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The multilateral created to pull former communist economies into the global market is gearing up to provide significant support for North Africa, but like other elements of the so-called Deauville Partnership, things are not moving as quickly as supporters of the ‘Arab Spring’ would like, writes Jon Marks

Contracts must be concluded to show that renewable energy (RE) schemes are more than hot air, African Energy wrote last year. More solar and wind projects were being tendered in Morocco and South Africa’s new-found enthusiasm for RE would be confirmed if the much-anticipated first round of its Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPP) was a success (AE 215/24).

ONE: New Agadir and Tan Tan substations; SOUTH AFRICA: PV plant for Coega; SOUTH AFRICA: CSP suppliers sought

The grouping of EDF Energies and Mitsui & Company has emerged as low bidder for the development of the 150MW Taza wind farm for state utility Office National de l’Electricité (ONE)

Signs of rapprochement between Algeria and Morocco, and the gathering pace of Morocco’s renewables programme, provide some of the most positive newsflow from North Africa, but the central issue dividing Algiers and Rabat will not go away – and contracts awarded by Moroccan developers to foreign firms in the disputed Western Sahara are providing fresh ammunition in the Polisario Front’s independence campaign, writes Selwa Calderbank

Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines has signed a reconnaissance contract for the Tadla I area with US company EOGI International; Australia’s Tangiers Petroleum has raised A$6.35m ($6.7m) through a private placement in conjunction with its AIM listing

Algeria’s council of ministers has approved the sale of an 18.375% interest in the Isarene production-sharing contract (PSC) to Enel Trade SpA (Enel); Doris Engineering has given UK-based Jee a contract for specialist subsea and riser engineering for the deep-water Kaombo pipeline system on Total’s Block 32; Operator SOCO International has encountered non-commercial hydrocarbons in the Makouala Marine-1 exploration well on the Marine XIV licence; Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) has extended the deadline for its licensing round to 29 March; Golden Crescent Investments, a Citadel Capital opportunity-specific fund, has agreed to sell its interest in National Petroleum Company Egypt Limited (NPC Egypt) to Canada’s Sea Dragon Energy; Hess has issued a letter of award to Seadrill to enter into an eight-well drilling contract for the semi-tender rig West Esperanza; Australia’s Tangiers Petroleum plans to list on London’s Alternative Investment Market on 3 February and has begun a 677km2 3D seismic acquisition programme in its offshore Tarfaya Block; Circle Oil has completed the construction phase of the new Sebou-Kenitra 8-inch pipeline; TVI Pacific has opted not to take part in the second exploration phase for the Tenere Block with China National Petroleum Corporation; PA Resources has sold its stakes in the Ezzaouia and El Bibane oil-producing fields to Candax Energy for $4m

Dana Petroleum has announced a “new brand identity” aimed at helping it expand in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; Eve Howell has set up a new venture with Mauritania and Mali enthusiast Max de Vietri and Colombian geologist Ricardo Garzon, named EMR Resources; Vancouver-based Simba Energy has begun trading on the US over-the-counter market’s highest tier, the OTCQX, which aims to give international companies access to US investors

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has begun the formal appraisal process for a loan to back up to 50% of the total €290m ($386m)

Using equipment and management from Spanish giant Gamesa, the local subsidiary of Italy’s Italcementi Group

Multilaterals lined up to voice support for Masen’s ground-breaking CSP scheme at Ouarzazate, ahead of the global climate conference in Durban. With other solar schemes also reporting progress, Morocco’s aspirations to become a leading renewables producer are moving ahead, writes Jon Marks

The grouping of the local ONA Group’s Nareva subsidiary and International Power (IP) have emerged as low bidder in the second attempt by state utility Office National de l’Electricité to award a contact for the 660MW coal-fired independent power plant at Safi.

State utility Office National de l’Electricité (ONE) has invited expressions of interest by 1 February 2012 from engineering, procurement and construction contractors to

State utility Office National de l’Electricité (ONE) has invited expressions of interest by 1 February 2012 from engineering, procurement and construction contractors to build a 350MW coal-fired power plant, part of its $13.2bn investment programme for the 2011-16 period

There has been an upsurge of interest in Morocco’s underexplored acreage, with Vancouver-based East West Petroleum Corporation the latest company to sign an agreement with the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (Onhym).