African countries are moving rapidly towards renewable energy, primarily through their abundant resource of solar. Funding for these projects is comin

Africa Soaks Up The Sun

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2023-03-19 06:00:02

African countries are moving rapidly towards renewable energy, primarily through their abundant resource of solar. Funding for these projects is coming from a variety of sources — EU, Arab states, US, and Kenya. The size of grids ranges from mini to maxi. While our climate change concern may be focussed on the major energy users of the northern hemisphere, our planet will not remain livable without the co-operation of the southern hemisphere — particularly the emerging economies of Africa.

In Niger, OPEC has signed a major funding deal with the government to implement solar power for thousands of households in three major cities. The $25 million loan from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) will be added to the $138 million package already negotiated with the Green Climate Fund.

“Our support will enable Niger to increase access to affordable, clean energy and improve the overall capacity of the power grid, which will make a real difference in people’s lives. The OPEC Fund is committed to addressing the twin challenges of energy access and climate action, and ensuring that no one is left behind,” says OPEC’s Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, the fund’s managing director.