Top Stories

‘Refining capacity is industrial capacity’, says CEF chair as imports reach 61%

13th October, 2026 · Updated: 9th October, 2026

mported fuel now meets about 61% of South Africa’s demand, up from 22% in 2019, and Central Energy Fund chairperson Ayanda Noah has called for investment in the SANPC Refinery Development Programme, a proposed 400,000 barrel-a-day refinery estimated at $7.15bn that would create about 12,500 construction jobs.

EXCLUSIVE: Off-grid solar’s decade of data wins over local banks

Off-grid solar spent nearly a decade building the audited, standardised performance data investors needed, and in 2025 eighteen new investors arrived, local banks among them. Speaking to ENN ahead of the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum in Kigali, Laura Fortes, Finance and Investment Associate Director at GOGLA, says these deals are the first examples of a pipeline she expects to keep growing.

Lion Thorn Solar Park breaks ground with 49MW contracted to PPC and POWERX

Yellow Door Energy has started building the 49MWp Lion Thorn Solar Park at Leeudoringstad in North West, with PowerChina as EPC contractor and Nedbank CIB as lender. It is the company’s second solar park in the town contracted to wheel power to the cement producer PPC and the licensed trader POWERX.

Lobito refinery stakes: who joins Zambia in Angola’s 200,000-barrel plant?

Angola wants Southern African governments to help finance the 200,000 barrel-a-day Lobito refinery, due to produce its first fuel in December 2027. Zambia has committed to a 26% stake and Botswana has been offered equity. Sonangol says it will keep at least 51% as it looks for $4.8bn to fund the next phase.

Nigeria NOW! 19 – 20 November 2026

Zimbabwe-Zambia Energy Projects Summit 3 – 5 November 2026

‘Refining capacity is industrial capacity’, says CEF chair as imports reach 61%

mported fuel now meets about 61% of South Africa’s demand, up from 22% in 2019, and Central Energy Fund chairperson Ayanda Noah has called for investment in the SANPC Refinery Development Programme, a proposed 400,000 barrel-a-day refinery estimated at $7.15bn that would create about 12,500 construction jobs.

EXCLUSIVE: Off-grid solar’s decade of data wins over local banks

Off-grid solar spent nearly a decade building the audited, standardised performance data investors needed, and in 2025 eighteen new investors arrived, local banks among them. Speaking to ENN ahead of the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum in Kigali, Laura Fortes, Finance and Investment Associate Director at GOGLA, says these deals are the first examples of a pipeline she expects to keep growing.

Lion Thorn Solar Park breaks ground with 49MW contracted to PPC and POWERX

Yellow Door Energy has started building the 49MWp Lion Thorn Solar Park at Leeudoringstad in North West, with PowerChina as EPC contractor and Nedbank CIB as lender. It is the company’s second solar park in the town contracted to wheel power to the cement producer PPC and the licensed trader POWERX.

Lobito refinery stakes: who joins Zambia in Angola’s 200,000-barrel plant?

Angola wants Southern African governments to help finance the 200,000 barrel-a-day Lobito refinery, due to produce its first fuel in December 2027. Zambia has committed to a 26% stake and Botswana has been offered equity. Sonangol says it will keep at least 51% as it looks for $4.8bn to fund the next phase.

Renewable Energy

Infinity Power’s 1.2 million AIKO modules head for three South African plants

AIKO will supply the solar modules for three Infinity Power projects in South Africa totalling 773.5MWp, all awarded in the seventh bid window of the country’s renewable energy procurement programme. It is the companies’ third collaboration in Africa after two in Egypt, and takes their joint portfolio past 2GWp.

EXCLUSIVE: The energy sector needs lawyers too, says YSDN’s Damilola Hamid Balogun

Damilola Hamid Balogun founded the Youth Sustainable Development Network. Speaking to ENN ahead of YES! Nigeria, he argues that Africa’s energy transition will be built as much by lawyers, policy specialists and communicators as by engineers, and that the pipeline into the sector is narrower than it needs to be.

Renewable Energy

Eskom Green seeks partners for up to 6GW of renewables and storage

Eskom has opened a request for qualification to find co-development and co-investment partners for up to 6GW of renewable generation and battery storage, the first phase of its new utility-scale renewables business. Eskom Green, being incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary, will contribute at least 2GW of solar and 1GW of batteries.

EACOP pipeline to take crude by December as first oil moves to 2027

The 1,443km East African Crude Oil Pipeline will be ready to receive crude by mid-December, Ugandan officials say, with first commercial oil from the Tilenga and Kingfisher fields now expected before the end of June 2027. The Petroleum Authority of Uganda links the change to disrupted equipment shipments from the Middle East.

UK clean energy funding brings solar cold storage to Nigeria’s fish and meat markets

More than £2m from the UK’s ZE-Gen Scale-up Fund will back ten projects in eight African countries designed to cut reliance on diesel generators. In Nigeria, Farm Warehouse will install 100 solar-powered cold storage systems in major markets, and KAMIM Technologies will build four solar-powered agricultural hubs.

Zambia solar capacity passes 1,000MW as Kudu’s 200MW finds a buyer

Zambia has reached its 2026 target of 1,000MW of solar, with 1,027MW now installed, the government told the Energy Forum for Africa in Lusaka. At the same forum, Axian signed a power purchase agreement with Africa GreenCo for the 200MW Kudu plant, whose output will be sold across the Southern African Power Pool.

Zimbabwe-Zambia Energy Projects Summit 3 – 5 November 2026

Nigeria NOW! 19 – 20 November 2026

Play daily puzzles on ENN 1 January – 31 December 2026

Africa Energy Forum (aef) 2026 Opening Ceremony

Africa Energy Forum (aef) 2026 Opening Ceremony

Youth Energy Summit (YES!) Opening Ceremony 2026

Youth Energy Summit (YES!) Opening Ceremony 2026

Sarah Lane, Denham Capital | West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (WAECS) 2025

Sarah Lane, Denham Capital | West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (WAECS) 2025

Eunice Biritwum, Energy Commission | West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (WAECS) 2025

Eunice Biritwum, Energy Commission | West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (WAECS) 2025

Carl Tricoli, Managing Partner, Denham Capital | Powering Africa Summit 2026

Carl Tricoli, Managing Partner, Denham Capital | Powering Africa Summit 2026

Adam Cortese, CEO, Sun Africa | Powering Africa Summit 2026

Adam Cortese, CEO, Sun Africa | Powering Africa Summit 2026

What Will It Take to Finance Africa’s Industrial Future?

Can Zambia Build Power Fast Enough for Its Next Wave of Industrial Growth?

Are Africa’s Frontier Markets Being Mispriced by Investors?

Can Private Power Markets Solve Africa’s Industrial Energy Challenge?

All the latest articles

‘Refining capacity is industrial capacity’, says CEF chair as imports reach 61%

mported fuel now meets about 61% of South Africa’s demand, up from 22% in 2019, and Central Energy Fund chairperson Ayanda Noah has called for investment in the SANPC Refinery Development Programme, a proposed 400,000 barrel-a-day refinery estimated at $7.15bn that would create about 12,500 construction jobs.

EXCLUSIVE: Off-grid solar’s decade of data wins over local banks

Off-grid solar spent nearly a decade building the audited, standardised performance data investors needed, and in 2025 eighteen new investors arrived, local banks among them. Speaking to ENN ahead of the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum in Kigali, Laura Fortes, Finance and Investment Associate Director at GOGLA, says these deals are the first examples of a pipeline she expects to keep growing.

Lion Thorn Solar Park breaks ground with 49MW contracted to PPC and POWERX

Yellow Door Energy has started building the 49MWp Lion Thorn Solar Park at Leeudoringstad in North West, with PowerChina as EPC contractor and Nedbank CIB as lender. It is the company’s second solar park in the town contracted to wheel power to the cement producer PPC and the licensed trader POWERX.

Lobito refinery stakes: who joins Zambia in Angola’s 200,000-barrel plant?

Angola wants Southern African governments to help finance the 200,000 barrel-a-day Lobito refinery, due to produce its first fuel in December 2027. Zambia has committed to a 26% stake and Botswana has been offered equity. Sonangol says it will keep at least 51% as it looks for $4.8bn to fund the next phase.

Renewable Energy

Infinity Power’s 1.2 million AIKO modules head for three South African plants

AIKO will supply the solar modules for three Infinity Power projects in South Africa totalling 773.5MWp, all awarded in the seventh bid window of the country’s renewable energy procurement programme. It is the companies’ third collaboration in Africa after two in Egypt, and takes their joint portfolio past 2GWp.

EXCLUSIVE: The energy sector needs lawyers too, says YSDN’s Damilola Hamid Balogun

Damilola Hamid Balogun founded the Youth Sustainable Development Network. Speaking to ENN ahead of YES! Nigeria, he argues that Africa’s energy transition will be built as much by lawyers, policy specialists and communicators as by engineers, and that the pipeline into the sector is narrower than it needs to be.

Renewable Energy

Eskom Green seeks partners for up to 6GW of renewables and storage

Eskom has opened a request for qualification to find co-development and co-investment partners for up to 6GW of renewable generation and battery storage, the first phase of its new utility-scale renewables business. Eskom Green, being incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary, will contribute at least 2GW of solar and 1GW of batteries.

EACOP pipeline to take crude by December as first oil moves to 2027

The 1,443km East African Crude Oil Pipeline will be ready to receive crude by mid-December, Ugandan officials say, with first commercial oil from the Tilenga and Kingfisher fields now expected before the end of June 2027. The Petroleum Authority of Uganda links the change to disrupted equipment shipments from the Middle East.

Zimbabwe-Zambia Energy Projects Summit 3 – 5 November 2026

Nigeria NOW! 19 – 20 November 2026

Play daily puzzles on ENN 1 January – 31 December 2026