Solar developer Phanes opens new base for African expansion

Dubai-based solar developer Phanes Group is taking steps to expand its footpring on the African market by opening a new office in Johannesburg, South Africa, the firm said on Wednesday.

The new base will be used as a hub for the company’s business in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. More specifically, Phanes Group will first concentrate its efforts on the market in Zimbabwe and Mozambique and then on Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria. Five people will work at the new office.

Phanes Group is 30%-owned by General Energy Solutions (GES) -- a unit of Taiwanese firm Neo Solar Power Corp (TPE:3576), or NSP. At present, the solar group has a project pipeline of over 650 MW on the African market, among which is a 150-MW scheme under development in South Africa.

According to a scenario by the International Renewable Energy Agency, the total share of renewables in Africa could reach 50% by 2030 and 75% by 2050. This would translate into around 800 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2050, of which 245 GW solar. About 6.4 GW of renewable projects are currently being developed in Africa, including solar schemes in Botswana, Namibia, Sudan and Tunisia.

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