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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.

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.

With drilling under way at the Kingfisher development, plus new production sharing agreements and a third bid round mooted for May, Uganda expects considerable progress this year in its upstream and in building its much-anticipated pipeline and refinery infrastructure – although experts warn that potentially daunting challenges remain, writes James Gavin.

Energy leasing firm Solarise Africa (Solarise) has secured debt finance from a group of investors led by the Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI), which it will use to grow its commercial and industrial (C&I) business in Africa.

After a lengthy delay, the first two units of the 600MW Karuma hydroelectric power plant are earmarked for commissioning in December. The plant, which was initially scheduled to come online in 2019, has been delayed numerous times due to technical defects, flooding, disruptions from Covid-19 and land acquisition issues for the associated interconnection and transmission elements of the project.

The Ugandan government is considering a public-private partnership (PPP) model for electricity distribution company Umeme, when the group’s current concession runs out in March 2025, according to well-placed industry sources speaking at African Energy's AIX: Power and Renewables 2022 event in London on 16-17 November.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)’s early October decision to commit $200m to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) provided a valuable slug of support to a project that has become increasingly toxic to western banks and insurers.

TotalEnergies is to face a group of environmental pressure groups in a French court on 7 December, in a dispute over the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) and Tilenga projects in Uganda and Tanzania.

Uganda is planning an oil licensing round in 2023, as it seeks to develop its petroleum sector, mineral development and energy minister Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu told an oil and gas conference in Kampala on 27 September. African Energy examines this news and provides a roundup of other bid rounds across Africa.

Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have awarded a consultancy contract to Aecom for a power interconnection line between the two countries.