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African electricity markets are on the threshold of genuine reform in 2024, even if policy-makers’ grandest ambitions are destined to meet with disappointment. African Energy has examined the first data that has emerged from the third development phase of the African Union’s Continental Master Plan and found much to applaud.

South African state electricity utility Eskom has said a 10% curtailment exercise will unlock almost 3.5GW of transmission capacity for wind power generation in Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces.

Australian junior Globe says it is advancing its project to site a niobium refinery in the Malawian capital and has outlined an ambitious plan to power mining and refining operations with renewable energy.

KenGen has requested consultants to provide project management and supervisory services for the 42.5MWac Seven Forks solar PV development.

KenGen is seeking contractors to supply runners for the Seven Forks hydroelectric power (HEP) plant. The five HEP plant cascade provides over a fifth of the country’s electricity and is the site of a major solar PV programme.

Local conglomerate PFO Africa has signed a PPA for Côte d’Ivoire’s largest-ever solar development, near the northern city of Ferkessédougou.

Despite a 14GW announced pipeline of new power generation projects, 2023 was marked by the lowest amount of new-build capacity being added to the continent’s grid since 2018, according to new analysis from African Energy Live Data. Hydroelectric and solar additions came out on top, while gas-to-power schemes continued to disappoint as delays and unrealised projects clog up the project pipeline.

7YRDS Energy Zambia is seeking a partnership with the Lusaka-based Industrial Development Corporation to build two solar PV projects in Kafue and Sesheke districts with combined 100MW capacity.

Electricity sector reform is high among new Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s much-trailed ‘100 day deliverables’, but the challenges of delivering improved services remain enormous in an industry still impacted by years of mismanagement and graft. State utility LEC has improved its performance, funding for new interconnections offers hope of more imports and there are rumours that a powership could provide short-term supply, writes Marc Howard.

Just over a year after Infinity Power acquired Lekela Power to create the largest renewable energy company in Africa, the Cairo-based developer is close to signing a power purchase agreement for a proposed 200MW wind plant close to Lekela’s existing 250MW West Bakr wind farm. There are also plans to expand Lekela’s Taiba N’Diaye wind plant in Senegal and to compete for projects in South Africa.

Canadian miner Lucara Diamond Corporation has concluded a feasibility study that paves the way for the construction of a utility-scale solar PV plant and battery storage energy system to supply power to its Karowe mine.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) on 17 February issued an inaugural Swedish krona green bond, its second such transaction under the new Green Bond Framework after a $500m three-year bond launched in October 2013. The Swedish krona market is one of the largest for green investments and the bond, which raised around SEK1bn ($150m), is a five-year floating rate transaction maturing on 24 February 2019. The transaction was fully subscribed by SPP, a company wholly owned by Swedish life insurance and asset management company Storebrand. Nordea Markets was the sole lead manager.

The Sudanese Thermal Power Generating Company has contracted Germany’s Lahmeyer International to assist as the technical consultant in selecting an engineering, procurement and construction contractor for a planned 300MW gas-fired power plant in the south of Khartoum. Lahmeyer, an independent business unit of Tractebel Engineering, announced on 16 November that it was helping to evaluate commercial bids from four shortlisted bidders for the Albagair open-cycle gas turbine plant.

President Hery Rajaonarimampianina inaugurated Madagascar’s first utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plant on 26 June. The 20 MWp plant at Ambohipihaonana, in Ambatolampy district in the Vakinankaratra region of the Central Highlands, was built by French developer, GreenYellow at a combined cost of €25m ($29m). The facility, which covers 28 hectares and comprises over 73,000 panels, will supply power to national power utility Jiro sy Rano Malagasy under a 25-year power purchase agreeement.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) on 26 February approved a $30.47m grant and $43.9m loan for a project to reinforce and extend the electricity distribution network. The government will contribute $11.5m to the project, which aims to connect around 37,800 households to the grid, provide off-grid solar power to 60 communities and establish a reliable energy supply for 30 schools and 30 health centres, all by 2017. There will also be a substantial capacity-building element at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Renewable Energy Authority.