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Tanzania’s Fair Competition Commission (FCC) has cleared the acquisition of 50% of BP Tanzania Limited by Trafigura subsidiary Puma Energy (Tanzania) Investments Ltd

President Paul Kagame on 16 May officially inaugurated the KivuWatt methane-to-power plant at Kibuye. The plant has been operating since December, supplying 25MW to the grid from three Wärtsilä 34SG engines running on methane gas extracted from Lake Kivu. ContourGlobal said the technology was working better than expected and it aimed to be producing 34MW by year-end. “Our design and technology are performing even better than expected and we are pleased to announce today that the gas extraction facility will support at least an additional 9MW of power generation.

The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries has invited prequalification bids for the development of a 100MW heavy fuel oil-fired thermal power plant in Ouagadougou. Bids are due by 22 December. A private partner is sought to design, finance and construct the project as well as operate and maintain the future plant as a concessionaire without any ownership interests, according to the tender notice issued on 28 November.

Toshiba Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ethiopian Electric Power on a geothermal power partnership envisaging collaboration in power generation projects and personnel development. Toshiba said it had committed to develop and manufacture major equipment, create operation and management guidelines, co-operate in personnel development, and start a waste heat utilisation business. Toshiba says it commands the world’s largest market share for geothermal equipment, with 24% of total installed capacity. Ethiopia’s geothermal potential is estimated at 6,000MW, but has yet to be explored and developed, though several projects are in their early stages.

Houston-based McDermott International has won a contract to build a 15,000-tonne platform for Noble Energy’s Alen gas-condensate development project off the east coast of Bioko Island.

Italian gas company Sinergie Italiane has agreed to buy 145,000m3 of liquefied natural gas from BG Group in what will be the first shipment of LNG from Equatorial Guinea to Italy.

Société Tunisienne d’Electricité et du Gaz (Steg) is determined to retain its central role in power generation despite its financial weakness and government efforts to promote independent solar projects and the liberalisation of the sector. It is seeking a capital injection and is looking at ways of increasing revenue to resolve a severe liquidity crisis.

The World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation has announced a $70m investment in First City Monument Bank (FCMB) to support its growth strategy and help it increase financing of small and medium enterprises.

Oil and gas minister Abdulrahman Ben Yezza has reassured striking workers at Sirte Oil Company (SOC)’s Brega complex that the government will do what it takes to bring the security situation there under control.

The Climate Investment Funds (CIF) has approved a $21.7m facility to finance development of the Ngozi geothermal steam field in south-west Tanzania, eventually adding up to 823GWh/yr to the grid. The $5m loan and $16.73m grant come from the CIF’s Scaling-up Renewable Energy Programme. Tanzania has around 15 geothermal sites with an untapped estimated potential of 650MW, and Ngozi is planned as a showcase for the technology. Exploratory test drilling will be conducted and steam-gathering infrastructure installed at the Ngozi site.

Petronas is pulling out of Ethiopia, selling all its oil and gas interests to SouthWest Energy, the company formed by the Malaysians’ former local agent.

Persistent blackouts, rising tensions in poorer neighbourhoods and disillusionment among the professional classes are adding to political pressures on President Wade and his family. A speedy breakthrough in installing new generation capacity and improved T&D would considerably ease tensions, writes Jon Marks in Dakar

Circle Oil has announced a gas discovery with the KSR-10 exploration well on the Sebou permit, north-east of Rabat in the Rharb Basin.

The Vienna-based Organisation for International Economic Relations and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) are providing an $800,000 grant to support a Solar Light for All initiative to supply off-grid, rural communities in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Solar Light for All is an initiative set up by the Austria-based Energy Globe Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded by Wolfgang Neumann.

While talking up its efforts to support the oil and gas industry through the current downturn with a two-year extension to all exploration contracts, the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons has published a new ministerial order that limits to three years the period during which companies can employ expatriate workers. “The order follows years of successful capacity building and training within local companies and local labour in Equatorial Guinea, which has made available a well-trained pool of local talent,” a ministry statement said.