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Tunisian energy sector officials have set out an ambitious and well-thought-through programme of development and reform – the objective of which is to add gigawatts of renewable generation capacity in the coming years. But to get it implemented they will have to counter political and economic headwinds generated by President Kaïs Saïed himself.

Against the odds, the Tunisian government is trying to get its authorisation programme for procuring small, on-grid solar PV projects back on track. It has launched a fifth bidding round and set a new feed-in tariff structure applicable to both current and past projects. It needs to persuade investors that things will be different this time.

Some $10bn worth of deals were struck between Morocco and French energy and infrastructure companies during a late-October visit by Emmanuel Macron to the North African country, during which the French president offered strong support for Rabat’s claim to Western Sahara.

The $736m deal between Ketraco and Indian conglomerate Adani to construct a series of transmission lines and substations was suspended by the High Court in Nairobi in late October, after opponents argued it had been awarded under an opaque process. A hearing will be held on 11 November.

A permanent economic crisis characterised by inflation and fuel shortages is driving an unplanned green revolution in Burundi as consumers flee one of Africa’s worst performing utilities for the long-term security of off-grid solar systems. But even in this unforgiving environment some utility-scale projects are advancing thanks to determined international support.

The ruling Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (Frelimo) party and its candidate, Daniel Chapo, have been officially declared the landslide winners of Mozambique’s presidential and legislative polls by the Comissão Nacional de Eleições (CNE – National Elections Commission), after hotly contested and violent elections were held on 9 October. An already discredited electoral process was further undermined by the assassination of two opposition figures prior to the results being declared by the CNE. A volatile situation is adding to investor jitters that could make financing Mozambique’s long-stalled plans to become a significant LNG exporter much more difficult, while more political turbulence beckons.

Pretoria needs to find quick solutions to obviate a gas crisis before 2026. Large gas users say that apart from active engagements and some preliminary proposals, no practical and implementable strategies have so far been offered, muddling the future of the gas industry. Complementing public and private sector measures is seen as key to addressing the problem, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

A precipitous decline in gas output may turn out to be a bigger problem than the recent month-long blockade of oil exports. There is no quick fix for the shortage of feedstock for General Electric Company of Libya (Gecol)’s fleet of power plants, which now depend on record levels of imported diesel the country cannot afford. There is also no other source of generation to fall back on, with Libya now Africa’s only country without any utility-scale, grid-connected renewable capacity, writes John Hamilton.

The power and water utility serving Morocco’s commercial capital has transferred from French private sector control and is now being run by the state-owned SRM C-S. The move underlines the extent to which African governments are looking for new management models for vital services and highlights how the private sector has failed to meet expectations in electricity distribution.

Khadim Bâ, a central figure in Senegal’s power and energy sectors for many years, has been arrested following allegations by Senegalese Customs over unpaid oil import duties, writes Waly Dione Faye in Dakar.

Speculation that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko’s close relationship is under pressure come as Senegal prepares for parliamentary elections that could give their Pastef party a big majority or provide some hope to ex-president Macky Sall and other opponents, writes Waly Dione Faye in Dakar, with input from Jon Marks.

A shareholder in the 300MW Cap des Biches IPP plant has alleged that former electricity minister Samuel Sarr had made “questionable use” of $3.3m of company funds, writes Waly Dione Faye in Dakar.

Centragrid, the project company for developer African Transmission Corporation (ATC), has commissioned the second phase of its Nyabira solar PV plant in Zimbabwe, in a significant step for a country that is hoping IPPs might help to solve an enduring power crisis. The Centragrid Nyabira plant is Zimbabwe’s first utility-scale solar project wholly funded by domestic capital. ATC founder and director Victor Utedzi spoke to African Energy about the challenges overcome by the project’s second phase and the developer’s plans for phase three.

Zambia’s Energy Regulation Board has approved drastic measures to reduce loadshedding, including a significant ‘temporary’ increase in retail tariffs, use of the national fuel reserve and emergency funds, and greater power imports from the Southern African Power Pool.

An internal report by Zambia’s Meteorological Department seen by African Energy has warned that a plan to take water from the Luapula river in the north and pump it to the hydroelectric plants on the Kafue river in the south could cause severe harm to the ecosystem.