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Against the odds, the Tunisian government is trying to get its authorisation programme for procuring small, on-grid solar PV projects back on track. It has launched a fifth bidding round and set a new feed-in tariff structure applicable to both current and past projects. It needs to persuade investors that things will be different this time.

Tunisian energy sector officials have set out an ambitious and well-thought-through programme of development and reform – the objective of which is to add gigawatts of renewable generation capacity in the coming years. But to get it implemented they will have to counter political and economic headwinds generated by President Kaïs Saïed himself.

South African state power utility Eskom is embarking on a solar power plant programme after obtaining licences to operate two solar PV plants, one in the Western Cape and one in Free State province.

Privately-held Impact Oil & Gas has halved its interests in deep-water blocks 2912 and 2913B – the latter containing the giant Venus discovery made in February 2022.

Some $10bn worth of deals were struck between Morocco and French energy and infrastructure companies during a late-October visit by Emmanuel Macron to the North African country, during which the French president offered strong support for Rabat’s claim to Western Sahara.

The installation of a solar plant at Fortress’ Evaton Mall is the latest stage in a major programme of on-site, renewable C&I investment by the Gauteng-headquartered real estate group. Fortress also recently signed a 10-year wheeling agreement to use the Discovery Green renewable energy platform to buy electricity from a mix of utility-scale wind and solar sources.

The $736m deal between Ketraco and Indian conglomerate Adani to construct a series of transmission lines and substations was suspended by the High Court in Nairobi in late October, after opponents argued it had been awarded under an opaque process. A hearing will be held on 11 November.

Saudi developer Acwa Power has confirmed that the Redstone CSP plant in South Africa should reach its full generating capacity within days. In the 27 october statement, it also said its Kom Ombo solar PV plant in Egypt had reached full production capacity.

A permanent economic crisis characterised by inflation and fuel shortages is driving an unplanned green revolution in Burundi as consumers flee one of Africa’s worst performing utilities for the long-term security of off-grid solar systems. But even in this unforgiving environment some utility-scale projects are advancing thanks to determined international support.

Several majors plan to soon follow Galp Energia to drill in Africa’s most exciting frontier play, while a number of potential partners contemplate farming-in to the Portuguese company’s Mopane asset. The potential for new discoveries and the likelihood of M&A activity has pushed the question of a future Namibian oil and gas industry to the top of the agenda, writes James Gavin.

AIM-listed independent Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas is actively looking to farm-out stakes in its Walvis Basin offshore licences, where it hopes to monetise its long-term commitment to oil-prone blocks that it has been developing for 15 years.

Pretoria needs to find quick solutions to obviate a gas crisis before 2026. Large gas users say that apart from active engagements and some preliminary proposals, no practical and implementable strategies have so far been offered, muddling the future of the gas industry. Complementing public and private sector measures is seen as key to addressing the problem, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

The ruling Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (Frelimo) party and its candidate, Daniel Chapo, have been officially declared the landslide winners of Mozambique’s presidential and legislative polls by the Comissão Nacional de Eleições (CNE – National Elections Commission), after hotly contested and violent elections were held on 9 October. An already discredited electoral process was further undermined by the assassination of two opposition figures prior to the results being declared by the CNE. A volatile situation is adding to investor jitters that could make financing Mozambique’s long-stalled plans to become a significant LNG exporter much more difficult, while more political turbulence beckons.

Some familiar and potentially tempting acreage is included in the new 2024 oil and gas bid round, as authorities seek to show that, this time around, Algeria is intent on bringing more serious players into its upstream, with a view to maintaining output through to 2060, writes Jon Marks.

Belgium’s International Montage Maintenance (IMM) has completed construction of  a 22MW thermal power plant at Gerald Group’s Marampa iron ore mine in Sierra Leone. Owned and operated by the London-headquartered miner, the commercial and industrial (C&I) Marapma facility has now been commissioned.