INFRASTRUCTURE FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT

Mozambique

LNG production set to expand

Exxon Mobil is calling for expressions of interest in the design and building of a liquified natural gas (LNG) plant. To be situated in the north of Mozambique at the Rovuma Basin, the plant is set to have a capacity of up to 18 million tonnes a year.

Exxon’s announcement comes after TotalEnergies SE released a statement where it is considering restarting its own LNG export venture Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. Both Exxon’s previous project and TotalEnergies’ project were halted two years ago following an attack on the town of Palma, but a mix of local and foreign troops have since made progress in containing the violence that’s left more than 4 600 people dead.

In its new project, Exxon Mobil is reportedly partnering with the China National Petroleum Corporation, Portugal’s Galp, South Korea’s Kogas and Mozambique ENH.

Exxon is part of a consortium with Eni SpA of Italy, which in November exported Mozambique’s first LNG production from a floating vessel offshore. That plant has an annual capacity of 3.4 million tonnes.

Egypt

Third nuclear reactor to be built

The Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (ENRRA) has issued the construction licence for the third reactor (Unit 3) of the country’s four-reactor nuclear power plant (NPP) at El Dabaa. Egypt currently operates one 22 MWt capacity research reactor.

El Dabaa will be the country’s first NPP and is located on the Mediterranean coast, some 320 km north-west of Cairo. El Dabaa is being developed and will be operated by the country’s Nuclear Power Plant Authority (NPPA). Its reactors will be to the Russian state-owned nuclear energy group Rosatom’s VVER-1200 design, already in use at Russia’s Leningrad and Novovoronezh NPPs and at Belarus’ Ostrovets NPP. The Dabaa plant is part of a deal signed in 2015 between Rosatom and Egypt, which is expected to cost about US$30 billion (R545 billion).

Construction of Unit 3 is expected to start within the next few months. Construction of Unit 1 commenced last July, while that of Unit 2 started in November. The NPPA applied for the construction licences for both Unit 1 and Unit 2 in June 2021, while its applications for the same licences for both Unit 3 and Unit 4 were submitted in January last year. Once the construction permit has been issued, the technical works for the first concrete of the third nuclear unit are intended to commence during the second quarter of this year.

Malawi

Grant to boost Blantyre water and sanitation

The International Development Association, a World Bank subsidiary, is set to provide a US$145 million (R2.6 billion) grant to Malawi’s Blantyre Water Board (BWB). The utility will use the funding to increase access to safe water and sanitation for approximately 500 000 people in the city of Blantyre.

New water supply facilities will be built and independent power sources will be added so that facilities can operate during power outages. Drinking water and sewage systems will also be upgraded for greater efficiency, as will solid waste management facilities.

According to the World Bank, the project will last six years. In addition to water and sanitation safety, the project will enhance the operational and financial efficiency of the BWB, whose mission is to provide reliable and affordable water services to Malawians, while contributing to the development of the national economy and preservation of the environment.

Kenya

$2.4 billion worth of dams to boost water availability

Kenya plans to seek investors to help build seven dams at a cost of US$2.4 billion (R43.6 billion). The government plans to sign water-purchase agreements with investors who will finance, design, build and commission the facilities. The mechanism will enable investors to sell and deliver water needed for household and irrigation use.

The biggest planned water project is the High Grand Falls Dam on the Tana River, in eastern Kenya, with a capacity of 5.6 trillion litres that is expected to cost $1.3 billion (R23.6 billion).

President William Ruto, who came to office in September, has pledged to develop at least 100 dams to improve water security and boost agricultural productivity. Several amendments are planned to the East African nation’s Water Act to provide a framework for the government to buy water in bulk from investors for resale to public water companies that supply homes and farms that irrigate fields.

Kenya plans to put 375 864 ha under irrigation and connect 4.25 million new households to clean piped water.

Morocco

Electric trucks for waste management

Refuse collection company Armahas recently taken delivery of Volvo Trucks’ first heavy battery-electric truck.

“This is a proud moment when we take the first step to more sustainable, electric transport in Morocco and Africa together with our customer Arma and the city of Rabat. This clearly shows that zero-emissions trucks have a role to play in many parts of the world. Volvo is the first global brand with heavy electric trucks in commercial operation in Africa. We have the broadest electric truck line up in the industry, which makes it possible to electrify a large part of heavy transports already today,” says Martin Nilsson, MD, Volvo Trucks Morocco.

By replacing the existing Volvo FE diesel truck with a Volvo FE electric on a typical route, approximately 30 tonnes of CO2 could be saved every year.

Morocco has ambitious climate goals, based on large investments in renewable energy. The country is a leader in solar power and home to the world’s biggest concentrated solar power facility, Noor Quarzazate, located 200 km south-east of Marrakech.

Tanzania

Funding for Kakono hydropower plant

A signing ceremony has been held for funding agreements with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) for financing of the 87.8 MW Kakono hydropower plant. A further € 36 million (R718 million) will be provided by the European Union for technical assistance, environmental studies and capacity building.

Cedric Merel, head of cooperation with the EU delegation, said the EU is glad to contribute to efforts by the government of Tanzania to diversify its energy sources and bring green energy into the mix. He said the Kakono project also will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 213 810 tonnes per year, making a significant contribution to economic development and climate change adaptation.

The Kakono Dam will be in the Kagera Region in the north-western corner of Tanzania, near the border with Uganda, about 90 km west of Bukoba Municipality. It will be located on the Kagera River and owned/operated by the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco).