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Industry hype over Namibia as one of the world’s hottest offshore frontiers has been tempered by Shell’s announcement that it will take a write-down on nine wells drilled within its operated PEL 39 block. Shell called the move an ‘accounting process’ – and said it still sees additional commercial opportunities in Namibia’s offshore

Construction work has started on the Lower Maguduza hydroelectric power plant in central Eswatini, the country’s first utility-scale, privately financed renewable IPP. The plant is expected to boost the government’s efforts to displace costly power imports.

KenGen has completed environmental and social impact studies for the 140MWe capacity increase at its Olkaria II geothermal facility.

In a significant boost for the London-headquartered indie, the International Chamber of Commerce has ruled that Tullow Oil is not liable for $320m in back taxes claimed by the Ghana Revenue Authority. Some investors say they now see the company turning a corner after a tricky few years.

The 125,000 b/d Warri refinery in Delta State is once again processing crude oil, following a 26-month rehabilitation project carried out by South Korea’s Daewoo Engineering & Contracting. It comes a month after the restart of the 60,000 b/d Port Harcourt refinery in Rivers State.

An agreement for the new 80km Mbale-Bulambuli-Kween high-voltage power line has been signed between Kampala and Gridworks. The independent transmission project (ITP) will be privately financed.

Italian major Eni has started production at the second phase of the Baleine field, offshore Côte d’Ivoire. Oil output has increased from 20,000 b/d to 60,000 b/d. A possible third phase expansion of the oil and gas field is currently being studied. Baleine’s associated gas is vital for Côte d’Ivoire’s 908MW of gas-to-power capacity, providing feedstock just as output from the CI-27 block declines.

Saudi developer Acwa Power and its local partner Hau Energy have secured more than $700m in loans for their Suez West wind project in Egypt, said to be the largest single-contracted wind farm in the Middle East.

As demand surges, Kenya is looking to new power developments and imports from the Eastern Africa Power Pool to increase on-grid capacity, with KenGen advancing a new fleet of renewable projects, while a vital new interconnector with Tanzania has been energised and there are signs the IPP moratorium could soon end, writes Marc Howard, recently in Nairobi.

A further $553m pledge has boosted the outgoing Biden administration’s commitments to the Lobito Corridor and adjacent projects to over $4bn. This points to a significant revitalisation of US ties with African countries – which may be too little, too late, although the Lobito project is unlikely to be halted by a more mercantilist Trump administration.

Commissioning of the 1.5GW Kenya-Tanzania Power Interconnection Project is a significant moment for both countries and the wider Eastern Africa Power Pool. Tanzania has also signed a PPA with Ethiopia to use the line to import power, setting a precedent for regional trading and pricing. The KTPIP is also a core component of the eventual Eapp-Southern African Power Pool link-up, write Kimemia Mugo in Mombasa and Marc Howard, recently in Nairobi.

Abu Dhabi National Energy Company’s new lower-carbon energy and chemicals investment vehicle XRG will take a 49% stake in Arcius Energy, with BP holding the majority stake in the new joint venture whose initial focus is Egypt.

Dubai-based Amea Power commissioned the 500MW Abdydos plant in mid-December, saying it had also won a contract to expand the plant with a utility-scale battery energy storage system. Abdydos is the largest solar PV plant in Egypt to date. Amea has also signed a PPA for another 500MW Egyptian wind plant.

Having excited markets only days before by presenting a prospective merger with Tullow, Kosmos Energy has announced that it doesn’t intend to make an offer. Tullow confirmed the deal was off and announced a separate arbitral decision was imminent in its appeal against a big Ghanaian tax demand.

A seventh loading of oil from the Niger-Benin Export Pipeline (NBEP) since exports resumed in August points to a slight thaw in tensions between Cotonou and Niamey, which have resumed a more normal pattern of diplomatic relations even though the border remains closed, writes Virgile Ahissou in Cotonou with Marc Howard.