Search results

The International Monetary Fund has agreed a new $253m programme to help Nouakchott strengthen its resilience to climate shocks and accelerate its transition to clean energy.

With first oil expected from Lake Albert by early 2026, an array of associated infrastructure is under development, including the controversial Eacop pipeline. Shunned by western financiers, Chinese debt is expected to rescue Eacop, with a financing package due to be finalised in the coming weeks. Kampala has also signalled its appetite to intervene in energy markets by taking a majority stake in the Kabalega refinery, writes Marc Howard in Hoima.

Tanzania’s Auditor General has criticised the procurement of a major contractor at the Rusumo Falls, blaming the World Bank Group for the deviation.

State-owned utility Zesco is looking for a new renewable energy contractor, having put on hold a 2.4GW solar PV development with China’s CiEG. Work on other projects is continuing, but this is a difficult period for Zambia, which has still to implement its multilateral debt deal amid a lack of foreign currency and financing, writes Chiwoyu Sinyangwe in Lusaka.

Hyphen Hydrogen Energy and Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) have agreed a finance package for engineering, environmental and socio-economic development work on Hyphen’s multi-billion-dollar green hydrogen (GH2) project. The agreement was signed at the COP28 summit in Dubai.

Aliko Dangote’s eventual 650,000 b/d capacity plant has received 6m barrels of crude to date and is about to start producing diesel, aviation fuel and liquified petroleum gas.

The decision by Senegal’s new government to cancel major contracts with foreign investors sends a worrying signal. Hydro-Québec told Thalia Griffiths it would steer clear of further expansion in the region for now.

The wave of coups across the Sahel region over the past three years appears to have prompted a surge in defence spending across Africa – as newly-installed military regimes pour money into their own fiefdoms and other governments seek to bolster their security. International Institute for Strategic Studies data show total spending rose by more than one-fifth in 2023, but more money for soldiers and armaments means there is less to spend on social and infrastructure improvements.

Robert Friedland’s High Power Exploration (HPX) plans to develop a rail line to take iron ore from its Nimba licence in south-eastern Guinea to a deep-water port at Didia in Liberia. It is the second major Mano River region iron ore rail announcement in recent months following the giant Simandou scheme, and promises to increase demand for electricity from Côte d’Ivoire’s hydroelectric plants.

The latest version of the South African government’s Integrated Resource Plan, issued in early January and now open for public feedback, advocates the longer-term use of coal-fired power plants and reduces renewables’ role in the overall energy mix, prompting a strong reaction from industry observers, as critics claim it will set back the energy transition, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

Mining companies are planning to cut thousands of jobs in response to negative domestic and international factors, which could cause wider economic problems and difficulties for the government in the run-up to the late May general election. Critical minerals offer huge potential, but structural constraints weigh heavy on investors.

Afren has sacked chief executive officer Osman Shahenshah and chief operating officer Shahid Ullah for gross misconduct following a review into the receipt of unauthorised payments by members of management and senior employees. In a 13 October statement, Afren said it had also sacked directors Iain Wright and Galib Virani for receiving payments in breach of the company’s approved remuneration policy. The review by Willkie Farr & Gallagher (WFG) found that Shahenshah and Ullah had paid themselves $17.1m in extraordinary bonuses out of funds transferred to a British Virgin Islands special purpose vehicle.

The Algerian authorities are maintaining their business-as-usual approach, with more appointments to senior roles in the hydrocarbons industry and agreements in principle to undertake cooperation with IOCs, including ExxonMobil. But the outlook remains difficult, with state energy giant Sonatrach already barely able to produce the much lower amount of crude expected under its new Opec+ quota, of 816,000 b/d for May and June delivery.

Senegal has submitted a candidature application to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The application will be considered by the EITI board at its next meeting in October. “As part of the EITI process, Senegal will publish all mining contracts, as well as revenue to be derived from these contracts,” said President Macky Sall. Senegal’s mining industry accounts for some 20% of export earnings and 20% of GDP. The country has a small amount of onshore gas production, but exploration is under way offshore, where Tullow Oil hopes to replicate the success of its West African Cretaceous play, and ConocoPhillips and Cairn Energy farmed into three blocks held by Australia’s FAR earlier this year.

The African Development Bank Group has named Kenya’s Kevin Kanina Kariuki as the new vice-president for power, energy, climate and green growth with effect from 16 April. He replaces Amadou Hott, now Senegal’s minister of economy, planning and international cooperation. Described by one industry commentator as “smart in all senses with a real knowledge of the sector and the investor community”, Kariuki was previously head of infrastructure at Industrial Promotion Services (IPS) Kenya Ltd.