natural gas - The African Mirror

Dec

2023

South Africa seeks bids for 7,615 MW of new power generation

SOUTH Africa launched three bidding rounds for 7,615 megawatts (MW) of new power generation from renewable energy, natural gas and battery storage, part of efforts to overcome record power outages crippling economic output. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy said in a statement it had issued three requests for proposals (RFPs) for independent power producers to generate 5,000 MW of renewable energy, 2,000 MW from gas and 615 MW from battery storage. South Africa started procuring power from private developers more than a decade ago to supplement struggling state utility Eskom's ailing coal-fired power station fleet. Before Thursday it…

Jun

2023

By ARIBA SHAHID and ASIF SHAHZAD

Pakistan outlines process for barter trade with Afghanistan, Iran, Russia

WORLD

PAKISTAN has passed a special order to allow barter trade with Afghanistan, Iran and Russia for certain goods, including petroleum and natural gas, the Ministry of Commerce said. Left with barely enough foreign exchange reserves to cover one month's imports, Pakistan's government is desperately trying to manage a balance of payments crisis and bring inflation under control after it hit a record of nearly 38% last month. The government order called the Business-to-business (B2B) Barter Trade Mechanism 2023 and dated June 1, lists goods that can be bartered. State and privately owned entities would need approval to participate in the…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Africa’s share of global gas supply will nearly double by 2050 – report

NEWS

BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY AFRICA'S gas share in the global market will increase to over 11% of all gas supplies by 2050, according to a report by Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), from 6% in 2021. Production is projected to increase from 260 billion cubic meters in 2021 to 585 billion cubic meters in 2050, on the back of the maximal exploitation of local energy resources by governments. This will make Africa responsible for the second-largest growth in gas supply, by volume, globally, after the Middle East during the period. GECF is an intergovernmental organisation that provides a framework…

Mar

2022

By The African Mirror

Ukraine war: Can Africa become Europe’s next gas station?

NEWS

SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY EXPERTS expect Europe to ramp up investments into Africa’s natural gas sector to shock-absorb its economy from the unfolding crisis in Ukraine and the potential for energy supplies disruption in the future. In January, the European Union drafted a proposal to classify natural gas projects as “green energy” investments, potentially allowing the block to invest in the sector and at the same time contribute to what African nations are increasingly calling a "just transition" in the energy sector as the continent taps into gas and uses the proceeds to build on its huge green energy…

Dec

2021

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s Eskom CEO sees end to crisis in shift from coal

NEWS

ALEXANDER WINNING SOUTH African state power utility Eskom sees an opportunity to emerge from years of crisis by shifting from coal-fired power generation towards natural gas and renewables, its chief executive told Reuters. Eskom has implemented power cuts for more than a decade in Africa's most industrialised nation that have held back economic growth and deterred investment. It has roughly 400 billion rands ($25 billion) of debt that it services through regular government bailouts. "From the crisis that Eskom currently finds itself in – very poor plant performance, excessive debt – this contains the opportunity for us to really act…