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Lekela Power has formally inaugurated the commercial operation of its 250MW West Bakr wind  farm in the Gulf of Suez, which operates turbines installed by Siemens Gamesa.

With North Africa in turmoil, the attention of many international oil companies (IOCs) has swung towards the Eastern Mediterranean – an area not unknown for intractable political conflict and instability.

World leaders failed to secure a binding global treaty on reducing carbon emissions at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen – not least due to opposition from a radical group including Venezuela and Sudan, as well as differences between global giants led by the United States and China. Leaders did secure a deal to limit

Global markets may be recovering, but the continent is behind the curve and analysis of the 6,700-plus generation projects contained in the African Energy Live Data platform shows the trend continues.

As Europe looks for alternative sources of natural gas to replace its current dependence on Russia, Italy may be best placed to gain additional export volumes from Algeria thanks largely to Eni’s historic commitment to the country. The depth of this relationship is again being  demonstrated as chief executive Claudio Descalzi shepherds through the deal to take over BP’s stakes in the strategically important In Amenas and In Salah gas projects. Lacking a similar depth of commitment, the UK-based major is pulling back perhaps a a consequence of the of the 2013 Jihadist attack on the Tiguentourine complex at In Amenas.  Read  African Energy analysis of Algiers’ response to Europe’s energy crisis.

European leaders are confronting the urgent need to diversify energy supplies away from Russia, while also somehow keeping to their commitments to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, that they made – indeed pioneered – at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, just four months ago.  African Energy examines the options and projects under discussion including gas and electricity imports and hydrogen prospects.

The most abundant element on earth, hydrogen, already has industrial uses, but it could do much more to transform the global energy mix as industrialised economies and the global south decarbonise. Judged by the welter of governmental and corporate statements, hydrogen is featuring large in the thoughts of planners and project promoters. These range from Chinese hydrocarbons giant Sinopec’s plans to reallocate some of its Rmb87bn ($13bn) cash pile to projects “all along the hydrogen chain” to Australian junior miner AVZ Minerals’ green lithium mine project at Manono in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gas-fuelled power projects have an important role to play in Africa, according to African Energy Live Data’s figures. The Africa-wide database lists 313 operating gas-fired plants, with 84,226MW of installed capacity; another 39 plants are under construction (with total 32,933MW capacity) and 156 are planned (66,921MW). The majority are utility-scale facilities supplying national grids; Live Data records 206 of these as operational (75,487MW), 33 under construction (28,754MW) and 119 planned (58,061MW).

Africa Oil Corporation (AOC) said the farm-in process for Block 3B/4B offshore South Africa is advancing, with the aim of securing a new partner by end-Q1 2023. The Vancouver-based company has described Block 3B/4B as “on trend” with the Venus and Graff oil discoveries made by TotalEnergies and Shell in Namibia’s Orange Basin in early 2022.

Australian Securities Exchange-listed EcoGraf expects to sign a framework agreement with the Tanzanian government for its Epanko graphite project in early 2023.

London AIM-listed Helium One Global says it is on course to spud a well in Q1 2023, aimed at proving a helium discovery at the Tai prospect in Tanzania’s Rukwa Basin.

Too often ignored except in times of extreme crisis, Lesotho is looking to emerge from years of political instability and economic malaise under previous coalition governments, as the Basotho population counts on newly-elected tycoon Prime Minister Sam Matekane to usher in transformative change.

China’s Sinosoar signed an agreement on 12 March with the state Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) to design, build and operate a solar-diesel mini-grid in Bokolomayo Village in the south of Somali Regional State. 

The Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) has issued an invitation for bids for the design, supply and installation of hydro-electro-mechanical equipment, 33kV evacuation line, substations and associated civil works for the 9.4MW Gbedin Falls hydroelectric plant