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Pan-African private equity firm Inspired Evolution has closed the second round of its Evolution III fund, following on from its first $200m close in March 2023. Looking to build on its substantial support for African renewable IPPs, Evolution III will also back commercial and industrial (C&I), off-grid, microgrid and energy efficiency firms.

The increasingly assertive African Development Bank’s support for the proposed multi-user Liberty infrastructure corridor would enable production from HPX’s Mount Nimba iron ore play and increase demand for power from regional hydroelectric schemes. It could also lead to adjacent iron ore developments in Liberia, which is strongly backing the scheme, writes Marc Howard.

Zurich-based commercial and industrial (C&I) developer Candi has received equity finance from new investors to bankroll solar projects in South Africa and India.

NOA Group has inked a power purchase agreement with Tronox to supply over 200MW of wind and solar energy to the mining and chemical firm’s South African operations. The power will be facilitated through a wheeling arrangement with Eskom.

Petra Diamonds has signed power purchase agreements with electricity trader Etana Energy to supply its Cullinan and Finsch mines in South Africa.

Canadian miner Ivanhoe Mines’ addition of 10MW at the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine in DRC fits into a wider plan to add 200MW thermal capacity to compensate for Snel transmission network bottlenecks.

New York-listed miner Barrick Gold, one of Africa’s largest commercial and industrial (C&I) offtakers, has added solar PV capacity and battery storage to its Loulo-Gounkoto gold mine in western Mali and has started a similar project at Kibali mine in DRC, writes Marc Howard.

Inauguration of the 8MW solar PV plant at Fort Dauphin ilmenite mine marks the official roll-out of a pioneering commercial and industrial (C&I)  project, which also includes wind power and battery storage.

Approval from the interim parliament in Conakry for an unprecedented-for-Guinea liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal and gas-to-power plant could be the first step towards meeting a predicted huge mining-driven increase in electricity demand. The project’s scale has raised eyebrows, but could prove transformative if it goes ahead, writes Marc Howard.

Construction work is nearly complete on a 15MW coal-fired plant to supply power to Sabi Star’s lithium mine in Zimbabwe’s Buhera district. African Energy takes a closer look at one of Zimbabwe’s three biggest lithium projects.

Invictus Energy has signed an agreement with gold miner Dallaglio Investments and manufacturer Himoinsa to develop a gas-fired power plant to supply the Eureka gold mine, using gas from the Cabora Bassa Basin.

Rehabilitation of the 178MW turbine at Inga II, along with plans for up to 210MW from on-site generators to tackle grid instability and increased electricity imports from Zambia are all on track, according to Ivanhoe Mines, as the Canadian operator works to provide sufficient power to Democratic Republic of Congo’s strategic Kamoa-Kakula copper mine.

Low rainfall in Guinea has led to yet another round of loadshedding and, in turn, widespread protests and deadly violence. Interim President Mamady Doumbouya is keen to end loadshedding and stoke the economy before holding delayed elections in 2025, but a small pipeline of projects raises questions about how soon new capacity can be brought online, writes Marc Howard.

DPA Southern Africa has broken ground on the Bloemfontein solar PV plant in Free State, which will supply power to Africa Data Centre sites in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

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.