Eranove's bid to build three mini solar grids with a total output of 30 MW saw off competition from around 20 companies. They will be located in three northern towns: Bumba (in Mongala province), Gemena (Sud-Ubangi), and Isiro (Haut- Uele). The official announcement was made on 24 November at a ceremony attended by DRC electricity minister Eustache Muhanzi Mubembe and Britain's minister for Africa, James Duddridge. Britain is working on the project's structuring through Essor, a UK Aid-funded programme that works with Kinshasa to improve DRC's business environment. For the DRC projects, Eranove partnered with Gridwork - a UK company owned by the British development agency CDC Group that specialises in power transmission networks - as well as with Spain's AEE Power. To boost its chances, Eranove showed off the work it had done until 2018 with Régie de Distribution d'Eau (Regideso), even though this company is mainly present in Ivory Coast. The consortium was up against bidders shortlisted last year for the final phase of the tender (Africa Intelligence, 27/01/20): French producer Voltalia, owned by the wealthy Mulliez family (head of the Auchan hypermarket chain), French energy giant Engie, British energy firm BBOXX, the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (Akfed), and Moroccan sustainable energy agency Masen.
展开▼
