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Barrick Gold has provided details of its plans to add solar PV capacity with battery energy storage at the Kibali gold mine, where its activities are now powered by off-grid hydroelectric power and diesel capacity. Kibali, Africa’s largest gold mine, is owned by Barrick in a joint venture with Johannesburg-headquartered AngloGold Ashanti and parastatal Société Miniére de Kilo-Moto (Sokimo).

State utility Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) and Indian-owned Jindal Energy Botswana have signed a 30-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to develop a 300MW baseload coal-fired thermal power station at Mmamabula.

Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower) has issued three open tenders for generation and transmission contracts, including a call for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) bids to build the 70MWp Rosh Pinah solar PV project.

Kalahari GeoEnergy (KGE) has set a date for the expected commissioning of a 50kW pilot geothermal plant at Bweengwa in Southern Province. The project is Zambia’s first geothermal independent power producer (IPP) and is due to expand to 10MW over time.

British American Tobacco Nigeria (BAT) has commissioned a solar PV plant at its Ibadan factory.

Norwegian independent power producer Scatec has commissioned a solar PV and battery hybrid project in South Africa, plus two similar schemes in Cameroon via its subsidiary Release.

The  Zungeru hydroelectric power plant has been commissioned, adding some 10% to Nigeria’s on-grid capacity. However, dispatching Zungeru’s full capacity will depend on the patchy transmission network.

Nairobi-based Serengeti Energy has said it sees opportunities to develop more hydroelectric power (HEP) plants in Uganda, despite a risk of oversupply in the market in the near term.

State-owned Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) is seeking a consultant to conduct a feasibility study on a proposed 40MW floating solar PV plant on the Kamburu hydroelectric power (HEP) plant reservoir.

A solar PV and battery energy storage plant has been commissioned at Danzi, 18km north-west of the capital Bangui, according to the World Bank Group. The plant is a significant addition to CAR’s under-developed grid, which had a total of 49.65MW online prior to Danzi’s commissioning, according to African Energy Live Data. During the Danzi commissioning ceremony, President Faustin Archange Touadera lamented “the lack of investment over the past 40 years” in CAR’s electricity industry. The lack of interest among private and foreign investors is not surprising, given CAR’s long-running civil war and poor governance.

SolarAfrica has outlined to African Energy the latest timeframe for the first phase of its 1GW SunCentral solar PV wheeling project in South Africa's Northern Cape. The project is among the first private projects to be issued with an Eskom budget quote since the utility changed grid allocation rules and gave priority to shovel-ready generation projects under the Renewable Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP).

State utility Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) has started work to connect the 2.1GW Julius Nyerere hydroelectric power (HEP) plant to Chalinze substation in Pwani district, via a 400kV power transmission line built by India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

Two projects have reached commercial close under South Africa’s much-delayed renewable energy independent power producer procurement programme (REIPPP5)’s fifth bid window. The solar PV projects at Grootspruit in Free State and Graspan in Northern Cape are being developed by the Engie-Pele Consortium.

A consortium led by TotalEnergies has signed agreements for the 75MW Mulilo solar PV and battery storage project in Northern Cape, under the much-delayed Risk Mitigation IPP Procurement Programme, while another RMIPPP project has reached commercial close and other schemes are expected to make decisions soon.

EDF subsidiary Production Energie Insulaire (PEI) has completed the conversion of the utility’s 211MW Port Est plant to run solely on biomass. Réunion’s second biomass-only plant advances the French overseas territory’s 2030 renewables goal.