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Mauritius-based Janus Continental Group (JCG) has invested $13m in UK-headquartered Highview Power to bring the latter’s energy storage technology to Africa. It is part of a wider $70m investment into Highview which also included commitments from Sumitomo Heavy Industries and TSK, Highview chief executive Javier Cavada told African Energy in an 18 February interview.

Off-grid developer Winch Energy has confirmed its funding for an ambitious solar mini-grid project, comprising 49 sites in Uganda and Sierra Leone. As Winch chief executive Nicholas Wrigley told African Energy in January, the funding, which comprises $100m of debt and equity, is for a new platform, Winch Energy IPP Holdings (WIPP).

The World Bank Group (WBG) on 17 February approved an International Bank for Reconstruction and Development loan worth $250m for the $417m Electricity Sector Improvement and Access Project (ESIAP) in Angola. The French Development Agency is providing the remaining $167m for the project, which is expected to run until September 2026.

AIM-listed Sterling Energy, whose sole remaining asset is the Odewayne Block in Somaliland, plus $42.9m in cash, has named Tullow’s Paul McDade and Ian Cloke to its board as it seeks to pick up West African producing assets.

Lukoil has made a non-binding offer for Australia’s FAR, in a renewed attempt to win a share of the Sangomar oil project. FAR said on 17 February that Lukoil’s bid of 2.2 Australian cents a share valued it at A$220m ($173.8m). It is the latest in an increasingly complex picture regarding Sangomar and the Rufisque, Sangomar and Sangomar Deep (RSSD) exploration area.

The Ministry of Petroleum has launched a new upstream licensing round including 24 on- and offshore blocks. As part of an innovation which has been under development for the past four years, data on the blocks including an archive of sub-surface information will be made available via the Egypt Upstream Gateway (EUG), a digital platform developed in partnership with oil services company Schlumberger.

Dubai- and Riyadh-based Nuwa Capital aims to close a $100m fund by year-end as it looks to invest in start-ups across the Middle East and Africa.

President John Magufuli has warned foreign contractors against using the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse to delay completion of major projects. Speaking at the inauguration of a World Bank-financed road interchange in Dar es Salaam on 23 February, he commended the Chinese contractor for completing the project on time.

Chevron subsidiary Noble Energy on 26 February announced first gas from the Alen gas monetisation project in the Douala Basin. The project consists of a 70km pipeline built by Saipem with a capacity of 950mcf/d, carrying gas from the Alen field to be processed through existing facilities at Punta Europa.

Natural gas and helium producer Renergen has announced a significant gas strike at its Virginia gas project in Free State with the P007 exploration well, which was testing resources for a Phase 2 development. Renergen said the well was significant because it was located outside the Phase 1 development area but close to the gas-gathering system.

Gold miner RioZim expects to start construction in August or September on solar PV plants at four of its sites, totalling 178MW of capacity. Board vice chairman Caleb Dengu told African Energy Covid restrictions had caused delays as contractors had been unable to travel to Zimbabwe until they were vaccinated. RioZim plans solar plants at the Renco gold mine in Masvingo, the Cam and Motor and Dalny gold mines in Mashonaland West, and its Murowa diamond mine in Midlands Province.

Kenya Tea Development Agency subsidiary KTDA Power Company is seeking to prequalify EPC contractors, electrical contractors and electromechanical manufacturers and suppliers for a series of small hydropower plants to supply tea processing factories and the grid under already-signed PPAs. The projects range from 0.5MW to 10MW and are at various stages of development, with four plants already operational, seven under construction and another ten under implementation, according to the tender notice.

Chariot Oil & Gas has signalled a move away from its diminishing upstream exploration business with the acquisition of renewables developer Africa Energy Management Platform, which has a strategic relationship with Total Eren.

President Kenyatta has set up a taskforce to review the PPAs signed by monopoly distributor Kenya Power and electricity producers, in a fresh bid to renegotiate terms in favour of the struggling state-owned utility, reports Neville Otuki in Nairobi.

UK-based Cairn Energy signed an agreement on 6 April to operate a licence on offshore Block C7, taking a 90% working interest. The large block is in a proven hydrocarbon province, the company said in a brief statement.