Category: Energy
As Tensions Rise Among China’s Partners Along the Blue Nile, Beijing’s Nowhere to be Found
Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmed Abiy confirmed last week that his country has filled the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) across the Blue Nile with an initial 4.9 billion cubic meters of water that he claims is needed for both power generation and domestic and agricultural use. ...
China and the Future of Energy in Africa
China's played a pivotal role in financing a sizable portion of African energy infrastructure in recent years. But now amid the economic crisis brought on by COVID-19 and a sharp downturn in Chinese support for energy projects in Africa and elsewhere ...
Why the Sengwa Coal Plant in Zimbabwe Will Probably be China’s Last Mega Deal in Africa For a Very Long Time
China and Zimbabwe are moving forward with a massive new $3 billion coal power plant in the northern city of Sengwa. When complete, the new plant will generate 2800 megawatts of power and could singlehandedly erase the power deficit that's crippling the country.
China to Finance and Build a Massive New Coal Power Plant in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwean government announced last month that construction of the new $3 billion Sengwa coal power plant will proceed after years of negotiation. The new 2,800 megawatt plant will be a joint effort between ...
China and Rwanda Sign Loan Deal for New Hydroelectric Power Plant
The China Exim Bank will provide a $214 million concessional loan to Rwanda to build the 43.5mw Nyabarongo II power plant in the southern Muhanga District, according to a report in industry news site Energy Voice. The deal also includes a substation and a 110 Kv ...
China is Financing an Electric Power Building Boom in Africa
African policymakers up and down the continent will all tell you that one issue, more than any other, stands apart as the key priority in 2020: electricity. Without additional electric power capacity, both generation and distribution, none of their ambitious industrialization plans will be possible. Industries need ...
China-Africa in 2020: Three Trends to Watch
One of the reasons the China-Africa relationship is interesting is because even though it keeps expanding into new areas, some of this momentum is also driven by the long history between the two sides. Tracking China-Africa relations is ...
Senior U.S. Official Warns African Governments About Relying on “Fast and Loose Money”
The top energy diplomat for the United States, Francis Fannon, issued a clear warning to African governments to avoid taking oil and gas investments from "opaque forces" that could lead to erosion of their countries' sovereignty through debt-dependency. He didn't ...
Sinohydro Stops Work on Zambia Hydroelectric Dam
Citing "difficulties beyond its control" (translation: they haven't been paid), China’s state-owned Sinohydro has stopped work building the 750mw Kafue Gorge hydroelectric dam in Zambia, dealing a major blow for the country's drive for energy self-sufficiency and the livelihoods of thousands of workers on the project.
Podcast Transcript: Will China Come to the Rescue of South Africa’s Ailing Energy Giant Eskom?
Eric: Hello and welcome to another edition of the China in Africa podcast. I'm Eric Olander and as always I'm joined by Cobus Van Staden, senior China Africa Researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg, South Africa. ...