Search results

ALGERIA: EU gives green light for Arzew petrochems project; NIGERIA: East Area NGL starts up; SOUTH AFRICA: PetroSA names advisor for Coega refinery; SOUTH AFRICA: Siemens wins products pipe contract

After trying for years to get a deal together for a regional gas-to-power project, Tullow Oil is now considering alternative markets for gas that might be produced from Namibia’s offshore Kudu field. But power generation remains the absolute priority for NamPower, as the Namibian utility evolves its strategy to cope with the southern African electricity supply crisis, writes Thalia Griffiths.

ANGOLA: Wärtsilä to power cement works; ANGOLA: New capacity; DR CONGO: Snel seeks study of Nzilo 2 HEP; MADAGASCAR: Sinohydro contrac; MOROCCO: Bidders for Safi IPP coal plant named; RWANDA: Bhel to build Nyabarongo; SENEGAL: Nuclear talks with Sarko; SOUTH AFRICA: Voith Siemens to equip Ingula

The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (Pty) Ltd’ company developing the PBMR has given a joint venture of Canada’s SNC Lavalin and South Africa’s Murray & Roberts the contract to provide engineering, procurement, project and construction management services for the Phase II demonstration plant (AE 116/9).

The National Treasury has come to Eskom’s rescue, agreeing to bring forward the disbursement of a R60bn ($8bn) deeply subordinated loan and expressing its willingness to consider providing guarantees to enable the utility to access funding that would otherwise not be available (AE 139/24, 133/24).

Mozambique’s long-discussed transmission backbone scheme is another major southern African scheme to gain impetus from the region’s electricity supply crisis, writes Kevin Godier.

ESKOM: Godsell confirmed as next chairman; ONE: Small hydro tender postponed

Energy Minister Salvador Namburete hopes financial close for the Temane gas-to-power project will take place by year-end. The project - part of the Southern African Power Pool's planned Eastern Corridor - to harness gas from the adjacent gas fields

Southern Africa’s power crisis and chronic capacity shortages throughout the continent have consolidated the boom for short-term providers of generation in a host of sub-Saharan economies. With big profits to be made, the ‘interim solutions’ marketplace is getting fuller and more varied, writes François Misser.

One signal that Eskom’s plans to source power are not yet set in stone comes from analysis of its transmission options, with plans evolving for a high capacity EHV transmission system to form a backbone of high load transmission across South Africa – the so-called KV 765 super grid. SA now has only three 765kV lines (the majority of the grid is 400kV) but according to

Morocco’s Office National de l’Electricité and Algeria’s Sonelgaz signed two agreements; China signs financing accords for grid rehab; ONE calls for lights out, Gulf governments chip in; Mohammedia plant rehab; Portugal to fund clean energy; JBIC loan for Eskom; Kyocera donates solar systems to schools; : Consultant sought for Indian-funded Isimba HPP

The UK’s IPSA Group, which last year became the first independent power generator to supply electricity in South Africa, says it is seeking to gain a “significant share” of the country’s power generation market within the next five years. The six months to 31 March saw IPSA’s first sales of electricity under contract to users such as City Power of Johannesburg and Eskom. The company plans to add another 8MW of capacity at its 18MW combined heat and power plant at Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, and is working on obtaining the necessary licences, consents and leases for installation of its first 521MW of capacity at the Coega Project near Port Elizabeth, where it plans to install a total of 1,600MW.

CBM pilot drilling; EEPCo seeks Gilgel Gibe 3 links;Accra looks to nuclear power; Gurara Falls HEP scheme; Rural electrification tenders; Gariep hydro rehab; AfDB financing

Eager to secure new sources of oil, Lakshmi Mittal has taken over from Tokyo Sexwale as Ophir Energy’s biggest shareholder as the company embarks on an ambitious exploration programme.

Slightly later than expected, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has sought to placate the very different, often conflicting, demands of building SA’s economy according to international benchmarks and protecting millions of poor consumers from the worst depredations of transition to a hard-knuckles market economy. Nersa on 18 June agreed a 13.3% average tariff increase for Eskom Holdings Ltd