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Although Zambian consumers take up the bulk of locally-generated power, state utility Zesco is looking to maintain a ‘healthy’ relationship with external electricity buyers, which include Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo.

State-owned utility Zesco is looking for a new renewable energy contractor, having put on hold a 2.4GW solar PV development with China’s CiEG. Work on other projects is continuing, but this is a difficult period for Zambia, which has still to implement its multilateral debt deal amid a lack of foreign currency and financing, writes Chiwoyu Sinyangwe in Lusaka.

In a recent conversation, an independent power producer (IPP) told African Energy that its southern African utility client has been paying for its electricity “more or less on time”. The problem was those payments were being made in a local currency that cannot be exchanged as “the central bank has no money”. The IPP could turn to international arbitration to try and enforce its contract terms, “but what’s the use of that,” the executive asks, “when there’s nothing to be had?”

At a COP28 signing ceremony, Dubai-headquartered Amea Power announced what promises to be the Horn of Africa’s largest ever wind development – in a country where private project development has proved highly problematic.

Golar LNG has been bullish in outlining its regional expectations for floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG), saying on 21 November that West Africa’s estimated 240tcf gas reserves and “proximity to all major demand centres” gave it a competitive advantage over other gas-exporting regions.

Kenya Electricity Generation Company (KenGen) has invited expressions of interest (EoIs) from consultancy firms to carry out detailed feasibility studies on setting up a plant to manufacture distribution transformers and motors.

The funding provided by the United Arab Emirates for the 3.5MW Bosaso solar plant is the latest element in a long engagement in the area by the Gulf power.

War-torn but entrepreneurial Somalia is edging back towards normality, at last securing membership of the East African Community and reporting some progress in tackling Al-Shabaab militants. The government also has longer-term ambitions to exploit ample renewable energy potential and offshore oil and gas resources, writes Dominic Dudley.

Angola's President João Lourenço travelled to Washington on 30 November to meet his American counterpart Joe Biden, in a meeting described by the White House as advancing the development of the 1,290km Lobito Corridor rail project.

A series of increasingly high-profile and commercialised UN climate change summits has driven a global boom in climate finance, but Africa is being left behind as a result of poor infrastructure, weak governance and other issues. As discussions start at COP28 in Dubai, African Energy assesses the data and what needs to change if Africa is to hit its climate change targets.

Kenya Electricity Generation Company (KenGen)’s plans to set up a Green Energy Park at its 800MW geothermal power generation hub at Olkaria in Naivasha county are gathering pace, with the state-owned firm issuing a call for proposals from local and international investors interested in leasing land and setting up operations at the site.

Italian major Eni has said it is pumping 8,000 b/d more than forecast at its Baleine project offshore Côte d'Ivoire, with output exceeding 20,000 b/d, compared to initial predictions of 12,000 b/d.

Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed MMG is to acquire Khoemacau Copper Mining Company for $1.9bn. Khoemacau’s mine in the Kalahari Copper Belt has production capacity of 60,000 t/yr of copper and 1.6m oz/yr of silver metal.

A fresh wave of drilling activity underscores expectations of another strong year for the Namibian upstream, even as state oil company Namcor posts a loss.

The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has unconditionally withdrawn civil claims totalling $1.1bn against Italian major Eni that had been lodged in Italian courts, ending a long-running legal dispute centred on corruption allegations. In a statement to African Energy, Eni said it had received a letter confirming the withdrawal and said it was “the final step towards the truth”.