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The Kenyatta administration has told KenGen to cut geothermal tariffs, as the government widens its efforts to lower prices that previously only targeted IPPs operating in Kenya, writes Neville Otuki in Nairobi

The Kenyan utility is under pressure to stem commercial losses and meet President Kenyatta’s target of slashing consumer bills by one-third by Christmas. Renegotiations remain on the cards for IPPs, but the government insists it won’t ‘strongarm’ anybody, writes Dan Marks.

TotalEnergies formally transferred its interest in the Hylia II production-sharing contract (PSC) to Perenco Oil and Gas on 11 November, advancing the French major’s disposal programme, announced in July 2020.

A four-year emergency contract awarded to Turkey’s Karpowership highlights some of the challenges that face the Ivorian electricity industry, as supply in traditionally one of the continent’s best performing power sectors threatens to become unbalanced. Dan Marks looks into CdI’s supply-side options.

The rapid advance of the Tigrayan Defence Force (TDF) and its United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces (UFEFC) allies has led many to speculate that the Tirgayans’ promise to take Addis Ababa may be realised.

The risk that almost 11GW of planned sub-Saharan power generation capacity will be shelved if Beijing carries through on one of its more public climate change pledges, to end state financing of overseas coal projects, underlines the extent Chinese policy impacts on African economies. In the run-up to a COP26 meeting, where superpower posturing may overwhelm efforts to achieve global consensus, Chinese policy on foreign projects, military expansion and huge debts are examined by Marc Howard, Ajay Ubhi and Jon Marks

Luanda is gearing up for an active autumn, with international majors and domestic players honing in on one of the continent’s more vibrant exploration and production plays, writes James Gavin

Bidding is due to open in mid-October for partners to work with state Sonangol to design, build, own and operate an oil refinery at Lobito, in Benguela province, with a capacity to process up to 200,000 b/d to be installed in one or more phases. The winning partner to sign a memorandum of understanding in early November, followed by a partnership agreement by 1 February 2022.

Power generation has received a significant boost in the world’s poorest country after a long period of stagnation, with significant PV and HFO on-grid additions and prequalification for a 50MW Scaling Solar project.

New financing for West Africa-focused hybrid solar PV project developer Daystar Power underlines the extent that commercial and industrial (C&I) markets are gaining traction with development finance institutions (DFIs) and others. Daystar Power has completed a $38m series B funding round led by Denmark’s Investment Fund for Developing Countries and including French impact infrastructure fund Stoa, French DFI Proparco – backed by a guarantee from the European Union under the African Renewable Energy Scale-Up facility (ARE Scale-Up) – and Morgan Stanley Investment Management.

Efforts to increase renewables’ share in Seychelles’ energy mix are reflected in an expected fivefold increase in solar generation, not least to serve revenue-generating luxury resorts. While more solar projects are planned, the outlook for the once-hyped oil search seems poor, with a new government in place since October which has put marine protection measures at the centre of policy, writes Marc Howard.

President Cyril Ramaphosa used his state of the nation address to set out measures the government is taking to combat the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, with energy close to the top of the list of priorities. New procurement may finally get under way soon, writes Dan Marks

Egypt’s latest licensing round includes three unexplored western Mediterranean blocks which represent the future for the country’s natural gas sector. Their fate is tied closely to Egypt’s wider domestic and regional energy strategy, which despite an energetic campaign of modernisation and renewal is still overshadowed by the mistakes of the first gas export drive in the late 1990s, writes John Hamilton.

A court in Milan on 17 March acquitted Eni and Royal Dutch Shell of corruption in the purchase of OPL 245. Campaigners said they were surprised and disappointed by the verdict, especially as two middlemen involved in the sale were found guilty in September 2018. The written ruling explaining the judge’s reasoning should be handed down 90 days after the verdict.

A mid-January agreement between Sudan and South Sudan to expand oil cooperation has raised expectations of improved relations yielding material benefits for both states from the south’s under-utilised hydrocarbons reserves. But familiar obstacles are blocking progress, writes James Gavin.