to benefit under the GCF Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) Regional Egypt Framework aimed at promoting green and energy-efficient investments.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

  • ValU + KarmSolar partner on EV charging: Egypt’s FinTech firm ValU and solar energy company KarmSolar will work together to introduce an EV charging network in Marakez’s District 5 commercial and residential development project located in New Cairo. Customers will be able to use ValU’s payment system to top up their EV batteries through an application called Karm., the same name as KarmSolar’s new subsidiary specialized in investing in EV charging infrastructure across Egypt. (Statement-pdf)
  • Qatar boosts district cooling: Qatar's district cooling capacity has reached 1.2 mn tonnes of refrigeration, accounting for 19% of the country's total cooling capacity. The Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) aims to increase this share to 24% by 2030. (The Peninsula)
  • BP to explore solar projects in Iraq: British oil giant BP signed an MoU with the Government of Iraq to negotiate exploring power generation and solar projects in the Kirkuk region. The negotiations are expected to be complete early next year. (Statement)
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