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Coal remains king in a number of African markets – led by Morocco and South Africa, which usually prefer to tout their credentials as champions of renewable energy. Coal generation is set to peak in 2024, as Live Data shows some 2.7GW of new capacity being added in parallel to planned decommissioning. Given its role in providing baseload, coal is not going away in economies that have come to depend on the combustible, controversial fuel.

Aksa Energy has renewed its power purchase agreement for the 370MW plant with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for a further 15 years.  Conversion from dual fuel to natural gas has begun and will continue at a brisk pace says chief executive Cemil Kazancı.

Zimbabwe is moving ahead with repairs, after obtaining a $310m loan from the Export-Import Bank of India to rehabilitate six units at the coal-fired Hwange Power Station.

Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading has yet to finalise a power purchase agreement for the Okija gas-fired plant being developed by Century Power Generation and its generation licence has now expired.

State owned power utility Eskom has signed commercial lease agreements with four independent power producers (IPPs) for land use at two of its coal power stations in Mpumalanga, in a plan to grow renewable energy capacity by the private sector.

Germany’s commitment of ZAR6.2bn towards South Africa’s Just Energy Partnership (JETP) is assisting government efforts to approve a detailed investment plan in time for COP27.

Uncomfortable financial disputes are expected to dominate the 27th United Nations Climate Change (COP27) conference, to be held in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm El Sheikh on 6-18 November. African nations may achieve progress in some areas – perhaps by forcing the vexed question of compensation for loss and damage onto the agenda – but the meeting will likely once again fail to identify a way forward for electricity supply industries (ESIs) across the continent.

Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power has signed a memorandum of understanding with Société Nationale d’Electricité du Sénégal (Senelec) to develop a 160MW combined cycle gas-turbine (CCGT) plant power plant in Cap des Biches.

The appointment of a new board of directors for struggling state power utility Eskom has been greeted by a mix of optimism and scepticism. Organisations like the Black Business Council have called for the board to dismiss chief executive Andre de Ruyter, a man it blames for the blackouts.

Shares in Geregu Power started trading on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on 5 October, becoming the first electricity generating company (genco) to be listed on the bourse’s main board. The company joined the market via a direct listing, with 2.5bn shares priced at ₦100 each, valuing the company at ₦250bn ($569m).

South Africa has many problems, stemming from the enduring legacies of apartheid and the fallout of more recent misrule, but could it be load-shedding and the perpetual crisis at state utility Eskom that finally ends the African National Congress (ANC)’s control of the state?

Chronic power unreliability remains a blight in Nigeria – with half a dozen grid collapses so far this year – while the national grid remains woefully under-powered. Nigerians remain dependent on diesel and other back-ups, while big commercial and industrial (C&I) investments are being made by large private sector players. African Energy examines how the Dangote Group is becoming one of the country's major electricity generators.  

President Cyril Ramaphosa is once again promising strong action to deal with South Africa’s electricity supply crisis, with new appointments expected at the beleaguered state utility Eskom to reinvigorate the board. Among the changes that have been mooted is replacing chief executive André de Ruyter, although that has yet to be confirmed. Measures to increase generation and ease load shedding that were announced by the president in July are also now being implemented at pace.

A wind of change is blowing through Seeg, whose electricity and water activities are to be split into two companies under a new chief executive, but the Gabonese state utility remains dogged by structural problems, including large debts owed by state entities and under-investment in the grid – all of which makes Seeg’s potential privatisation a huge challenge.

Kenya’s incoming government will do well to learn from previous efforts to reform the electricity supply industry. It will be guided by a new energy white paper, which offers a roadmap to 2040 and which could help Kenya move towards upper-middle-income status. African Energy usually writes its own Views, but such is the plan’s importance that we asked a prominent industry player to assess the proposals and the industry’s direction of travel. The writer has asked to remain anonymous so as not to prejudice their position.