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Operator Aker Energy submitted a development plan to the Ministry of Energy on 28 March for the Deepwater Tano/Cape Three Points Block. The Integrated Plan of Development and Operations (PDO) presents an overall plan for a phased development and production of the resources in the contract area, starting with the Pecan field, which was discovered by Hess in 2012. Once the PDO is approved by the Ghanaian authorities, the partners will work towards a final investment decision (FID).

Australian minnow Tap Oil in early April received formal confirmation of the award of Ghana’s Offshore Accra Contract Area, a 2,000km2 block just offshore from Accra’s Tema port.

Tullow Oil has opted not to appeal against a court ruling in favour of Seadrill Ghana Operations Limited over the early termination of the West Leo rig contract and has paid the $248m awarded by the court. At the same time, a panel of arbitrators at the International Chamber of Commerce has ruled in favour of Kosmos Energy Ghana in relation to its dispute with Tullow over its share of the liability for costs related to the West Leo rig beyond 1 October 2016.

Authorities in Portugal are investigating accusations of tax fraud and money laundering against three Angolan officials close to President José Eduardo dos Santos. Those involved are minister of state General Hélder Vieira Dias, known as Kopelipa, his adviser Leopoldino Nascimento, and vice-president Manuel Vicente, often cited as a potential successor to dos Santos.

Wentworth Resources has opted to relinquish the onshore Tembo Block in the Rovuma Basin where it had been seeking a partner to appraise the 2014 Tembo-1 gas discovery. The company said in October that a re-evaluation of the Tembo discovery had indicated that it was unlikely to be commercial. Insecurity in the region forced the company to suspend activities earlier this year and in June the National Petroleum Institute granted a one-year extension to its appraisal licence.

A bilateral energy agreement signed by presidents Ian Khama and Jacob Zuma on 31 August has been greeted with a mixed reaction. The agreement is intended to lead to the export of coal from Botswana to South Africa.

The World Bank is considering $42m of funding for a capacity-building project in the nascent gas and oil sector.

The African Development Bank has approved a $32m private sector loan to finance Gecad’s 126MW thermal power plant at Tema

Markets are warming to coal and other investments that can contribute to resolving southern Africa’s power crisis.

India’s Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has commissioned the 500MW Kosti thermal power station, comprising four 125MW units fuelled using crude oil imported from South Sudan. BHEL was the engineering, procurement and construction contractor, and designed, supplied and installed the entire plant with associated civil works. All major equipment was manufactured in-house by BHEL. Funding was provided via a $350m line of credit from the Export-Import Bank of India. The plant is BHEL’s largest oil-fuelled power plant outside India, and follows the inauguration of its 28MW Nyabarongo hydroelectric power plant in Rwanda and 40MW cogeneration facility at the Tendaho sugar factory in Ethiopia.

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has issued a general procurement notice for the Nigeria Electrification Project, which is funded by the African Development Bank. The project has four components and bid documents are expected to be issued in April. Component one will support private sector solar hybrid mini-grids in areas with high economic growth potential through a minimum subsidy tender. The work specifically targets 105,000 households and 20,000 businesses. Some 15 mini-grid operators are likely to be procured.

The Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy is launching its 2035 energy strategy amid continuing angst and recrimination over the failure of the first round of the wind and solar feed-in tariff (FiT) programme and doubts over the commercial viability of the tariffs announced for the second round. But while the risks taken by the authorities and private sector developers have not paid off so far, the size and importance of the market means that many investors have not given up hope.

Gecol chairman Belgasem Mohamed Younis and UNDP resident representative Costanza Farina signed an agreement on 16 June to improve the electricity company’s management and systems

Following completion of a farm-out to NewAge (African Global Energy), Euroil chairman Chief Ndieb-Nso George Tabetando has stepped down from the board of former Etinde operator Bowleven, along with general counsel Peter Wilson. Tabetando, a lawyer and traditional chief from South West Region, founded Euroil in 1995, and the company was awarded the Etinde permit in 1998. Euroil became part of Bowleven in 2001.

Eskom announced on 9 October that Unit II of its 4,764MW Medupi coal power plant has been synchronised to the grid, eight months ahead of schedule. The unit supplied its first power to the grid on 7 October 2018, generating 400MW. Unit II is the fifth of the six Medupi units to be synchronised. During the testing and optimisation phase, which will last several months, it will deliver power intermittently as it ramps up to the full 794MW capacity.