Bahrain is evaluating whether to establish an energy agency with focus on renewable energy and conservation. If the country proceeds with this plan, the new agency would work in close cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), whose initiatives are partly responsible for the path taken by the country.
Mozambique is planning to expand power generating capacity at the Cahora Bassa hydropower project, currently with 2075 MW of installed capacity, to 3220 MW of capacity. The country, as well as the whole southern African region, is facing a rising demand for electricity.
Ethiopia seems to be planning two more major hydropower projects on the Nile River. The country is aiming for 20 GW of power production within the next 10 years, a goal that requires major power capacity development. Ethiopia is planning to spend about USD 12 billion over the next 25 years in order to install more power capacity in the country.
In what could be considered a blow to the wave energy industry, RWE npower renewables has decided to pull out of the Siadar Wave Energy Project (SWEP), which was to have 4 MW of installed capacity. Located at Siadar Bay, Scotland, the wave farm was conceived as a demonstration project showing that wave power was a feasible commercial scale technology. This latest development leaves RWE's partner, Wavegen (wholly owned subsidiary of Voith Hydro), without financial support, forcing the company to start seeking a new developer/owner for the project estimated to represent a GBP 30 million investment.
A new venture formed in Brazil, Sistema de Energia Renovavel (SER), has plans to build a total of 600 MW of new solar power capacity by 2020. This would represent quite a big development, since the country's current solar capacity is virtually non-existent due to high prices of equipment. SER exepcts the new capacity to be competitively priced against other electricity sources within the next six years.
Greengate Power announced the company has reached an agreement with Vestas for the supply of a total of 300 MW of wind turbines for the Blackspring Ridge I Wind Project being developed in Canada. The wind farm is to enter construction phase in 2012, and should be fully operational in 2013. Once completed, the wind farm will be Canada's largest onshore wind project in operation.
BrightSource Energy has been reported to be seeking partners to develop CSP (solar thermal) projects in South Africa. This part of Africa has very good conditions for the deployment of solar thermal power generation technology, due to high irradiation levels.
GTherm is reported to be involved in negotiations for a 12 MW geothermal power project in Costa Rica. The company is negotiating with Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) for this pilot project, which would open the geothermal development potential in this Latin American country. Costa Rica has rich geothermal energy resources in the subsoil.
Toshiba has been reported to be planning a very large solar power plant in Bulgaria. Apparently, the company is teaming up with Tokyo Electric Power, the Japanese Government, but also with Itochu and Innovation Network Corporation. The plant is to be built near the city of Yambol by March 2012, and will cost more than USD 1.2 billion.
Tanzania is reported to be planning a hydropower project with Brazil, which is estimated to be worth about USD 2 billion. The project, Stiegler's Gorge hydropower station, is to have about 2100 MW of installed capacity. Brazilian technology will be used to generate excess power, which will allow the country to possibly become a net electricity exporter in the region.
