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While most attention focuses on Sayef and Muatassim, an even younger military son, Khemis El Qadhafi, is starting to play a significant role. From a young age, Khemis has led an elite military unit, which military observers say is being promoted by Qadhafi senior as a major force

President Goodluck Jonathan is coming under pressure to take decisive action after a parliamentary report revealed the extent of corruption surrounding fuel subsidy payments

Speaking to parliament in mid-September, Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia said Algeria should promote a policy to rebalance its economy in which all energy types should be developed, including renewables – reaffirming the government’s commitment to solar power – and unconventional resources, such as shales. Promotion of solar will require private investment, which can happen only with “a gradual evolution of tariffs, a severe struggle against illegal connections and a firm policy towards recovering debt from consumers”, one report said.

The government is under pressure to split Zesco into generation, transmission and distribution arms as a precursor to privatisation, as part of a $1.5bn support package under negotiation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to bail out the struggling economy.According to sources close to the transaction, finance minister Felix Mutati has agreed at talks in Washington to restructure Zesco as a way of making the power utility more efficient. “Chances of the company (Zesco) being privatised are high,” a senior government official close to the Treasury told African Energy.

Ethiopian Electric Power invites expressions of interest by 9 May from consultants to carry out a feasibility study and social and environmental impact assessment for the Melka Sedi biomass-fired thermal power project. The purpose of the study is to assess the technical, social and economic viability of using the Prosopis juliflora invasive shrub in the north-western regional state of Afar to generate power at a new thermal power plant with installed capacity of 137.5MW.

Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) is working with General Electric (GE) to find a way forward for the troubled 185MW expansion of the Kinyerezi I gas power plant. Delays became apparent last year when engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor Jacobsen Elektro told African Energy that only two of the four turbines were on site and a six-to-eight-month delay was expected.

The United States’ Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) on 23 October withdrew $190m of grant funding to Ghana, the same day the government formally began the process of cancelling a concession agreement between the state-owned Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Power Distribution Services Ghana Ltd (PDS). The cancellation follows controversy over the validity of payment securities provided by PDS as part of the transaction.In a statement on 23 October, the US embassy in Accra said it had been informed of the decision on 19 October and “notes this decision with regret”.

Eni to fund transmission work; New turbine for Vridi plant; Nuwaiba turbine generator tender; First two turbines start up at Merowe; Tanesco seeks procurement advisor

InfraCo Africa, part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group, has signed a shareholder agreement with local developer Tora Holding for the 160MW Pavua multi-purpose hydropower project on the Pungué River. The agreement confirms InfraCo as the lead developer, although eleQtra is acting on InfraCo’s behalf, and as majority shareholder for the project. Pavua is located in central Mozambique along the Beira corridor.

Eni has made a new gas and condensate discovery in the Gamma prospect in the Tripoli-Sabratah Basin. The discovery in Contract Area D, 140km offshore from Tripoli, was made with the B1 16/3 well at a site 15km south-west of the Bouri field and 5km north of the Bahr Essalam field. The drilling of the Gamma prospect is part of Eni’s near field exploration strategy, targeting opportunities close to existing infrastructure, reducing the time to market and providing additional gas for the local market and for export, the company said.

Eni has discovered 50tcf of gas reserves in Mozambique and plans to make the final investment decision on the development “over the next 18 months”, the Italian giant’s chief executive Paolo Scaroni said in Vienna on 13 June (AE 229/13, 228/17).  

Germany’s IBC Solar and local partner Sun Energy and Water Technologies have installed a hybrid photovoltaic (PV) system for national fisheries agency Office National des Pêches at Boujdour in the disputed Western Sahara. The system includes 500 solar PV panels, batteries and diesel generators to power the fishing village of Aftissat with 233,000kWh/yr. The fishing industry at the village near Boujdour consumes around 600kWh/d from demand for refrigeration, storage and other uses.

A series of new appointments in government and public companies suggests that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s fourth term is finally gaining momentum. But in a complex and opaque political environment, the jury is very much out as to whether new faces such as incoming energy minister Salah Khebri and Sonatrach president director-general (PDG) Amine Mazouzi can enact the changes to governance and project implementation so many Algerians crave.In a long-awaited government reshuffle announced on 14 May, Bouteflika named low-profile industry academic Khebri to replace Youcef Yousfi at the Ministry of Energy

HRT Participações em Petróleo’s charismatic founder Marcio Rocha Mello has quit as chief executive as the pre-salt pioneer company’s drilling programme gets under way offshore Namibia. His resignation was announced on 10 May, and the Brazilian company named its technical officer Nilo Chagas de Azambuja Filho to replace him. HRT America president Wagner Peres has also resigned.

Financial close for the Gecad venture’s 126MW thermal plant at Tema is expected by the end of July, with commissioning envisaged for May 2011, developer Aldwych International’s project director Christian Wright