The Secretary of State for Energy, Arlindo Carlos, announced that the Saurimo photovoltaic plant, located in Lunda-Sul, Angola, will commence operations later this month, providing a capacity of 26.13 megawatts of clean energy. Constructed on a sprawling 65-hectare site, the project is a collaboration between the South African company ‘Sun África’ and ‘MCA Angola’ and comes with a price tag of 38.839 million euros. It boasts a staggering array of 44,850 solar panels, poised to
Botswana officials have voiced apprehension over the Group of Seven’s (G7) planned restrictions on Russian diamonds, warning of potential negative impacts on the country’s diamond trade and economic progress. Lefoko Moagi, Botswana’s minister of mineral resources, green technology, and energy security, emphasized that the proposed requirement to channel all diamonds through Antwerp for verification poses logistical challenges and could hinder Botswana’s beneficiation efforts. The government is advocating for verification processes to occur in producer countries
Several trade groups have come together to appeal to the Group of Seven (G7), urging them to reassess their plan to ban Russian diamonds, citing potential detrimental effects on the industry. The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) confirmed earlier this month that sanctions on diamonds of 1 carat and above would commence on March 1. However, no guidance was provided on the implementation process or the necessary procedures for the trade. The
Sociedade Mineira de Catoca (SMC) has unveiled ambitious plans for diamond production and investment in 2024, aiming to recover approximately 6.9 million carats while investing $69.282 million. Porfírio Soares, a company representative, shared these insights during the presentation of the company’s 2023 activities. The investment focus for 2024 includes enhancing prospecting activities to increase reserves, upgrading equipment fleets, and improving treatment centers to optimize work quality and reduce downtime. Furthermore, SMC anticipates commercial success, projecting
Namibia’s groundbreaking Hyphen green hydrogen project received a significant boost last week as the German government extended its support. Enertrag, a joint venture between Hyphen Hydrogen Energy and Nicholas Holdings, is at the forefront of this venture. The German government has designated the Hyphen project as a strategic foreign project, making it eligible for targeted support, indicative of its global strategic importance. This initiative marks a crucial step towards establishing a large-scale green hydrogen industry
Lucapa announced Thursday the recovery of its recent diamond discovery, marking the fifth-largest find at the Lulo mine in its 12 years of operation. The miner retrieved the diamond from processing run-of-mine stockpiled ore already on site. This discovery also marks the third diamond weighing over 100 carats found by Lucapa this year alone. In the preceding month, the miner unearthed two type IIa stones, weighing 162.42 and 116.14 carats, respectively, on consecutive days. The
Debswana, in preparation for its upcoming Jwaneng underground project in Botswana, has been actively nurturing local talent and enhancing skills development by enrolling graduate learners in various mining-related disciplines. Selected from a pool of candidates, 26 graduates are currently undergoing experiential learning at the Mopani Central training center in Zambia, a strategic move aimed at equipping them with the necessary skills and expertise for the challenges ahead. This initiative not only strengthens Debswana’s strategic partnerships
Egypt has raised the prices of various fuel products, fulfilling a commitment made over a year ago to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a $3 billion financial assistance agreement. In a letter of intent signed in November 2022, Egypt pledged to permit the increase of most fuel prices to align domestic rates more closely with international energy market prices, Reuters reported. The country also pledged to compensate for the previous year’s slow
This morning President Masisi officiated at the ground breaking of 100 MW Mmadinare Solar Cluster , the first of its kind and scale in Botswana. The phase 1 of this project will generate 50 MW and will completed in January 2025 and the other 50 MW 6 months later , bringing a total of 100 MW by July 2025. The 100MW Mmadinare Solar is the first utility scale grid connected solar PV project and will
Mozambique has passed a decree to regulate the Sovereign Fund Law, marking a pivotal step in establishing a robust legal framework for managing revenues from the country’s oil and natural gas exploration. The newly approved regulation signifies a significant leap forward in promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in Mozambique’s natural resources sector. Enacted under Law 1/2024 of 9th January, the Mozambique Sovereign Fund aims to ensure the responsible management of non-renewable resource proceeds, fostering
