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Botswana has come out as the most transparent in Africa in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2013, placing 30th out of 175 countries. This delighted the government, which said it was down to the country’s “zero tolerance” approach and the establishment of oversight institutions: the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime, the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board and the Competition Authority and the Financial Intelligence Agency. Cape Verde was ranked 41st, Seychelles 47th, Rwanda 49th and Mauritius 52nd. Somalia came bottom, and deputy finance minister Ahmed Hassan Adan reacted angrily, saying the report was not trustworthy. “We want to see any evidence to these allegations.

Australia’s African Energy Resources (AFR) has signed a joint development agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power to develop a 300MW minemouth coal power plant at AFR’s Sese coal field (AE 260/8). On 2 October, the companies jointly submitted an expression of interest in developing the greenfield power plant requested by the Botswanan Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources. The Sese coal field has enough resources to fuel around 2,400MW of generation capacity for 25 years. However, the company’s water allocation and environmental permitting is currently only sufficient for two 300MW facilities.

In a throwback to the earliest roots of electric capitalism in southern Africa, private mining houses sitting on giant coal resources are desperate to provide power to the region’s economic powerhouse. Australia’s African Energy Resources (AFR), which holds rights to 3.8bn tonnes of coal at Sese and Mmamantswe, and India’s Jindal, whose licences on the Mmamabula coal field have estimated reserves of 2.4bn tonnes, have both confirmed registration in South Africa’s baseload IPP programme. AFR said on 29 July that it had successfully submitted a request for registration and information with South Africa’s Department of Energy for a 300MW coal power plant at its Sese coal project.

The Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) is requesting expressions of interest for the Zimbabwe-Zambia-Botswana-Namibia (Zizabona) transmission line project. Finance is being provided by a grant from the African Development Bank. Work will be awarded in three separate tenders.

Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed African Energy Resources (AER) says it is poised to complete negotiations with five groups interested in investing either directly into the wholly-owned project company it has created to manage the 300MW Sese Integrated Power Project or into the mother company itself. Although there have been delays – having gained impetus when some 20 companies signed confidentiality agreements to view AER’s data, due diligence missions then experienced delays obtaining visas – the project, which is divided into two 150MW units (like Morupule B), is reaching a phase where financing can be put in place, the Australian developer says.

Years of relying on imported power have left Botswana unprepared to meet demand through its own-build programme, but the recruitment of advisors for the troubled Morupule B, a tender for 600MW of private generation capacity and calls for an international partner to take control of the state power utility suggest Gaborone is getting to grips with the situation, writes Dan Marks. While the Southern African Power Pool and its biggest supplier, South Africa, have failed to provide sufficient electricity to make up supply gaps, Botswana has struggled to raise its domestic generation capacity. Another supply crunch is looming: South Africa’s Eskom, which generated 68% of the electricity consumed in Botswana in 2011, signed a much-reduced agreement in January to supply 100MW of firm capacity and another 200MW on a non-firm basis until 31 July.

UK-based engineering, management and development consultant Mott MacDonald has consolidated its growth in South Africa by agreeing to buy Johannesburg-based engineering specialist PD Naidoo & Associates. Subject to Competition Commission of South Africa approval, the two companies will combine their southern African operations to create an 800 person-strong entity operating from 15 centres in South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique.

With Morupule B and other projects falling behind, rolling blackouts continuing for a third month and winter demand spikes still to come, Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) seems set to sign up for more emergency power. Glasgow-based Aggreko has held talks with BPC for a new contract, consolidating its already strong position in southern Africa.

The Kudu gas-to-power scheme is one of a number of strategic projects for which the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has been attempting to drum up investment. Ten energy projects were included in a report detailing progress on selected infrastructure projects in the SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan Short-Term Action Plan, presented to the SADC-UK 2013 Prosperity Event in London on 13 March. The report was put together from interviews with project managers.

Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has secured a new three-year agreement with Eskom to supply the country’s faltering power system. Frequent blackouts continue as delays commissioning the 600MW Morupule B coincide with the long overdue refurbishment of Morupule A and the end of Botswana’s previous power import agreement with Eskom.

Vitol and Helios Investment Partners have completed phase three of their acquisition of Shell’s downstream assets, taking over majority shareholdings in its Namibia and Botswana businesses Comprising 34 Shell-branded retail stations, 42 other retail units, 12 Shell Select stores and 130 employees, the businesses have been incorporated into Vivo Energy, owned by Vitol and Helios (40% each) and Shell (20%).

Australia’s Ormil Energy has received government approval for a four-year petroleum exploration licence for an area of 23,700km2 in the Ngamiland and Central districts

India’s Jindal Steel & Power has bought Mmamabula project developer CIC Energy for $116m and plans to push ahead with development of the stalled project. The deal will give Jindal Africa mining rights for high quality thermal coal from the Greater Mmamabula coalfield in south-east Botswana, which is estimated to hold 2.4bn tonnes.

A bilateral energy agreement signed by presidents Ian Khama and Jacob Zuma on 31 August has been greeted with a mixed reaction. The agreement is intended to lead to the export of coal from Botswana to South Africa.

Shares in temporary power solutions company APR Energy continue to trade at more than 25% below their March peak, although the London Stock Exchange (LSE)-listed firm has released some positive figures and deal flow data.