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Sasol has signed a series of power purchase agreements – two of them in partnership with France’s Air Liquide – which will in total deliver 289MW of wind power for its Secunda and Sasolburg sites, as part of plans by the energy and chemicals company to ramp up its use of renewable energy.

Major installed capacity gains are expected as mega-projects come to fruition, with hydroelectric power (HEP) driving growth in several regions.

The four-nation Organisation for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS) has issued a tender seeking an operator to raise financing, conduct studies and build a 225kV transmission line, as part of the Manantali II project to supply Mauritania with electricity from hydroelectric power (HEP) plants in Mali.

After Covid damaged the industry – the 5.7GW added to the continent’s grid in 2021 was the lowest since 2012 – a substantial increase in the rate of power generation plant commissioning is inevitable and will be weighted in favour of new technologies, according to African Energy Live Data’s latest analysis of projects delivered and in the pipeline. Many countries are struggling to meet their ambitions to build new capacity, but Live Data also indicates that the average rate of commissioning is very likely to increase towards the 8GW/yr needed to deliver those projects now being built. Also apparent is the renewable energy revolution that has already taken place in the minds and business plans of project developers, sponsors and officials – even if this has yet to be seen in gigawatts on the ground.

Japan’s pledge to invest some $30bn in Africa over the next three years has underlined the Asian economic giant’s commitment to rapidly advance its relations, as well as to expand its presence, on a continent where Tokyo’s involvement has too often lagged behind other big nations.

With blackouts raging, South African efforts to bring new capacity online face global headwinds. Both the latest Renewable Energy IPP Procurement Programme (REIPPP5) and the Risk Mitigation IPP Procurement Programme (RMIPPP) are being hampered by rising component and engineering costs.

Germany and US-based experimental energy storage and trading company H2-Industries has obtained preliminary approval from Egypt’s General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone to develop an unprecedentedly large $3bn waste-to-hydrogen plant in East Port Said using thermolyzing technology. The project also includes a substantial power generation component. African Energy’s John Hamilton spoke to H2-I executive chairman Michael Stusch to obtain details of capacities, financing, expected pricing, and the next steps.

Release, the containerised solar power unit set up by Norway’s Scatec, has signed agreements for solar PV and battery projects in Cameroon and Chad – the first large utility and mini-grid contracts it has signed since being launched in 2019.

With the imminent start of commercial operations at its 250MW West Bakr wind farm in Egypt, renewable power generation company Lekela Power will have installed more than 1GW of operating capacity in Africa, creating a company from which private equity firm Actis could now exit, writes Dan Marks

The more optimistic mood emerging in the long under-performing electricity supply industry suggests Nigeria is on the right track in some areas of government-led reform. But persistent failures to develop hydrocarbons resources continue to depress output, raising the spectre of stranded assets despite the key role for gas in the domestic energy transition, while political tensions and conflict around the nation pose real doubts about the future, write African Energy staff and correspondents

A new era of energy co-operation between North Africa and Europe is emerging amid a raft of export-focused projects ranging from renewables-powered electricity links to green hydrogen and data centres. Some of the plans are undoubtedly speculative but others are advancing towards financial close and construction, write John Hamilton, Jon Marks and Our Casablanca Correspondent.

France’s Total Eren and AIM-listed Chariot have signed an agreement to develop 430MW of solar and wind power to supply First Quantum Minerals (FQM)’s mines in Zambia.

The parastatal Central Electricity Board (CEB) issued two tenders on 18 March, requesting bidders for a total 140MW of solar PV and storage and 40MW of small renewable energy (RE) hybrid projects. The tenders come less than a month after CEB renewable energy and strategic projects manager Chavan Dabeedin was arrested on a charge of bribery of a public official in relation to the ‘Saint Louisgate’ scandal.

The Saied administration is expected to push ahead with its renewable power procurement programme, despite significant constitutional, legal and political barriers, writes John Hamilton

Reports that Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) head Mustapha Bakkoury has fallen from grace and is under investigation for alleged management abuses have underlined the perception that the kingdom’s ambitious renewable energy (RE) programme is in trouble, confronted by delays, cost over-runs and high prices for electricity generated by the agency’s ground-breaking Noor Ouarzazate scheme.