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First Quantum Minerals (FQM) is hoping to complete 430MW of solar and wind projects in time for the commissioning of a $1.25bn expansion at its Kansanshi mine in Solwezi, North Western province, a company executive told African Energy.

A 600kW gas-fired power plant developed by Genesis Energy has started operating at the Malian Cashew Corporation’s factory in Diatoula, south of the capital Bamako.

Lagos-headquartered Rensource plans to launch a Series B funding round in the near future, aiming to raise $12m by end-year, which it will use to advance its 70MW commercial and industrial project pipeline, chief executive Prince Ojeabulu told African Energy.

A group of local investors has injected $12.1m into independent power producer Decentral Energy Managers to help it expand its commercial and industrial (C&I) footprint.

The easing of licensing restrictions on private power generation over recent years has prompted a rapid rise in projects, according to figures from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), as more companies respond to the load-shedding crisis by developing their own electricity supplies.

Mining and metals group Sibanye-Stillwater has signed its first power purchase agreement (PPA) and reached financial close for the 89MW Castle wind farm, near De Aar in Northern Cape province. The wind farm will supply Sibanye-Stillwater’s mining operations via a wheeling agreement with state utility Eskom.

CrossBoundary Energy’s 8MWp solar PV installation is now dispatching power to Rio Tinto’s QIT Madagascar Minerals ilmenite facility in Taolagnaro, the Nairobi-headquartered developer told African Energy, while the project’s 8.2MWh battery energy storage system is also in the final stages of commissioning.

Aqua Power’s small-scale liquefied natural gas project will supply AngloGold Ashanti’s Iduapriem mine in Tarkwa, Ghana, as a major miner offtakes gas via a ‘virtual pipeline’ – a solution for providing C&I baseload with considerable potential for growth across sub-Saharan Africa.

Barrick Gold has provided details of its plans to add solar PV capacity with battery energy storage at the Kibali gold mine, where its activities are now powered by off-grid hydroelectric power and diesel capacity. Kibali, Africa’s largest gold mine, is owned by Barrick in a joint venture with Johannesburg-headquartered AngloGold Ashanti and parastatal Société Miniére de Kilo-Moto (Sokimo).

Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed graphite miner and processor Syrah Resources has signed two new offtake agreements with American active anode material (AAM) processors for offtake from its Balama mine in Cabo Delgado province. Balama is the world’s largest facility outside China producing natural graphite, which is far less emitting than its synthesised counterpart. Major new demand from US-based buyers would mark a sea change in its marketing, as in 2022 China made up 64% of Syrah’s sales by revenue.

Kinross Gold Corporation’s 42MWp solar PV and 18MW storage plant, which is under construction at the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)- and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)-listed firm’s Tasiast gold mine, is due to be completed by year-end.

Vedanta Zinc International has signed a power purchase agreement with independent power producer Enernet Global (Enernet) to develop a solar PV plant to supply its Black Mountain mines in Aggeneys, Northern Cape, South Africa.

British American Tobacco Nigeria (BAT) has commissioned a solar PV plant at its Ibadan factory.

The future of electric power generation in South Africa is no longer in the hands of state-owned utility Eskom. Although it controls more than 80% of installed capacity, including 45GW of coal-fired generation, changes in the electricity supply industry are now being driven by the installation of many gigawatts-worth of captive solar photovoltaic (PV) generation, following the removal of licence restrictions.

Work has begun on the construction of a solar PV plant that will supply power to Glencore’s Rhovan vanadium mine and processing facility in South Africa’s Northern West province.