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With the US’ SunEdison hovering on the brink of bankruptcy there is uncertainty about the future of its projects in South Africa. The company was a major winner in the expanded fourth round of the renewable energy independent power producer procurement (REIPPP) programme, where it was awarded five projects with combined capacity of 371MW. SunEdison has accumulated more than $11bn debt and is being sued by TerraForm Global, a publicly traded holding company it created to buy and own operating wind and solar farms, known as a yieldco.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is considering providing and arranging up to $253m in financing for Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, the concessionaire of the Kainji and Jebba hydropower plants on the Niger River. IFC’s proposed investment will include a senior loan facility (IFC A Loan) of up to $132m and mobilising convertible debt of up to $121m.

Nasarawa State Government has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Nigerian company Kuber Power Ltd (KPL) to build a 200MW solar power project on Shendam Road in Lafia, according to a 9 May announcement on Facebook. The announcement said the PPA had been signed on an eligible customer basis. Nasarawa State will own 2.5% of the project, which it says will cost $300m. KPL expects to be onsite within seven weeks. KPL is owned by Kuber Power Africa and Nigerian consultancy firm Bowie Hertz and Company Ltd.

The World Bank is seeking a consultant to develop a comprehensive energy efficiency strategy, funded by a grant from the Africa Renewable Energy Access programme. The government has undertaken several energy efficiency programmes over the last few years, including distribution of compact fluorescent bulbs to replace incandescent bulbs in 2010, the implementation in 2013 of ripple control to remotely turn on and off domestic hot water heaters and the development in 2008 of guidelines for energy efficient building design that are yet to be implemented, as well as public awareness programmes and energy audits of public institutions.

Drilling has begun at the site of the Aluto geothermal power plant expansion project phase III. The project to expand the 7MW pilot plant operating on the site will involve drilling 20 deep geothermal wells, installing a heat-gathering system, and building a 70MW power plant and switchyard and a 13km 132kV transmission line from the power plant to Adami Tulu, where a new substation will be built. A feasibility study for generation of power from the Aluto Langano geothermal field was conducted in March 2010 by Ernst and Young ShinNihon LLC, Japan External Trade Organisation and West Japan Engineering Consultants.

The African Development Bank has approved a supplementary loan of $32.5m to Kenya under the African Development Fund (AfDF) concessional window

Minister of Energy Dikobe Ben Martins told reporters at an energy roundtable in Johannesburg on 11 February that a deadline of end-March had been agreed for requests for proposals to be issued for the baseload and cogeneration independent power producer procurement process. Procurement will be in line with ministerial determinations published in December 2012; 2,652MW gas, 2,609MW hydropower and 2,500MW coal for the baseload programme, 800MW cogeneration from biomass, industrial waste and combined heat and power sources. Additionally the department plans to procure 474MW of short term natural gas as indicated by the Medium-Term Risk Mitigation plan.

Zesco is proceeding with its legal pursuit of Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) over payments from Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) following the collapse of talks to extend a long- term power supply contract. In September 2019, Zesco announced its intention to sue CEC over a $45m bill for power supplied to KCM, Zambia’s biggest underground mine. Zesco claims that CEC has failed to pay for electricity supplied under their Bulk Supply Agreement (BSA), which expired at the end of March 2020.

The Africa Clean Energy Technical Assistance Facility (ACE-TAF) launched its Nigeria programme on 28 August. ACE-TAF, which is funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID), was launched in June in Côte d’Ivoire at the third round of the African Development Bank’s Africa Energy Market Place as a four-year initiative to support a series of energy compacts agreed between DfID and 14 African countries.

President Edgar Lungu has said Zambia wants to reduce the dominance of Zesco and attract more private investment into the power sector as he inaugurated the 47.5MW Bangweulu solar independent power plant in the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone.“For a long time, the electricity company (Zesco) held on to a time when it was the only player in the energy sector, expecting to do all the generation projects. However, the electricity company should be ready for other investors to venture into energy generation,” Lungu said in remarks at the 11 March launch ceremony.

Kenya’s new Energy Act strips Kenya Power of the role of independently buying electricity from producers and gives it to the wholly state-owned Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco). The new law, which came into effect in March after years of delay, creates an independent system operator with the task of determining what mix of electricity from different producers is supplied to the national grid to ensure consumers get the cheapest available power.

President Paul Biya has signed two decrees enabling the minister of economy, planning and regional development to sign two financing agreements with the African Development Bank (AfDB) totalling CFA147.85bn ($24m) to finance the interconnection of power networks in Cameroon and Chad. The financing consists of CFA142.93bn from the AfDB and CFA4.92bn from the African Development Fund, the bank’s concessional financing window.

The Senegal River Basin Development Organisation (OMVS) has invited bids for the design, supply, construction and commissioning of the 300MW Koukoutamba dam on the Bafing River. The project will comprise an 86-metre-high dam with a central section in roller-compacted concrete, a power house with four 73.5MW Francis turbines, two 225kV transmission lines of 465km and 250km, and a 150km access road from Labé. Bids are due by 16 June. A site visit will take place on 30 April-1 May, followed by a bidders’ meeting in Conakry on 4-5 May. Bidders are invited to submit proposals for financing of the project.

Gabon plans to launch a licensing round in January for 42 prospective deep-water and ultra-deep blocks offering pre-salt exploration potential. A previous government cancelled plans for a bid round two years ago, announcing that it was opting for direct negotiation. Oil, energy and water resources minister Etienne Ngoubou, who was appointed in February, told African Energy in an interview the bid round would be governed by the new Petroleum Code, which is close to completion.

The Millennium Development Authority, which manages Ghana’s $498m compact with the US Millennium Challenge Corporation, is inviting bids to supply and install an upgrade of the Electricity Company of Ghana data centre and communication network. A pre-bid conference will be held on 11 December and bids are due by 15 February 2019. No prequalification is being carried out for the tender. Contact: Procurement agent, Millennium Development Authority, 3rd Floor, Heritage Tower, 6th Avenue, Ridge West, Accra, Ghana. Email: [email protected].