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Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power has commissioned the 100MW Redstone concentrated solar power plant in South Africa’s Northern Cape. It marks further progress for the technology, which offers both intermittent and dispatchable solar generation but is often seen as too costly to develop. The plant brings total African operational capacity to 1.7GW according to African Energy Live Data.

Egypt Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly secured a $5bn pledge from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in mid-September, in what Egyptian authorities described as a “first phase” of investment. The plunging value of the Egyptian pound over the past few years has made deals significantly more attractive to Gulf investors and President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s regime needs the financial support as much as ever.

Crude oil cargoes worth some $400m have been exported from Libya by an obscure private company, in the latest sign of a breakdown of authority in the country. Blockades and force majeure stoppages at other oil facilities, along with the exile of a controversial central bank governor, threaten to plunge the country into an existential crisis. It comes as the compromises which have helped to contain civil conflicts since the fall of the Qadhafi regime look ever harder to sustain, writes John Hamilton

Revised in September 2024, this map provides a detailed view of the power sector in Tunisia. The locations of power generation facilities that are operating, under construction or planned are shown by type – including gas and liquid fuels, natural gas, hybrid, hydroelectricity, solar (PV and CSP), wind and biomass/biogas. Major substations are indicated as are power generation projects with battery storage. Generation sites are marked with different sized circles to show sites of 1-9MW, 10-99MW, 100-499MW and 500MW and above. Existing and future transmission and distribution lines are shown ranging from 90kV to 400kV. Actual and planned cross-border interconnectors are also shown including the Elmed Interconnector and lines to Algeria and Libya. An inset provides greater detail for the area around Tunis. A table lists proposed green hydrogen schemes, with renewable power capacity, GH2 output and the date of the signed MoU noted. Power generation data was drawn from our African Energy Live Data platform, which contains project level detail on power plants and projects across Africa. The map is presented as a PDF file using eps graphics, meaning that there is no loss of resolution as the file is enlarged.  

The issue leads with a feature on floating solar. A small number of plants are already operating across Africa and over a dozen more are being planned. Advocates say the technology can not only generate power, but also expand the generation capacity of underperforming hydroelectric power reservoirs. The issue also focuses on Tunisia with African Energy examining the political environment in the run up to a presidential election, the outcome of which looks certain to be a second term for the autocratic incumbent President Kaïs Saïed. African Energy also takes a data-led look at Tunisia's power sector, where after a lost decade of failure, the authorities are attempting to implement a new and ambitious renewable energy procurement process which, once in place, could underpin long-term sustainable growth and cement the country as a vital commercial partner to developed economies in Europe. Power sector also coverage includes a look at the recent electricity market deregulation moves in Zambia and South Africa. Oil and gas coverage leads with South Sudan where the government has stepped in to block a deal for London AIM-listed Savannah Energy to buy upstream assets from Malaysian national oil company Petronas. South Sudan is also trying to resume pipeline exports of Dar Blend crude oil, which have been offline for more than six months. Resources coverage includes a focus on uranium. Industry figures say African producers should benefit from the growing interest around the world in developing more nuclear power, after a long slump following the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan. Finance and policy coverage leads with an examination of the evolution of China's relationship with Africa. Beijing hosted the latest Forum on China-Africa Co-operation in early September, with President Xi Jinping seeking to reposition his country as a font of ‘small but beautiful’ projects, particularly renewable energy plays. The African Energy View examines how reforms to the way multilateral financial institutions approach project finance could help overcome some of the most intractable barriers to the electrification of Africa, including fears of default and high project financing costs which drive away many potential investors. In the first of a series of African Energy white papers, our new contributing editor Farid Mohamed argues that multilaterals should take on direct project risk. We invite all industry participants to respond.  

A new African uranium frontier is set to open soon, with Mauritania’s first yellowcake mine on the cusp of a major milestone. ASX- and London AIM-listed Aura Energy's chief executive Andrew Grove told African Energy that discussions were taking place to finalise $250m of debt and equity funding for its 2m lb/yr Tiris mine.  

A final investment decision for Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed Bannerman Energy’s Etango uranium mine in Namibia is expected by end-2024. The junior’s chief executive Gavin Chamberlain told African Energy that good progress had been made on the project.

Progress at all five of the large solar photovoltaic concessions first launched in 2019 is an indication that Tunisia’s renewable power sector may be moving forward despite extremely difficult political conditions. Scatec’s farm-out of a stake in its two projects to Japan’s Aeolus represents a major new commitment, backed by carbon credits along with debt financing.

Reforms to the way multilateral financial institutions approach project finance could help overcome some of the most intractable barriers to the electrification of Africa, including fears of default and high project financing costs which drive away many potential investors. To be meaningful, changes need to be principled and generally applicable, while also anchored in the often-messy reality of doing business across the continent. African Energy is publishing the first in a series of white papers on how this problem might be solved in a way which recognises Africa’s needs and the capabilities of institutions, without introducing moral hazard.

In the final month of the presidential election campaign, Tunisians face a scenario increasingly common across the developing world. With the right approach to decision-making progress in the electricity generating sector is possible, but presidential meddling and growing competition between deep-state interests makes life difficult for technocratic officials, foreign investors and local partners. The quandary is particularly acute in the emerging renewable energy space, writes John Hamilton.

GoviEx is expanding its presence in Zambia with an option for a uranium exploration licence in Eastern Province. The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) Venture-listed miner told African Energy at the World Nuclear Association (WNA)’s symposium in London in early September that it expected the feasibility study for its Muntanga project in Zambia’s Southern Province to be completed this year.

After a lost decade of failure, Tunisia’s energy sector authorities are attempting to implement a new and ambitious renewable energy procurement process which, once in place, could underpin long-term sustainable growth and cement the country as a vital commercial partner to developed economies in Europe. With the award of the first in a set of new tenders just emerging, African Energy has analysed the trends and the projects whose success or failure will help define the outcome of what looks certain to be a second term for the autocratic incumbent President Kaïs Saïed, writes John Hamilton.

Uranium industry figures say African producers should benefit from the growing interest around the world in developing more nuclear power, after a long slump following the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan. Established producers such as Namibia – which could become the world’s second-largest producer in the next decade – Niger and Malawi are eyeing greater output, while others such as Mauritania are preparing to enter the market, writes Marc Howard.

It may not be lending as much as in recent decades, but China retains a dominant position as an economic partner and political ally in Africa. President Xi Jinping is now trying to reposition his country as a source of ‘small but beautiful’ projects, but Beijing will fight to maintain its hold over resource flows, having built up a strong position in many markets that western rivals will find hard to shift, writes Jon Marks.

Over the last two months South Africa and Zambia have enacted new liberalising laws and market regulations in an attempt to attract investment to their power generation, transmission, and distribution sectors.