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London AIM-listed Chariot is carrying out a strategic review of its Transitional Power division, which could lead to the sale of its stakes in four renewable energy projects, as well as its shareholding in South African electricity trader Etana Energy.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has placed ownership of national utility Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) and six other companies into recently revamped sovereign wealth fund Mutapa Investment Fund’s portfolio, where they join the likes of National Oil Company of Zimbabwe, Petrotrade and Hwange Colliery. African Energy takes a closer look at questions surrounding the move and examines recent developments at Mutapa that have triggered some deeper controversy.

With lithium output rising, the Zimbabwe government is pushing mining companies to carry out more local processing and value additions, as the Mnangagwa administration seeks to maximise the benefits of a new minerals extraction boom driven by Chinese demand.

The authorities have offered development support to an initial ten independent power producer schemes, in a policy shift designed to enhance the bankability of IPP projects and encourage more private sector players to contribute to Zimbabwe’s faltering electricity generation infrastructure. African Energy examines the new scheme and looks at the state of power generation throughout a country where peak demand outstrips available supply – a situation that has lately been worsened by declining water levels at the Kariba Dam.

A drought has sharply reduced electricity generation in Zambia, prompting state-owned power utility Zesco to start rationing electricity. An eight-hour daily electricity rationing programme started on 11 March, in response to a reduced level of generation from Zesco’s drought hit hydroelectric power (HEP) plants.

CFM’s appointment to manage the Southern African Power Pool ’s $1.3bn Regional Transmission Infrastructure Financing Facility could free up a decades-long blockage in the development of cross-border transmission infrastructure. How quickly this happens depends on the success of fundraising efforts in the coming months, and the willingness of utilities and finance ministries to make the RTIFF scheme work.

Following several gas discoveries at the Mukuyu-2 well on the ambitious Australian minnow’s Cabora Bassa project, Invictus Energy and local partner One Gas Resources have revised a 2019 gas memorandum with local developers planning to build a 500MW gas-fired power plant.

Solarcentury Africa is to build a 7MWp solar PV plant for Dallaglio Investments’ Eureka gold mine in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland Central province. Zimbabwe is experiencing acute shortages of power that have prompted many mining companies and industrial companies to invest in their own power plants.

Construction work has began on the Pomona waste-to-energy project, with a ground-breaking event attended by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The project was approved by cabinet in February 2022, but construction has been delayed by the city council’s failure to raise the required funds and complaints from the public.

Independent power producer (IPP) Tatanga Energy is to develop nine solar mini-grids at schools and hospitals in eastern Zimbabwe for the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland.

A Dubai-based company backed by a well-connected but relatively low-profile member of Dubai’s ruling Al-Maktoum family has been signing deals across Africa to generate carbon credits – generating some controversy in the process.

Exports of lithium have begun from a number of recently-developed processing plants – many operated by Chinese companies – as Zimbabwe looks to better exploit its large resources of a vital energy transition mineral. However, recent figures show overall production has been declining this year, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed the little-known Edgar Moyo as his energy and power development minister in a new, bloated cabinet – in which the re-elected president stirred up a storm by naming his son David Kudakwashe Mnangagwa (Kuda) as deputy finance minister and his nephew Tongai Mnangagwa as deputy tourism and hospitality minister.

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been sworn in for a second five-year term after an election widely condemned as flawed. The fallout could stifle efforts to put the economy back on track and undermine his plans to reengage with the world, writes Nicholas Makombe.

Local developer Tatanga Energy and Spain’s Enerfin are co-developing a 100MW wind plant in the Guruve-Mazowe region of Mashonaland Central province. If commissioned, it would be Zimbabwe’s first large-scale wind farm.