Malawi has launched a net-metering programme allowing households, businesses and industries generating electricity from renewable sources to feed surplus power into the national grid, as the country seeks to address inadequate electricity supply.
Energy Minister Dr. Jean Chifuniro Mathanga launched the rules governing the programme on Wednesday at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe, urging eligible consumers to participate.
The framework allows consumers with renewable energy systems, particularly solar installations, to use the electricity they generate and export surplus power to the grid through bidirectional meters.
“Despite the progress made in expanding our generation capacity, electricity supply remains inadequate to meet the country’s growing demand. We must, therefore, explore innovative and complementary approaches to increase electricity generation and improve access to reliable power,” Mathanga said.
She said 34 customers had been identified as eligible to connect to the grid during the programme’s pilot phase, with nine already connected.
The 34 customers have the potential to supply a combined 3.9 megawatts to the grid, providing an initial contribution that could grow as participation expands.
Secretary for Energy Elvis Thodi said the framework would enable consumers to help address the country’s electricity supply challenges by providing surplus power to serve schools, hospitals, businesses and homes.
Mathanga thanked the United Nations Development Programme for supporting the development of the rules.
She urged consumers generating surplus renewable electricity to work with the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) to participate in the programme.
She also called on ESCOM to install bidirectional meters and connect applicants who meet the requirements without delay.
A 39-year-old scrap dealer, Amon Nkhata, sustained serious injuries after suffering an electric shock while allegedly attempting to vandalise an Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) transformer at St. John of God in Chibanja, Mzuzu, on Thursday, 5 November 2026.
According to ESCOM, Nkhata was found trapped inside the transformer cage after allegedly attempting to cut an electrical cable.
The power utility said he sustained severe injuries to one hand and one leg and was taken to Mzuzu Central Hospital by police.
Police are investigating the incident.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructure in Malawi.
Energy Minister Dr Jean Chifuniro Mathanga recently told Parliament that at least 100 areas had reported cases of stolen or damaged electricity equipment. She described the vandalism as a major setback to the government’s efforts to expand electricity access.
Mathanga said the ministry was working with law enforcement agencies, local leaders and communities to strengthen surveillance and encourage the reporting of suspected offenders.
ESCOM board member Welford Sabola also expressed concern over increasing vandalism of the corporation’s infrastructure, saying it continued to undermine efforts to improve electricity supply and expand access across the country.
ESCOM warned that tampering with transformers, substations and other electrical installations could cause severe burns, permanent injuries or death.
The utility urged the public to avoid accessing electricity installations without authorisation and to report suspicious activities to ESCOM or police.
It said vandalism endangered lives, disrupted electricity supply and increased the cost-of-service delivery, adding that protecting infrastructure serving homes, businesses and essential services was a shared responsibility.
Gas supply constraints, reduced hydroelectric output and maintenance problems have curtailed electricity generation in Nigeria, triggering outages in several areas, including Abuja, Lagos and Kwara, the power ministry and the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) said on Thursday.
The outages have angered consumers, with many taking to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to express frustration over the lack of electricity.
The Ministry of Power acknowledged the disruption to households, businesses and public institutions, particularly in areas that had recently recorded improvements in supply.
“We recognise what every hour without power means for individuals, families and businesses, and we do not take it lightly,” it said in a statement signed by Adeola Adelabu, special adviser on media and publicity to the minister.
Preliminary assessments indicated that the outages were not caused by a major or systemic failure of the national grid, the ministry said.
“They stem from maintenance and operational issues on parts of the power ecosystem, together with a decline in generation caused by constraints in gas supply to thermal power stations and reduced output from hydroelectric stations due to lower water inflows into reservoirs.”
Relevant operators were addressing the problems, it added.
Power Minister Joseph Tegbe was working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria, NISO and electricity distribution companies to accelerate the restoration of supply, the ministry said.
Tegbe had urged the operators to resolve operational constraints, expedite maintenance and provide regular updates to consumers.
“Nigerians deserve better power, and this administration is working to deliver it,” the ministry said.
The minister thanked consumers for their patience and pledged further updates as restoration efforts progressed.
In a separate statement, NISO said the generation shortfall had reduced the electricity available for allocation to distribution companies, resulting in shorter supply hours and increased load shedding.
The impact varied across distribution networks, depending on available generation and allocations to individual companies, it said.
“NISO acknowledges the impact of the current generation shortfall on electricity consumers nationwide and appreciates the concerns expressed by members of the public and other stakeholders.”
The operator said it was working to diversify the national grid’s energy mix to strengthen supply security while maintaining grid stability and making the best use of available generation within existing operational constraints.
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote and Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on Wednesday broke ground on the construction of the $2.5 billion Dangote Namibia Tank Farm and Regional Pipeline Project at Farm 58 in Walvis Bay.
The project will include a petroleum storage facility with a capacity of 600 million litres and a planned regional pipeline network spanning approximately 1,700 kilometres.
The infrastructure is expected to improve fuel supply and distribution while positioning Namibia as a key energy and logistics hub for Southern Africa, particularly for landlocked countries.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Dangote reaffirmed his confidence in Namibia’s investment potential and commended President Nandi-Ndaitwah for her leadership and commitment to advancing the project.
“Africa must industrialise Africa,” he said, adding that the continent had the resources, talent, markets and entrepreneurial capacity to build the infrastructure needed to drive its economic transformation.
Dangote said the investment was not solely about generating profits but also about creating long-term economic opportunities, developing local skills and reinvesting in the countries where the group operates.
“Whenever we enter another African country, we are coming home,” he said, adding that the Dangote Group intended to explore further investment opportunities in Namibia.
Describing the $2.5 billion project as only the beginning, Dangote said the group was willing to expand its investments into other sectors of the Namibian economy.
“We will not disappoint you. We will deliver as promised,” he told the president, adding that trust was the foundation of long-term investment partnerships.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah said the groundbreaking marked the culmination of engagements that began with her first meeting with Dangote, chairman and chief executive of the Dangote Group, in June 2025.
Recognising the strategic importance of the investment, the president said she had placed the project under the oversight of the Office of the President to ensure that administrative delays did not hinder its implementation.
Reflecting on challenges encountered during the process, she urged government institutions to act with urgency, accountability and a shared commitment to national development.
“This project will remain a presidential project until it is completed,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She said the value of the investment should be measured by the opportunities it created for ordinary Namibians, calling for greater participation by local businesses, skills development, job creation and opportunities for young people.
The president also highlighted the importance of value addition, industrialisation and partnerships that would enable Namibia to make better use of its natural resources and strategic geographical position, in line with the priorities of the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).
Beyond its economic significance, Nandi-Ndaitwah described the investment as an example of African cooperation and the continent’s growing confidence in its capacity to drive its own development.
“As Africans, we are beginning to believe in ourselves,” she said, calling for stronger partnerships based on mutual trust and shared prosperity.
Erongo Regional Governor Dr. Nathalia /Goagoses welcomed the investment, highlighting the region’s strategic position as a gateway for trade, logistics and industrial development.
The project aligns with Namibia’s NDP6 priorities and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, particularly in the areas of industrialisation, regional integration, economic growth and job creation.
As the project moves towards implementation, Nandi-Ndaitwah urged all stakeholders to translate their commitments into tangible results for Namibia and the wider region.
“Today we have spoken, and now we must act,” she said.
By: Yassir Ghiyati
Energy resilience is a priority at both governmental and boardroom level. Geopolitical shocks, volatile prices, shifting regulations, and fragile supply chains are testing the assumptions behind long-term investment and risk assessment.
Fuel and chemical producers are seeking to protect their investments while positioning their businesses for a changing energy landscape. What is developing is not a binary choice between security of supply and energy transition, however. It is rather a strategic imperative to strengthen both simultaneously through diversification.
That means diversifying feedstocks, products and markets. Dependence on a narrow set of feedstock sources, production routes, and regions leaves countries and companies exposed to disruptions often beyond their control. A broader portfolio reduces that exposure and creates strong alternative options if and when conditions change. The winners will be those that build flexibility into their assets and supply strategies, rather than wait for certainty that may never arrive.
Responding To Shifting Markets, Boosting Security
For refiners, flexibility means looking beyond a single feedstock and product slate. Conventional fuels remain essential, but they need not be the only output. Some refineries have already expanded revenue streams by repurposing hydroprocessing units or developing greenfield facilities to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel via feedstocks such as used cooking oil and biomass.
Others are co-processing, using existing refinery units to make both conventional and renewable fuels. It can help fuel producers to respond to shifting markets and, at the same time, strengthen energy and fuel security.
The same principle applies across the energy system. Demand for power is growing, and businesses need reliable, affordable energy, even as they reduce emissions. Recent disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have highlighted supply chain dependencies. They have also made the case for deploying proven solutions now, across energy efficiency, biofuels, e-fuels, low-carbon hydrogen, and ammonia. It becomes more relevant to the resilience and competitiveness of the system we are building.
Advancing Technologies, Catalyst Solutions
Technology is a constraint. Solutions exist today to produce clean fuels at scale, and innovation continues to improve their efficiency, performance, and cost. At Topsoe, we are advancing technologies for SAF, e-SAF, clean hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol, while continuing to innovate and deliver catalyst solutions that support the most energy efficient conventional fuel production. The strategic question is how quickly proven solutions can become attractive investments for investors as well as assets operating at scale.
The answer to that question depends on policy stability, investor confidence, and offtake agreements that are price realistic. Unclear policy, changing regulations, and uncertain returns make capital harder to commit. Projects need to factor in permits, infrastructure, financing, dependable energy, and raw materials. Above all, they need credible offtake and risk-sharing.
Without buyers prepared to commit, first-of-a-kind projects can fail to reach final investment decision – even when the technology is ready.
Our Global Hydrogen Presence
Topsoe helps customers who seek to make that transition with minimised risk when it comes to technology. Roughly one in every three hydrogen molecules worldwide is produced using Topsoe solutions. That installed base gives us a platform to support the scale-up of low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia.
Proven commercial references, technology validation and performance guarantees strengthen project fundamentals from planning through operation. As a science-based company, we continue to invest in research and innovation to advance catalysts and technologies that deliver ever-more efficient production.
No single fuel or technology alone will prove to be the future of our energy system. Resilience will be a core characteristic and come from developing and maintaining a broad portfolio of options and from the ability to adapt to changing needs and disruptions. Companies and countries that diversify will be better positioned to withstand market uncertainty, compete as markets evolve, and meet future demand.
The opportunity is clear; the technologies are here. Now industry, policymakers and buyers must provide the certainty, investment, and offtake that allow the energy landscape to move forward.
Topsoe is a leading global provider of advanced energy transition solutions for producing clean and conventional fuels and chemicals.
Zambia has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing its nuclear energy programme as part of efforts to ensure long-term energy security and diversify its electricity generation mix, Electricity Minister Peter Kapala said.
Speaking during a courtesy call by an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) delegation led by John Haddad at his office on Tuesday, Kapala said the government was encouraged by progress made so far and was expecting a report next week.
He said Zambia remained committed to achieving its target of 10,000 megawatts of electricity generation capacity within four years, bringing forward the initial five-year timeline.
Kapala said nuclear energy was being considered as a reliable long-term baseload power source to reduce the country’s dependence on hydropower.
Zambia’s installed electricity generation capacity increased to 4,722 megawatts from 3,777 megawatts in 2024, with solar power accounting for about 1,000 megawatts.
The expansion of solar capacity followed a 2023 drought that reduced hydropower generation and triggered widespread electricity load-shedding.
The IAEA said it was ready to support Zambia in assessing its preparedness to host a nuclear power plant, including evaluating potential sites and the country’s human resource capacity.
The agency, which has been working with Zambia on the programme since 2022, said strong government commitment was essential to advancing the initiative.
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in Ogere, Ogun state, the agency said.
In a statement, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale said the refinery was discovered during an operation conducted by operatives of the agency’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 on October 31.
Oyewale said the operation followed intelligence gathering and surveillance on the activities of suspected illegal sludge oil refiners.
He added that the facility had been deserted when operatives arrived.
The discovery followed an earlier operation in which the commission shut down four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.
“However, waste products from the refining process were discovered at the location,” the statement said.
“During the raid, underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing the sludge oil were also discovered.
“Two of the underground tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), otherwise known as diesel.”
According to Oyewale, preliminary investigations showed that the operators sourced sludge oil, also known as black sludge, from Warri in Delta state and Port Harcourt in Rivers state before transporting it to the facility in Ogere for processing.
He said the operators subjected the sludge oil to intense heat, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through a series of chambers and filters in a process believed to produce diesel for sale in the Nigerian market.
Oyewale said security personnel at the facility told investigators that the Chinese operators had not disclosed their identities or the name of the company behind the refinery.
He added that EFCC operatives had taken over the premises as investigations continued to establish the identities of the operators, ownership of the facility and the extent of the suspected illegal activities.
Crude oil prices fell sharply on Wednesday morning following the release of U.S. midterm election results, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) trading at $87.17 a barrel and Brent crude at $94.26 a barrel.
The decline came amid political developments in the United States, where Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.
According to Reuters, investors are awaiting Washington’s next move in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran after President Donald Trump’s Republican Party lost control of Congress.
On Wednesday, Trump said the war with Iran may have contributed to the Republican Party’s electoral defeat.
Vice President JD Vance also wrote on X that the war was responsible for the losses, adding that “any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”
Trump had earlier told the Financial Times that Washington had no immediate plans to strike Iran.
In a written statement, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said U.S. hostility towards Iran would persist regardless of which political party was in power in Washington.
“The U.S. sees the end of its hegemony as distant; we see it as near,” he said.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that Iran and the United States remained far from reaching an agreement to end the war.
With diesel prices remaining elevated, Washington is also taking steps to ease pressure on fuel markets.
The U.S. Department of Energy said it would loan 300,000 barrels from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve to four companies, representing nearly a third of the stockpile.
The move follows pressure from senators from both parties after diesel prices surged above $6.50 a gallon.
Heating oil futures subsequently fell by around 7%.
Ghana’s Energy and Green Transition Minister Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor has urged African countries to go beyond deploying solar systems by manufacturing solar equipment and building local supply chains.
Speaking on the theme “Global Solar: Then, Now and Next” at the ninth session of the International Solar Alliance Assembly in India, Jinapor said Africa’s drive to strengthen energy security through solar power must extend beyond installation.
“This will require technology transfer, local industrial capacity and, critically, affordable long-term financing,” Jinapor said.
He said recent disruptions in global energy markets had underscored the risks of excessive dependence on imported fuels.
Solar energy offered Africa a pathway to strengthening energy security, reducing dependence on imports and building resilient economies, he said.
However, he cautioned that the continent should also become a producer of solar technology.
Jinapor said Ghana was advancing this agenda by installing solar streetlights, promoting rooftop solar and implementing policies to switch critical public facilities to solar power.
Ghana has more than 150 megawatts of utility-scale and floating solar capacity connected to the national grid, alongside off-grid solar systems supplying electricity to island communities, he said.
“Our abundant sunshine must become a catalyst for industrialisation, job creation, economic resilience and energy sovereignty,” Jinapor said.
Independent power producer Cenpower Generation Company Ltd. has agreed to revised terms under its amended and restated power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Electricity Company of Ghana, following approval by Cabinet and Parliament.
The revised PPA includes a $66 million debt waiver on the nearly $400 million in accumulated debt owed by the Government of Ghana to Cenpower, as well as a reduction in the tariff charged for power supplied to the offtaker.
Under the revised agreement, Cenpower has also been granted a 10-year extension to its existing contract.
The agreement was announced at a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of operations at Cenpower’s 375-megawatt Kpone Thermal Power Plant.
Cenpower Board Chairman Samuel Nana Brew-Butler said the company had accepted the discount as part of a compromise to help address the country’s power sector obligations.
He said the accumulated debt had reached about $400 million at one stage, but the company had agreed to waive $66 million of the amount owed.
“If you remember, I said at one stage, what was outstanding was about $400 million, but it’s our country, so that sacrifice had to be made,” Mr Brew-Butler said.
The concession comes alongside changes to the commercial relationship between Cenpower and the government.
“As a gesture, the government also decided to give us a 10-year extension of the PPA,” he said, adding that the arrangement also involves “a reduction in the tariff we are giving.”
The deal forms part of the government’s broader efforts to restructure debts owed to power producers and renegotiate existing agreements to ease the financial burden on the electricity sector.
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who attended the anniversary ceremony as the Special Guest of Honour, praised Cenpower’s contribution to Ghana’s electricity supply over the past decade.
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang unveils the 10th anniversary plaque at the company’s operational site in Kpone.
She also highlighted the company’s community initiatives around the Kpone plant, including efforts to tackle plastic pollution along the Sega Beach shoreline.
Cenpower has also undertaken waste management and biodiversity conservation education for pupils of Paul Methodist School.
“These are all worthwhile initiatives,” Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said.
She urged the company to remain mindful of the environmental and social impact of operating a major thermal power facility.
“I encourage Cenpower to maintain its relationship with the surrounding communities and continue to pay attention to the environmental and social consequences of its operations.”
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO) have formally announced the establishment of the Africa Energy Bank (AEB) and named Helmy Ghazi as its inaugural president.
The announcement was made at the bank’s inaugural general meeting in Abuja on Oct. 31, 2026.
The meeting also approved the appointment of the bank’s first board of directors, drawn from the public and private sectors and policy institutions across Africa.
The directors’ names were not immediately available.
The Nigeria-based bank is being established as Africa’s energy investment needs are estimated at $200 billion. Investment in power generation and transmission is needed to support industrial growth and meet demand from emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Traditional lenders are scaling back financing for fossil fuel projects even as oil and gas remain central to Africa’s energy systems.
The bank aims to fill that financing gap while supporting a just energy transition across the continent.
With authorised capital of $5 billion, the bank will finance projects across the energy value chain, from exploration and production to transport, processing, refining and distribution.
It aims to expand local production capacity, reduce reliance on imported petroleum products, promote trade in energy products within Africa and increase African participation in the sector.
The bank will operate as an independent, supranational financial institution and seek investment from governments, national oil companies, financial institutions and private investors.
Tanzania’s Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) has raised retail fuel price caps for November, citing higher shipping and insurance costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
Global prices for refined petroleum products fell slightly in October from September, but the conflict in the Middle East, where Tanzania sources much of its fuel, pushed up freight and insurance costs, EWURA said in a statement.
In Dar es Salaam, EWURA set the retail price caps at 4,083 Tanzanian shillings per litre for petrol, 4,128 shillings for diesel and 4,117 shillings for kerosene.
In Tanga, the caps were set at 4,149 shillings per litre for petrol, 4,194 shillings for diesel and 4,183 shillings for kerosene. In Mtwara, petrol was capped at 3,930 shillings per litre and diesel at 3,972 shillings.
EWURA said fuel retailers could set prices within the applicable caps and floors for each location. It warned that retailers who breached the limits would face legal action.
The regulator said it calculated the limits under its 2022 petroleum pricing rules, as amended in October 2023, and the 2024 amendments to the Bulk Petroleum Procurement Rules.
EWURA said fuel stations must display prices, discounts and promotions on clearly visible signs.
It encouraged motorists to buy from stations offering lower prices where they had a choice and warned that stations that failed to display prices clearly would face penalties.
ADNOC Gas has signed a five-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply agreement with France’s TotalEnergies to deliver up to 1.6 million tonnes of LNG, the UAE company said in a statement.
The agreement reflects TotalEnergies’ confidence in ADNOC Gas’s supply reliability and delivery record, built through a longstanding partnership, ADNOC Gas said.
“The agreement reflects the strength of our LNG business, the competitiveness of our supply offering and our ability to secure long-term partnerships that support growth, enhance resilience and create lasting value for shareholders,” ADNOC Gas Chief Executive Officer Fatema Al Nuaimi said.
Global demand for LNG continues to grow, and ADNOC Gas is well positioned to benefit from that trend, Al Nuaimi added.
The agreement comes as Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) advances its newly launched global LNG marketing and trading platform, which combines the LNG marketing activities of ADNOC Gas and XRG with the trading capabilities of ADNOC Trading.
The integrated platform is intended to expand access to a more diversified LNG portfolio and provide customers with more flexible supply arrangements, ADNOC Gas said.
The platform is targeting 47 million tonnes per annum of marketable LNG beyond 2030, a scale that would place it among the world’s leading LNG marketing and trading organisations, the company said.
Stéphane Michel, TotalEnergies’ president for gas, renewables and power, said the agreement marked another milestone in the companies’ longstanding partnership.
The new supply would benefit from the UAE’s strategic location between Europe and Asia and help TotalEnergies strengthen its position as a major LNG portfolio supplier, Michel said.
TotalEnergies is also a shareholder and strategic partner in ADNOC Gas.
ADNOC Gas expects the future integration of the Ruwais LNG project to significantly increase its production capacity as it seeks to expand its presence in global LNG markets and meet rising demand.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah said the groundbreaking marked the culmination of engagements that began with her first meeting with Dangote, chairman and chief executive of the Dangote Group, in June 2025.
Recognising the strategic importance of the investment, the president said she had placed the project under the oversight of the Office of the President to ensure that administrative delays did not hinder its implementation.
Reflecting on challenges encountered during the process, she urged government institutions to act with urgency, accountability and a shared commitment to national development.
“This project will remain a presidential project until it is completed,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She said the value of the investment should be measured by the opportunities it created for ordinary Namibians, calling for greater participation by local businesses, skills development, job creation and opportunities for young people.
The president also highlighted the importance of value addition, industrialisation and partnerships that would enable Namibia to make better use of its natural resources and strategic geographical position, in line with the priorities of the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).
Beyond its economic significance, Nandi-Ndaitwah described the investment as an example of African cooperation and the continent’s growing confidence in its capacity to drive its own development.
“As Africans, we are beginning to believe in ourselves,” she said, calling for stronger partnerships based on mutual trust and shared prosperity.
Erongo Regional Governor Dr. Nathalia /Goagoses welcomed the investment, highlighting the region’s strategic position as a gateway for trade, logistics and industrial development.
The project aligns with Namibia’s NDP6 priorities and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, particularly in the areas of industrialisation, regional integration, economic growth and job creation.
As the project moves towards implementation, Nandi-Ndaitwah urged all stakeholders to translate their commitments into tangible results for Namibia and the wider region.
“Today we have spoken, and now we must act,” she said.
