Dubai’s AMEA Power wins solar contract in South Africa

The Dubai-based energy company AMEA Power announced a new solar project in South Africa Wednesday. 

AMEA Power won the bid to develop a $120 million, 120-megawatt solar project in the country. The project will sell electricity to South Africa’s state utility company Doornhoek PV Project for 20 years. AMEA Power is the majority stakeholder, and a consortium formed by the South African companies Ziyanda Energy and Dzimuzwo owns the rest. 

One megawatt of solar power is enough to power the average home in the United States for more than a month, according to the environmental news site EcoWatch. 

Why it matters: The United Arab Emirates is showing significant interest in the African continent’s renewable energy and green technology potential. In August, the UAE government-owned renewable energy firm Masdar signed a deal with Tanzania to develop wind and solar power in the southern African country. 

In November, Masdar released a lengthy report on Africa’s green hydrogen potential. Masdar specifically pointed to the continent’s abundance of sunshine and wind, plus its relatively cheap land. 

The South Africa deal is not AMEA Power’s first solar project in Africa. In April, AMEA Power was awarded rights to build two solar plants in Morocco. 

The UAE’s neighbor Saudi Arabia is also seeking a greater renewable energy footprint in Africa. In October, the Saudi energy firm ACWA Power signed a deal with South Africa to develop green hydrogen there. The same month, the Saudi Fund for Development agreed to finance solar-powered street lights in the Central African Republic. 

The Saudi Fund for Development also signed a memorandum of understanding with Guinea in November on solar-powered water pumps. 

Know more: The US-Africa Leaders Summit is taking place in Washington, DC, this week. Some African businesspeople are hoping to follow the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) model of regional collaboration, Salim A. Essaid reported for Al-Monitor on the summit.