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Once fully commissioned, the nameplate 650,000 b/d Dangote refinery complex is expected to transform the downstream sector in West Africa, but other major refinery projects are also under way in Angola and Ghana, writes James Gavin.

The Lagos-headquartered Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) is investing $95m in Kampala-headquartered Mahathi Infra Uganda. The funding will be used to build two barges that will move diesel, gasoline, kerosene and jet fuel 250km across Lake Victoria, from Kisumu in Kenya to Bugiri-Bukasa.

French major TotalEnergies has started drilling at the Tilenga oilfield – a key part of the wider Lake Albert project in Uganda – while facing down fresh criticism over the Eacop export pipeline to Tanzania.

The Cygnum Capital-managed Facility for Energy Inclusion has advanced a $30m loan to Equator Energy to help the Nairobi-headquartered C&I developer grow its business across Africa.

The 6.9MW run-of-river Muyembe hydroelectric power (HEP) plant has been commissioned. Power will be sold to Uganda Electricity Transmission Company under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

New York-listed energy services provider Expro Group Holdings has won a $30m, five-year well intervention and integrity contract from France’s TotalEnergies for the Tilenga project in Uganda.

The planned East African Crude Oil Pipeline project continues to face financing difficulties – and the DRC’s hopes that Eacop capacity may be on offer to evacuate its own eventual Lake Albert exports seem overblown – but officials in Kampala are also pushing ahead with plans for a third licensing round and a 60,000 b/d refinery, write James Gavin and African Energy staff.

One of the most familiar – and well liked – faces on the African power development scene over many years of significant achievement coupled with good humour in the face of adversity, Bob Chestnutt has died after a sudden illness.

The International Monetary Fund has trimmed its economic growth expectations for sub-Saharan Africa in its latest World Economic Outlook to 3.6% for 2023. Low-income countries are expected to outperform most of their richer neighbours, but some analysts have warned the IMF is being overly optimistic.

Australia Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed Ionic Rare Earths has received approval  rom Uganda's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to start work on the demonstration plant at its 5m t/yr Makuutu magnet and heavy rare earths project.

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has told African Energy the first details of its ambitious plan to develop 5GW of renewable energy (RE) capacity across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with projects in Angola, Uganda and Zambia.

Unit 10 of the Nalubaale hydroelectric power (HEP) plant has been synchronised to the national grid. Questions remain, however, over the future of the plant’s operation and maintenance (O&M) concession, which is operated by Eskom Uganda, a subsidiary of the South African national utility.

Following a series of delays, a new date has been set for the commissioning of the Nyagak III hydroelectric power project. The Uganda Electricity Generation Company said in December that the project was 80% complete.

Analysis of the African Energy Live Data platform shows installed electricity generation capacity in East Africa is set to be boosted by nearly 15GW, as mega-hydroelectric projects finally come to fruition and renewables gain pace over the next five years. The project pipeline could grow even more quickly if the ambitious goals set out by Kenya and other governments are achieved.

The transaction for Amari Power Transmission – a project to upgrade four substations in Uganda that was announced last year – should close later in 2023, according to UK investor Gridworks.