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India’s Essar Oil, which owns 50% of Kenya’s Mombasa refinery, has offered to build Uganda’s planned refinery. “There has been a big oil find in Uganda. To process it, they

Sterling Energy has sold its producing US assets for $90m, enabling it to clear its debt. The UK-based company plans to focus on higher impact opportunities in Africa and the Middle East,

The government of Equatorial Guinea has signed an agreement with Dubai-based Arabian Energy DMCC to work together on the Bioko Oil Terminal. The two sides agreed to collaborate on the development, implementation, construction and financing of the $500m project to develop West Africa’s largest oil and petroleum products storage facility. Other partners in the project include South Africa’s SacOil, Nigeria’s Taleveras Exploration and Production, trader Gunvor Group and South Africa’s Strategic Fuel Fund Association, which signed a memorandum of understanding with the government in 2015.

The Brazzaville government has received some reward for the closure in 2008 of Congolaise de Trading (Cotrade), the controversial marketing arm of parastatal Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) that was chaired by the president’s son, Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso. Cotrade’s closure came after pressure from the International Monetary Fund and, on 28 January, the World Bank and IMF announced an agreement that will allow Republic of Congo to reduce its external debt by $1.9bn and benefit from the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.

American Capital Energy & Infrastructure (ACEI), part of publicly traded private equity company American Capital Ltd, has announced that it will invest €76m ($85m) in a project to develop a 151.8MW wind farm in Senegal. The wind farm will be located in Taiba Ndiaye, around 75km north-east of Dakar, and will cost an estimated €305m. French wind and solar power developer Sarreole will retain a minority stake. The balance of the funding is anticipated from senior and mezzanine lenders. ACEI director of Africa investments Lisa Pinsley told African Energy the project aimed to reach financial close towards the end of the year.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) board on 30 November approved a R3bn ($216m) senior loan for the 100MW Redstone plant at the Humansrus solar park in the Northern Cape, which is being developed by Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power. The plant will use a molten salt central tower with around 12 hours or 1.2GWh of storage capacity. SolarReserve will supply the core technology for the project, including its ThermaVault molten salt solar thermal system.

Wide-ranging reform of Angola’s power sector is making progress, but with the economy heavily dependent on oil revenues, investment plans could be significantly slowed. Angola-watchers suggest the effects on the domestic economy of sharply lower global oil prices, coupled with the continued uncertainty over veteran President José Eduardo dos Santos’ succession plans, may create a ‘perfect storm’ that could hasten the long-awaited regime change.

CHAD: Chinese funding deals signed for N’djamena refinery; ANGOLA: KBR wins new contract for Sonaref technology; ZAMBIA: Indeni to seek new partner

Enel Green Power has started production from the 66MW Tom Burke solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Limpopo province. The plant was awarded in the third round of the renewable energy independent power producer procurement (REIPPP) programme, and brings Enel’s installed capacity in South Africa to nearly 160MW.

After a period of doubt over its future following problems in conflict-hit markets, including Libya, and difficulties repaying debt, London Stock Exchange-listed APR Energy’s shareholders have accepted an investor consortium’s offer to acquire the emergency power provider. The group of Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings and US firms Acon Equity Management and Albright Capital Management plan to take Florida-based APR private; the buyers have committed $200m-plus equity to reduce debt and increase working capital.

There is speculation in Ghana that US independent Hess Corporation may farm out part of its offshore assets as it repositions its operations and spending priorities. The company is focusing increasingly on unconventional shale resources ($2.7bn in 2013 alone) and is under pressure to restructure from activist US investors including billionaire Paul Singer and the Elliott Associates hedge fund.

As part of its efforts to improve the availability, reliability, efficacy and quality of electricity services in Conakry, Electricité de Guinée (EDG) has issued a tender for the supply of 16,000 single-phase prepaid meters and 4,000 three-phase prepaid meters with associated cables and connection materials.

French President François Hollande made a first visit to South Africa in mid-October, announcing a €4bn ($5.5bn) rail contract to be undertaken by Alstom with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa and highlighting French investment in South Africa’s power sector.The president referred to “the agreement signed between GDF Suez and South Africa for thermal power stations to the tune of €1.6bn”, creating hopes of a new injection of capital to give Eskom some breathing space. But a GDF Suez spokesman said no new deals had been signed with the South African government. While “we do work quite closely with the French government, Hollande was adding up different projects (which are already under development),” he said.

Parliamentary approval for a deal to install up to 400MW at Tema opens the way for a power purchase agreement to be signed by the Early Power Ltd consortium of Endeavor Energy, the local Sage Petroleum and GE. Local advocacy groups have raised concerns about pricing, but the Bridge Power project is the only new scheme currently working its way through the system, where other independent power projects have been stalled by World Bank and other donors’ concerns over financing.

The World Bank board has approved a $65m loan for the Energy Sector Development Project, and Rio Tinto Alcan has signed an agreement with the state Electricity Development Corporation (EDC) to provide technical assistance in the development of the Lom Pangar dam. According to the World Bank, “the Lom Pangar Hydropower Project (LPHP) is the anchor project to realise Cameroon’s significant hydro power potential. Cameroon’s three existing water reservoirs do not have sufficient storage capacity (total of 7.5km3) to maintain reliable power supply during the dry season.