Algeria's Energy Future was launched at a half-day round-table seminar at Chatham House, London, on Wednesday 6 April.
The report was presented at the seminar by its lead authors, Jon Marks and John Hamilton, and critically assessed by Algerian and international experts. Read more
The African Energy Atlas has established itself as an indispensable resource for energy industry professionals.
The 2011 edition features more than 45 maps and charts drawn with expert care by journalist cartographer David Burles. Read more
Briefings and Reports 2
AfricaHardball is an executive dialogue that brings together policy-makers, industry leaders and analysts to discuss the key political issues affecting African markets in frank and open terms.
The next AfricaHardball roundtable will be held on 1 December in London, focusing on North Africa Read more
Briefings and Reports 3
A detailed and frank analysis of Libya’s energy sector
Published in July 2010, Libya's Energy Future provides authoritative, independently sourced analysis of Libya’s energy sector policy and history, examines the country’s governance and financial record and assesses the potential for international partners to do business with its institutions and interest groups.
On the page below you will find a selection of articles from the African Energy archive. All links preceded by a padlock symbol require a subscription.
The government has given a conditional go-ahead to build a demonstration pebble bed modular reactor at Koeberg, budgeting R500m ($81.8m) to allow developer PBMR (Pty) Ltd to award key contracts on the project (AE 80/29). Issue 81, December 2004.more
South Africa looks to Keynesian solutions to create jobs, nuclear options to cut emissions
The government is promising a mega-spend on infrastructure to improve services and create jobs; it is mulling investment in nuclear, as well as gas and coal, to help make up power shortfalls as old plants fall out of service and Eskom tries to control emissions. African Energy analysts in Johannesburg and Europe ask whether South Africa can deliver on its ambitious plans. Issue 80, November 2004.more
STEM market goes real-time, as SAPP network eyes wider links
By global standards it is small in scale, but for the region it represents a significant step forward: the start of real-time spot trading on the Southern African Power Pool’s short-term energy market means the SAPP has finally achieved one of its central aims, writes Kevin Godier. Issue 78, September 2004.more
SA government sticks by Eskom with IPPs a liberal halfway house
There was a big disappointment for advocates of a liberalised South African energy sector when in his mid-June budget presentation Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin said that, at least for now, the government had ruled out state utility Eskom’s privatisation, along with transport giant Transnet and defence manufacturer Denel. Erwin said little more, other than saying independent power producers (IPP) would provide some competion with Eskom. Issue 76, July 2004.more
Mbeki promises electricity for all by 2012, competition for Eskom
President Thabo Mbeki has promised all households will have running water within five years and electricity within eight years. With the government and National Electricity Regulator (NER) putting pressure on state utility Eskom to keep costs down, private investment will be needed to help meet such ambitious targets. Issue 75, June 2004.more
Domestic petrol prices will reach a record high of R4.77/ltr in June, a rise of 26% since January, and this will clearly add to inflationary pressures in the continent’s biggest economy. No wonder rising oil prices and the prospect of a prolonged period of high prices have raised concerns about the outlook for inflation, the current account balance and, by association, the rand’s exchange rate. Issue 75, June 2004.more
Sasol’s Mozambique financing: a template for coping with risk
As first gas arrived in South Africa, a complex financing package for field development in Mozambique and a pipeline to Secunda was finally put in place. The structure, fusing project finance with corporate lending, might be applied elsewhere: it’s a question of appetite for risk, writes Kevin Godier. Issue 73, April 2004.more
Appointments merry-go-round ahead of South Africa’s mid-April elections
Moves into the private sector by at least two key power sector players, Eskom Enterprises chief executive Enos Banda and National Electricity Regulator (NER) head Xolani Mkhwanazi, left observers puzzling about the future line-up of South Africa’s energy bosses in the period leading up to national elections, scheduled for 14 April. Issue 73, April 2004.more
Sasol, Engen to merge liquid fuels businesses
Sasol and Petronas have agreed to merge the liquid fuels businesses of Sasol and Engen. Issue 72, March 2004.more
First gas reaches Secunda
Sasol has announced the arrival of the first natural gas along the 865km cross border pipeline from the Temane gas fields in Mozambique to its synfuels plant at Secunda. Issue 72, March 2004.more
Minister urges more renewables to meet future generation deficit
Energy and minerals minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has said South Africa must develop renewable energy sources to ensure that greenhouse gas emission constraints do not impact on the economy and trade. Issue 69, December 2003.more
‘Second look’ adds to delays for Eskom-led PBMR start-up
The development of a demonstration pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR) at Koeberg by an Eskom-led consortium is unlikely to begin until well into 2004, with the government set to reconvene an international review panel to take a second look at the project (AE 66/9). Issue 68, November 2003.more
Despite challenges, South Africa pushes ahead with nuclear option
The USA likes South Africa’s nuclear programme, according to the Bush administration’s regular citations of its adherence to multilateral inspection regimes and other displays of international good citizenship. But the green lobby, oil companies with nearby gasfields and many other groups are far from keen about South Africa’s ambitions to generate ‘clean’ nuclear power from its planned pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR) units. Issue 67, October 2003.more
Subscriber Area
require a subscription.