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State utility Eskom has announced that the Kusile coal-fired power plant’s 800MW Unit V has begun supplying electricity to the grid, while repairs continue to a damaged flue duct, which has taken three other units offline.

The next phase of Egypt’s renewable energy development will stretch over several years, with financial close on the most ambitious projects not expected before 2026. If successful, Cairo could establish a pipeline of projects with several gigawatts of wind generation capacity being added every year into the next decade.

French major TotalEnergie has agreed to take a 60% stake and operatorship in a second offshore block, north of Principé island.

London-listed Afentra has said its completion of the acquisition of Azule’s stakes in two offshore Angola oil blocks has presented a strong platform for the company to capitalise on further opportunities in Angola, as well as in target markets in West Africa.

Maputo’s goal to become a regional power exporter continues to take shape, with investors committed to a substantial pipeline of renewable and gas-fired plants. Utility EDM is also promoting expansion of national and international interconnections, while progress is reported on the strategic 1.5GW Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric project, writes Marc Howard.

The issue leads with Mozambique, where Maputo’s goal to become a regional power exporter continues to take shape, with investors committed to a substantial pipeline of renewable and gas-fired plants. Utility EDM is also promoting expansion of national and international interconnections. African Energy also focuses on Egypt, where a cabinet reshuffle is the most significant reshaping of the energy sector’s management in nearly a decade. New ministers face daunting challenges as Egypt struggles to meet its ambitions for energy self-sufficiency and to become a regional gas and renewable power hub. Power coverage includes a feature on Zambia, which is is hoping to revive abandoned private sector-led power projects to help stem shortages caused by a severe drought. Oil and gas coverage leads with Senegal, where President Faye has said his administration, which took power in April, intends to deliver on its campaign promise to renegotiate offshore oil and gas contracts. African Energy also examines the state of Africa's upstream M&A market. John Hamilton has another incisive report of developments in Libya, where an apparent loosening of rules about who can trade Libyan crude has introduced further uncertainty and opacity into a market that was, historically, tightly regulated.  African Energy has seen evidence pointing to a new and unprecedented deal to export crude from eastern Libya. Finance and policy coverage looks at the new South African government lineup and examines another lesser-known UAE royal doing deals in Uganda and Zimbabwe. The African Energy View focuses on new thinking about how to tackle Africa’s electricity problems.  

A review of offshore oil and gas contracts had been anticipated, following pledges made on the campaign trail ahead of the February election. Agreements signed by the previous administration of President Macky Sall are expected to come in for particular scrutiny, write Waly Dione Faye and Marc Howard.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has formally cancelled a $1m grant to the now-abandoned Kibera Waste Pilot plant in Nairobi, following extensive procurement problems and a breakdown in its relationship with developer Asticom Kenya.

The 225MW Saint Louis combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) development on Senegal’s north-west coast is nearing financial close, according to a progress update given to African Energy by Turkish developer Aksa Energy.

Meridiam-owned Rift Valley Energy has secured $15m in funding from the UK’s development finance institution British International Investment (BII) to build 7.6MW of wind and hydroelectric power projects.

Mozambican regulator Autoridade Reguladora de Energia (Arene) has issued a request for proposals (RfP) for independent power producers (IPPs) to develop and install solar PV and battery energy storage systems (Bess) through the country’s Global Energy Transfer Feed-in Tariff (Get FiT) programme.

State-owned Kuvimba Mining Houses (KMH) is holding discussions with potential funding partners to develop mineral beneficiation at its portfolio of mines, where renewable C&I capacity is increasingly supplying power, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani has approved plans for the Tunisian portion of the 600MW high-voltage direct current Tunisia-Italy interconnector project (Elmed). First conceived over two decades ago, the revival of the Elmed project reflects increased European demand for imports of renewable power.

French major TotalEnergies has agreed to sell its 10% stake in the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) joint venture to the local Chappal Energies for $860m. SPDC holds 18 licences in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. It is the latest instance of a now well-established trend for international oil companies to sell assets in the country.

British energy major BP has signed a joint development agreement with a consortium of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and the local Hassan Allam Utilities and Infinity Power to explore the potential for a large, multi-phase green hydrogen (GH2) project in Egypt.