In December 2024, Mali launched the Goulamina lithium mine, located in the Bougouni region, marking the country’s entry as a major producer of lithium. Benchmark recently projected that Mali is set to become the second largest lithium miner in Africa this year behind Zimbabwe. Accoding to Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast, in... Read more →

A consortium led by H2 Global Energy signed an MOU agreement with the Tunisian government to develop a $6-billion green hydrogen and green ammonia project. Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a part of the Maghreb region of North Africa, bordered by Algeria to the west and... Read more →

Global oil demand is projected to reach 120.1 million barrels per day (mb/d) by 2050, while energy demand will rise 24% during the same period, said the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais at the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2024 conference last... Read more →

Africa is set to become a major new rare earths ore exporter to Chinese and Western processors, with eight pipeline projects due to go into production across the continent by 2029, according to Benchmark’s analysis. Rare earth’s biggest end use are rare earth permanent magnets (REPMs) for wind turbines and... Read more →

The global market for platinum group metals (PGMs)—which include platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium and ruthenium—will record a 4.47% increase between now and 2029, according to market research firm Mordor Intelligence. In part, market growth will come from growing demand for PGMs in green technologies, including hydrogen energy technologies, in... Read more →

TotalEnergies, operator of OML 58 onshore license in Nigeria with a 40% interest, together with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd (NNPCL, 60%), have taken the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the $550-million development of the Ubeta gas field. Located about 80 km northwest of Port Harcourt in Rivers state,... Read more →

After years of either declining or stable domestic natural gas production, the Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo Brazzaville, began exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the first time when the first phase of a two-phase floating LNG (FLNG) project began operating in February 2024, according to the... Read more →

TotalEnergies has announced that it will invest $600 million to strengthen exploration and production activities in the Republic of Congo in 2024. The investment will be used to finance exploration and maintain production in the country’s deep offshore Moho Nord field, which accounts for approximately half of all Congolese oil... Read more →

TotalEnergies (40%), along with its Block 20/11 partners, Petronas (40%) and Sonangol (20%), announced the Final Investment Decision (FID) of the $6-billion Kaminho project to develop the Cameia and Golfinho fields, located 100 km off the coast of Angola, in 1,700 m water-depth. This FID has been made possible thanks... Read more →

China-based BTR New Material Group signed an investment agreement with the Moroccan government to erect a lithium battery ternary cathode material facility in the country. The venture aims to cater to the surging demand in global markets while broadening the battery material maker’s international footprint. As part of the agreement,... Read more →

A recent study led by researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the non-profit conservation organization Re:wild shows that the threat of mining to the great ape population in Africa has been greatly underestimated. Am open-access paper on the work... Read more →

Electra Battery Materials Corporation and Eurasian Resources Group S.A.R.L. (ERG), a diversified natural resources group headquartered in Luxembourg, signed a binding letter of intent for long-term supply of ERG’s cobalt hydroxide to North America’s first battery-grade cobalt sulfate refinery. The agreement, effective 1 April 2024, supports efforts to onshore the... Read more →

Developing renewable hydrogen production in Africa would allow African nations to meet domestic electricity needs while becoming a major exporter to supply growing global demand, according to a new report released by the Hydrogen Council. The Hydrogen Council is a global CEO-led initiative that brings together leading companies with a... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group co-hosted a 2024 Korea-Africa Business Forum today in Seoul in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Structural Transformation (CSST) at SOAS University of London and the Korea-Africa Foundation. The forum discussed how Korean and African stakeholders can work together as strategic partners for sustainable development amidst ongoing... Read more →

Syrah Resources Limited signed a binding offtake agreement with to Posco Future M Co., Ltd for natural graphite fines from Syrah’s Balama Graphite Operations in Mozambique. (Earlier post.) The offtake agreement is an important development in the company’s sales strategy to transition Balama natural graphite sales to a more geographically... Read more →

Canada Rare Earth Corp. has established rare earth supply operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) marking a significant milestone in its expansion strategy. The proprietary operations in the DRC will be conducted through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Simba Essential Minerals S.A.S., incorporated in December 2023. By establishing our proprietary... Read more →

The Republic of Congo has launched its first LNG carrier, with the intention of becoming a key player in global gas exports. With its first LNG delivery, the Republic of the Congo takes a historic step in the development of its burgeoning hydrocarbons sector. The tanker was launched in the... Read more →

Actors in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, especially Saudi Arabia and Morocco, are gaining a strategic foothold in the lithium ion battery supply chain, according to Benchamrk Mineral Intelligence. Through various policy approaches utilising state support and industrial policy and taking advantage of geopolitical trends, these countries... Read more →

Sitting on an estimated 203 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, Nigeria is on a mission to monetize its gas resources and become a leading LNG exporter to global markets. Its most notable project—the $5-billion Nigeria LNG Train 7 expansion—is set to boost processing capacity by 35% from 22 million... Read more →

Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Nigeria (earlier post) has begun production of diesel and aviation fuel. The refinery can load 2,900 trucks a day at its truck-loading gantries. Gas flare stack at the refinery. The products from the refinery will conform to Euro V specifications. The refinery design complies with the... Read more →

Morocco is set to become a key cathode producer following more than $700 million of announced investments by Chinese companies in the country, according to Benchmark Intelligence. Total planned capacity is already around a quarter of Europe’s total forecast capacity, after China’s BTR announced a RMB 3.5-billion (US$490-million) investment into... Read more →

ITOCHU Corporation concluded a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) concerning a collaboration in the field of green ammonia with Hive Hydrogen South Africa. ITOCHU and Hive will jointly engage in deliberation regarding the green ammonia production project in Coega, South Africa. Hive Hydrogen South Africa is backed by UK-based Hive Energy... Read more →

Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals plant (earlier post) has purchased 1 million barrels of Agbami crude grade from Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited (STASCO), one of the largest trading companies in Nigeria as well as globally, trading more than 8 million barrels of crude oil per day.... Read more →

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) regularly publishes international energy information, including overviews, rankings, data and analyses of various countries and regions. EIA has now released a briefing on emerging hydrocarbon (oil and natural gas) producers in Africa. The EIA briefing focuses on Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, Mauritania, Senegal, and Mozambique—countries... Read more →

Rio Tinto provided an update at its Investor Seminar on the world-class Simandou iron ore project in Guinea, Africa, which is being progressed in partnership with CIOH, Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS), Baowu and the Republic of Guinea. Simfer Jersey Limited is a joint venture between the Rio Tinto Group (53%)... Read more →

Scientists at the University of Pretoria (UP) are leading a study of natural hydrogen gas discovered under the Earth’s surface in Mpumalanga (geologic hydrogen)—a potential source of renewable energy that could contribute to the national energy budget and help address the energy shortage in South Africa. Mpumalanga is a province... Read more →

GreenGo Energy has filed an application to Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines in Mauritania for the development of one of the world’s largest green energy parks: Megaton Moon. Megaton Moon is planned for a staged implementation process to reach 60GW/190TWh of hybrid solar and wind generation and 35GW electrolysis... Read more →

Ivanhoe Mines has been granted 22,195 square kilometers of greenfield prospecting rights for exploration in the Moxico and Cuando Cubango Provinces of Angola. The extensive package of prospecting rights covers highly prospective, greenfield copper exploration ground approximately equivalent to half the size of Switzerland (41,285 km2). Ivanhoe’s exploration activities are... Read more →

Sonangol and China National Chemical Engineering Company (CNCEC) signed a contract for the construction of the Lobito Refinery in Angola. The final agreement, which provides for construction, technical support and supervision, follows the Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties, signed four months ago in Beijing. The refinery is to... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) is set to develop a growth strategy for Africa by establishing specialized units for dialogue and research with the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London. SOAS University of London is one of the 17 colleges within the university and... Read more →

Elcora Advanced Materials and Mincape SARL are partnering to establish manganese mining operations in Morocco and West Africa. This collaboration aims to support the ever-expanding EVbattery market and secure a sustainable source of high-quality manganese ore. Manganese can play a pivotal role in enhancing the energy storage capabilities and overall... Read more →

Emissions associated with mining operations in Africa’s Copperbelt can be quantified from space, according to new research led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The new open-access study is published in Geophysical Research Letters, and shows for the first time that satellite monitoring can provide valuable information on... Read more →

The US Development Finance Corporation’s (DFC’s) Board of Directors approved the provision of up to $150 million in financing to Twigg Exploration and Mining—a wholly-owned subsidiary of Australia-based Syrah Resources Limited—to fund investments in the company’s graphite mining and processing operation in Balama, Mozambique. (Earlier post.) The DFC loan is... Read more →

The Nikkei reports that Japan and the UK are set to make joint investments in critical minerals in Africa and other places. The two countries will also establish a framework for discussing economic security at the ministerial level, with a focus on supply chains. The two countries reportedly aim to... Read more →

Rio Tinto and the Simfer joint venture (Simfer) reached an important milestone by concluding key agreements with the Republic of Guinea (West Africa) and Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS) on the trans-Guinean infrastructure for the world class Simandou iron ore project. Simandou is home to the last known, largest and richest... Read more →

Africa’s mined lithium production output is set to increase more than ten-fold this decade, according to Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast. This will increase the region’s strength in the supply of critical minerals beyond cobalt, which the continent has historically dominated. Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast shows that the region is expected to account... Read more →

Casterra Ag Ltd., an integrated castor cultivation solution company and a subsidiary of Evogene Ltd. signed a framework agreement to sell seeds of its proprietary castor varieties to one of the world’s leading oil and gas companies for cultivation in specific African territories. Initial purchase orders, valued at an aggregate... Read more →

Outgoing Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is commissioning the 650,000 BPD Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals plant today. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which covers an area of approximately 2,635 hectares—about the six times the size of Victoria Island in Lagos, Nigeria—is expected to be Africa’s largest oil refinery and the world’s... Read more →

E-Tech Resources, a rare earth exploration and development company developing its Eureka Rare Earths Project in Namibia, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire an 85% interest in exclusive prospecting license 8748 (EPL 8748). EPL 8748 is located in the Erongo Mining Corridor of Namibia which lies adjacent to,... Read more →

Elcora Advanced Materials has begun operations on the 16 km² manganese mining concession in Morocco for which it had acquired exclusive rights earlier. (Earlier post.) The SGS-certified African Laboratory for Mining and Environment (AFRILAB) team evaluated onsite that already extracted Manganese (Mn) piles contain about 5,500 metric tonnes of manganese... Read more →

Poland-based Hynfra has signed a framework cooperation agreement with Amarenco MENA, a major developer of renewable energy projects in the Middle East and North Africa and part of Amarenco Group. The strategic partnership is aimed at building infrastructure for the production of hydrogen and its derivatives, primarily ammonia, using electrolysis... Read more →

Volvo Trucks has delivered its first heavy electric truck to Rabat, Morocco. The customer is the refuse collection company Arma, and this is the first heavy battery-electric truck from a global manufacturer to be in commercial operation in Africa. The truck is a Volvo FE Electric, one of six all-electric... Read more →

Elcora Advanced Materials has signed, through its Ermazon SARL wholly owned subsidiary, a binding agreement with exclusive long-term mining production rights and option to purchase a 16 km² manganese mining concession in Morocco. This manganese deposit had been mined until a few years ago when COVID rules prevented further development.... Read more →

Canada-based battery materials company Elcora Advanced Materials has received, through its Ermazon SARL wholly owned subsidiary (purchased in December 2021), a manganese exploitation license from the Moroccan government for the Atlas Fox Deposit in the country. This license allows Elcora to mine, extract, process and sell manganese from its 16... Read more →

The floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel for the bp-operated Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project has started its journey towards the project site off the coasts of Mauritania and Senegal in West Africa. GTA—a bp-Kosmos partnership—is an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) project based on... Read more →

The US Department of State released the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on electric vehicle battery value chains signed by the United States on 13 December 2022, during the Africa Leaders Summit. Through this MOU, the United States will support the commitment between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and... Read more →

Africa can produce 50 million tons of green hydrogen a year by 2035, according to a new study by the European Investment Bank (EIB), International Solar Alliance and the African Union, with the support of the Government of Mauritania, HyDeal and UCLG Africa. Green hydrogen is economically viable at €2/kg... Read more →

bp signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Egypt under which bp will explore the potential for establishing a new green hydrogen production facility in the country. The MoU was signed by bp, Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), the... Read more →

Equatorial Guinea’s Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons and the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC’s) Ministry of Hydrocarbons signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2022 Conference & Exhibition to develop existing synergies across their respective upstream, downstream, energy infrastructure and logistics sectors. The... Read more →

UTM Offshore signed an agreement for the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) for Nigeria’s first Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility with engineering firms KBR, JGC Corporation and Technip Energies. The FLNG facility will have a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) nameplate production capacity of 1.2 million metric ton per annum and... Read more →