FS

A flagship solar plant in Hazelmere, KwaZulu Natal has been launched. The partnership, between Soitec and Ethekwini Municipality, which has resulted in the solar plant, is also designed to include skills development in which the local community will benefit, especially the youth.

The solar and wind energy industries in the country have a target of creating 50,000 green jobs by 2020. Government will also support the installation of 1m solar water-heating systems by 2014 to 2015. South Africa creates new climate change technology NGOs will soon have the data capability that allows them to anticipate the climate changes taking place. The Group on Earth Observation is a global organisation that will allow data, collected by satellite, to be shared throughout the world.

Another new initiative, the Applied Centre for Climate and Earth Systems Science, supported by the Department of Science and Technology, will ensure that South Africa becomes more able at generating knowledge on climate change matters.

KenGen raises $920m for geothermal plant The Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has raised $920 in loans for a 280 megawatt (MW) geothermal project. KenGen has said the Olkaria IV geothermal plant (below), an extension of the Olkaria I and II plants that already produce a total 115 MW, is expected to be operational in 2014 and will cost about $1bn.
Kenya is the first African country to drill geothermal power, tapping vast steam energy in the country’s Rift Valley. The country has the potential to produce 7 000 MW of geothermal power and is targeting production of at least 5,000 MW by 2030.

The Lighting Africa initiative, supported by the World Bank, aims to bring light to 250m subSaharan Africans by 2030 through hi-tech energysaving lamps.

6.9mBetween1990and2005thelossofforestswas highest in the tropics, where just under half of the world’s forests are located. Net losses in this region averaged 6.9m ha/yr between 1990 and 2005. The highest rate of conversion of forest-land use to other, unspecified, land uses for both periods was in South America, followed by Africa

The average African generates about 13 times less greenhouse gases than his counterpart in the US

Rwanda approves ambitious green growth strategy  Rwanda’s Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy says low-carbon development is a win-win situation for Rwanda. It reduces dependence on foreign imported oil, reduces GHG emissions and replaces payments by local expenditure for energy production.

It will transform the economy and ensure Rwanda attains a climate-resilient and low carbon economy. Rwanda’s fast-growing economy, at 8% a year, is particularly vulnerable to oil price spikes, population growth and climate change. The country’s climate data shows a 30% higher than the global average increase in the average temperature of 1.4°C since 1970, expected to increase by 2.5°C by the 2050s. This will impact on agricultural production, water resource management and health.

Two new institutions, unique to Africa, will be set up: a Climate and Environment Fund, to access and channel finance into high priority projects, and a Centre for Climate Knowledge for Development to support climate modelling and to translate the latest scientific findings into policy options.

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame said: “We may all be different in terms of levels of prosperity, but preserving our environment, managing climate change issues properly is really everybody’s business. If it works here in Rwanda, I believe it can work anywhere else in the world.” World Bank Launches ‘Apps for Climate’ Competition A World Bank competition is asking software developers and other entrants to use open data to create innovative software applications that can help solve some of the development problems that climate change poses.

“We aim to discover new and extraordinary ways to use open climate data,” the Bank said. “We hope to unleash the creative energy out there to make apps that help create solutions to weather-related disasters, risks for agriculture, food and water supplies, rising sea levels and other climate-related challenges.”

The competition has cash prizes for the winning entries. Apps must be submitted by 16th March 2012. (www.worldbank.org/appsforclimate) World Bank data book latest edition The World Bank has released the Little Data Book on Climate Change, providing a summary of data on climate-relevant topics. It is available in print or online. A free companion app allows users to browse the climate data collection on iPhones and iPads. The data book and apps competition are offerings from the Bank’s new Open Data Initiative on Climate Change. The materials will be open, free, and accessible to all via a Climate Change Knowledge Portal (http:// climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/).

8

African Business | January 2012 The world’s energy future relies on investments made today.

Energy demand in Africa is expected to be 65 percent higher in the year 2030 than it was in 2005. That’s why it is critical that we continue to invest in the development of new energy resources that can help meet demand in Africa and around the world.

In Africa, we’ve invested nearly $25 billion over the last five years to explore for and develop new energy projects. These efforts create jobs and drive economic growth. We also train local workers and help build schools and hospitals.

So whether it’s exploring for or producing new energy supplies, delivering innovative petroleum products or investing in communities, ExxonMobil is developing more than oil and gas—we are helping to support Africa’s future.

Learn more about our work at exxonmobil.com