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A 600kW gas-fired power plant developed by Genesis Energy has started operating at the Malian Cashew Corporation’s factory in Diatoula, south of the capital Bamako.

Chadian developer ZIZ Energie has confirmed to African Energy the dates it expects its solar PV mini-grids in Ati and Moussoro to come online. The two projects have faced numerous delays due to supply constraints and financing issues.

Competition among international powers over access to critical raw minerals was intense even before Russia’s President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But the conflict has focused minds even more sharply in the United States and European Union over the ground they have ceded to China in relation to rare earth minerals and other essential supplies.

Upstream regulator Instituto Nacional de Petróleo (INP – National Petroleum Institute) is hoping to conclude technical talks soon and sign a contract with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) for the development of offshore oil blocks in the Angoche Basin and Save province.

Lagos-headquartered Royal Power Energy (RPE) is planning to expand out of its home market and into Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as it seeks to exploit opportunities stemming from the rising demand for electricity from mobile phone network providers.

First Quantum Minerals (FQM) is hoping to complete 430MW of solar and wind projects in time for the commissioning of a $1.25bn expansion at its Kansanshi mine in Solwezi, North Western province, a company executive told African Energy.

Lagos-headquartered Rensource plans to launch a Series B funding round in the near future, aiming to raise $12m by end-year, which it will use to advance its 70MW commercial and industrial project pipeline, chief executive Prince Ojeabulu told African Energy.

After outlining contingent support for Mozambican natural gas projects, the World Bank has told African Energy it may back other projects on a ‘selective basis’, with criteria that could favour African markets, writes Marc Howard.

Kenya’s first independent power transmission (IPT) projects – the 165km 400kV line from Lessos to Loosuk and the 72km 220kV line from Kisumu to Musaga – are expected to reach financial close by end-2023, with construction to start thereafter, according to project sources.

State gas and power company Sonelgaz’s renewable energy arm is leading Algeria’s latest attempt to develop a major solar PV project, with plans now for 2GW of capacity to be installed at sites in the Sahara and High Plateaux to launch a 15GW initiative.

The restart of the 970MW Unit 1 at Koeberg nuclear power plant has been delayed due to “unexpected challenges”, according to state utility Eskom. The unit was switched off in December for regular maintenance and refuelling; it had been due to return to service by 23 July.

National utility Eskom says it plans to submit a final application to regulators in April to allow it to exceed the emissions limits at the troubled Kusile coal-fired power station while repairs are carried out.

UK independent Savannah Energy is moving forward with a $1.25bn plan to acquire a string of upstream assets in South Sudan from Malaysia’s Petronas – a rare case of an IOC stepping into one of Africa’s most challenging political and economic environments, writes James Gavin.

US-headquartered Astra Energy has secured a 200-acre site on Unguja Island for a renewable energy (RE) project comprising 42.5MWp of solar PV and 7.5MW of waste-to-energy (WTE) capacity. An unspecified amount of battery capacity is also planned for the project – which is one of several initiatives to improve electricity access on the Zanzibar archipelago.

Zambia has “reset” its relationship with China, President Hakainde Hichilema said in late March. This followed resolution of a dispute over funding for the 750MW Kafue Gorge Lower hydroelectric power (HEP) project.