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South Africa’s electricity supply industry has witnessed a ‘big bang’ moment, with the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act coming into force on 1 January. The reforms represent a ground-breaking shift from a centralised Eskom to a liberalised market structure involving the private sector. Authorities hope competition will increase the reliability of supply, bring down prices and help to close an enormous infrastructure funding gap, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

There will be disappointment for those talking up the Orange Basin boom, after Chevron followed Shell in announcing a dry exploration well in its first drilling offshore Namibia.

Société Nationale d’Electricité du Sénégal (Senelec) is looking to boost its own power generation capacity, including a new 250MW dual-fuel plant, to augment private sector developments, writes Waly Dione Faye in Dakar.

Eight projects under the second round of South Africa’s battery energy storage independent power producer (Besippp) programme have been awarded, with Mulilo awarded five, Amea Power two and EDF one. With construction underway at most of the projects in the first window, and the third window bids under review, Pretoria is making important inroads in integrating battery energy storage systems into its energy mix, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

The restart of crude deliveries via the Petrodar pipeline in January was an important moment for South Sudan’s embattled economy and a sign of improved relations between Juba and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) based in Port Sudan. However, the trade continues to be at risk from Sudan’s civil war, as are the SAF’s hopes of attracting Russian companies to invest in its upstream sector, writes James Gavin.

Infinity Power secured six of the eight projects awarded under the country’s seventh renewable energy independent power producer procurement (Reippp) programme.

Regional utility Zanzibar Electricity Corporation has secured funding for what could be the semi-autonomous region’s first solar PV plant.

The Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa reservoir is just 20% full, after a prolonged drought. Low water levels threaten to further reduce generation output at the 2.1GW hydroelectric plant, which supplies over 1GW to neighbouring South Africa and additional output to other Southern African Power Pool (Sapp) countries including Zimbabwe and, soon, Malawi.

Longstanding Azura chief executive Alan Muir has stepped down, replaced by former chief commercial officer Dave Peacock, as the pan-African IPP looks to “broaden its horizons” by embarking on its first renewable and storage developments.

Blended finance vehicle the Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund has committed $29m to Côte d’Ivoire’s largest-ever solar power project. The project is one of several awarded under a new national IPP framework, as Abidjan looks to greater on-grid renewable capacity and increased imports from new interconnections to meet sharply rising electricity demand.

Maintenance work on the second 930MWe unit at the Koeberg nuclear plant in Cape Town has been completed. Following similar work at unit I in 2023, the lifespan of Africa’s first nuclear power plant – commissioned in 1984 – is expected to be extended by another two decades.

Industry hype over Namibia as one of the world’s hottest offshore frontiers has been tempered by Shell’s announcement that it will take a write-down on nine wells drilled within its operated PEL 39 block. Shell called the move an ‘accounting process’ – and said it still sees additional commercial opportunities in Namibia’s offshore

Construction work has started on the Lower Maguduza hydroelectric power plant in central Eswatini, the country’s first utility-scale, privately financed renewable IPP. The plant is expected to boost the government’s efforts to displace costly power imports.

KenGen has completed environmental and social impact studies for the 140MWe capacity increase at its Olkaria II geothermal facility.

In a significant boost for the London-headquartered indie, the International Chamber of Commerce has ruled that Tullow Oil is not liable for $320m in back taxes claimed by the Ghana Revenue Authority. Some investors say they now see the company turning a corner after a tricky few years.