Energy

On-site power for Angolan cold storage facility

The new on-site power facilities in Angola (Image source: Margen S.p.A.)

Italy’s Margen S.p.A. has completed a project in Angola to supply a total of more than 4.5 MVA of on-site power to underpin food security in the country

The project involved the shipment of two high-capacity power plants, each of 2,270 kVA, designed and tested in-house to meet a critical need: ensuring uninterrupted energy backup for the African country’s large cold storage facilities.

Powered by heavy-duty Perkins motors, the two high-capacity units are designed to ensure immediate response and continuous cooling, protecting temperature-sensitive products from any network instability.

“Reliability is essential when food safety is at stake,” a company statement noted.

“In contexts where the stability of the cold chain is directly related to the security of supply, the choice of heavy-duty Perkins engines is strategic, configured to ensure immediate response times and total operational resilience even in the presence of an unstable national electricity grid,” Margen S.p.A. reported in a recent social media post.

“This order is not only a logistical milestone, but also reaffirms the company's technological ability to customise MPS power plant solutions for complex global infrastructures, where the protection of temperature-sensitive goods leaves no margin for error,” it added.

“By exporting innovation from its headquarters to emerging markets, Margen confirms itself as a strategic partner for major international development projects, enhancing the technical rigour and reliability of ‘Made in Italy’ at every latitude.”

Anzana Electric nets US$20mn for small hydropower

SA wastewater-to-green-methanol plant

Eskom advances flagship gas-to-power project

Electrical-transmission-tower-blue-sky-sun

Eskom keen on gas power (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Eskom and Zululand Energy Terminal (ZET) have signed an agreement to work together in support of South Africa’s gas-to-power programme

Eskom will assume ‘foundation customer’ status at the proposed Zululand Energy Terminal that will provide open access to liquefied natural gas (LNG) import, storage and regasification infrastructure.

This will underpin the utility’s planned 3,000 MW gas-to-power scheme.

Eskom’s Richards Bay 3,000MW gas-to-power project is to be constructed and operated in the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ), in KwaZulu-Natal.

Its group chief executive, Dan Marokane, said gas will be used as a “bridge fuel” to support the transition to a low-carbon energy system.

“These gas plants are designed to complement intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind, ensuring reliable 24/7 power, while clean energy technologies are being developed and introduced onto the grid,” he said.

“The availability of dispatchable power is at the very heart of the energy transition and industry cannot operate without it as it forms the backbone for renewable energy integration into the grid.”

Both Eskom and ZET reaffirmed their commitment to progressing the necessary regulatory approvals, long-term commercial contracting approach and structuring, and infrastructure development required to bring the project to fruition.

ZET, a joint venture between Vopak Terminal Durban, owned by Royal Vopak, with South Africa’s Reatile Group Proprietary Limited and Transnet Pipelines, was awarded a concession by Transnet National Ports Authority to develop, construct, operate and maintain the LNG terminal.

The Eskom Richards Bay project envisages the import and consumption of regasified LNG as the primary fuel source of the power plant.

ZET director, Oliver Naidu, said the deal with Eskom marked a significant milestone for the project and for South Africa’s energy future.

“As one of our anchor customers, Eskom’s participation demonstrates growing confidence in LNG as an enabler of energy security, grid stability and industrial growth,” he said.

“This agreement strengthens the commercial foundation of the terminal, and we look forward to building a long-term partnership as we progress towards a Terminal Use Agreement, financial close and the delivery of South Africa’s first LNG import terminal.”

SA wastewater-to-green-methanol plant

GE Vernova unveils power transmission centre

Anzana Electric cash boost for small hydropower

Boosting small-scale hydropower in Africa (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Anzana Electric Group has secured US$20mn from British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution, to support the construction of run-of-river hydropower projects across Africa

The money will support Anzana to accelerate the development of small and medium-scale hydropower projects in East, Central and Southern Africa, with the first project expected to be in Zambia.

It expects to deliver 10MW of new distributed baseload generation capacity by 2030.

This is expected to generate more than 50GWh of clean electricity each year for national and regional power grids and high-demand centres.

“This facility is an important milestone for Anzana as we scale our platform across Africa and expand on our close partnership with BII,” said Brian Kelly, Anzana’s CEO.

“Through an end-to-end model spanning generation and distribution, including customer connections, we ensure consistent reliability and quality across the full power value chain. Our focus on strong governance, disciplined execution, and strategic corridor development allows us to deliver power where it is needed most while supporting national government objectives for sustained long-term economic growth.”

Run-of-river hydropower plays a niche role in expanding access to reliable, renewable electricity in Africa.

However, smaller projects under 10MW often struggle to secure long-term debt financing.

BII’s facility is designed to help address the challenge by reducing high upfront costs and long timelines usually associated with arranging project-specific financing.

“Africa faces a significant energy access gap, with nearly 600 million people without electricity,” said Chris Chijiutomi, BII’s managing director and head of Africa.

“We’re committed to working with partners like Anzana to support Mission 300 and provide electricity access to 300 million people in Africa by 2030. Through this financing, we’re helping countries transition to renewable power, strengthen electricity networks, and deliver clean, reliable energy to millions of households.”

The roll out of Anzana’s portfolio is also expected to create more than 500 jobs during construction and operations.

Read more:

SA wastewater-to-green-methanol plant

GE Vernova unveils power transmission centre

Eskom and EnergyVault launch gravity-storage partnership

Funding boost for SA green methanol plant

green-methanol-glass-storage-tanks-nature-background

Pioneering South Africa’s green methanol segment

South Africa’s green industrial transition has taken a step forward with the development of a first-of-its-kind green methanol facility in Gauteng that will convert municipal sewage sludge into low-carbon fuel

Green eFuels Producers (GeFP) has signed a development agreement for the project, to be located near the Sebokeng Wastewater Treatment Works in the Vaal region.

Climate Investor Three, through its affiliate SA-H2 Fund, this week committed up to US$4mn to back the pioneering waste-to-fuel venture.

“This investment is a major milestone for our project and a strong endorsement of our vision to produce green methanol using innovative, circular solutions,” said Chris Heinermann, co-founder of GeFP.

“This project will contribute to decarbonising hard-to-abate industries while addressing local wastewater challenges, creating jobs, strengthening local value chains and generating long-term value for the Vaal region.”

The facility is expected to process around 90,000 tonnes of sewage sludge annually, transforming waste material into approximately 14,300 tonnes of green methanol each year.

The project combines waste management, renewable energy and hydrogen technology in a circular industrial model aimed at reducing emissions while addressing mounting wastewater disposal challenges facing South African municipalities.

Renewable energy from a planned 50 MW solar installation, together with additional wind power sourced through South Africa’s wheeling framework, will power a 10 MW electrolyser to produce green hydrogen for methanol production.

Green methanol is gaining traction globally as industries seek alternatives to fossil-based fuels, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping, aviation and heavy manufacturing.

Unlike conventional methanol, which is produced using fossil fuels, green methanol uses renewable energy and sustainable carbon sources.

Project developers estimate the facility could avoid nearly 119,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions annually once operational.

The development is also expected to deliver regional economic benefits: up to 300 construction jobs are anticipated during the build phase, with around 60 permanent operational roles planned once commercial production begins, currently targeted for 2029.

In addition, the plant is expected to return between 50,000 and 60,000 cubic metres of industrial-grade water annually to the local utility system, supporting water resilience in the Vaal region.

Mphokolo Makara, CEO of SA-H2 Fund Managers, said the scheme demonstrates the effects of energy transition for industrial operations in the real economy, turning everyday waste into a low-carbon fuel.

“By transforming sewage into a productive resource, it addresses a key waste management challenge while supporting local jobs and strengthening South Africa’s industrial base through a just transition,” said Makara.

“It demonstrates how circular economy solutions can play a practical role in decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors."

The project marks Climate Investor Three/ SA-H2’s second development funding in South Africa, following its investment in Hive Hydrogen’s Coega green ammonia plant in the Eastern Cape Province in 2025.

Eskom and Energy Vault launch gravity storage partnership

MCA unveils Angola's Luau solar park

Africa’s AI ambitions face critical infrastructure questions

Steven-Santini-talking-on-stage-IDC-CIO-Summit-2026

Schneider Electric’s Steven Santini at the IDC CIO Summit 2026 in Johannesburg

As artificial intelligence (AI) investment accelerates globally, Africa is increasingly being viewed as the industry’s next major growth frontier, but according to Steven Santini, vice president for Secure Power, Sub-Saharan Africa at Schneider Electric, the continent’s AI ambitions will ultimately depend on its ability to solve one critical challenge: infrastructure readiness

Speaking at this year’s IDC CIO Summit 2026, a premier gathering for technology decision makers, held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, Santini said global AI players are already looking toward Africa as a strategic investment destination.

“The question becomes: is Africa ready? Global AI players increasingly view Africa as the next frontier, the new gold rush, in many respects. We have the land, the resources, and the growth potential. As many have already seen, data centres are being developed across Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and other regions where investment is welcomed.”

However, while momentum around AI infrastructure is rapidly building, Santini cautioned that the continent faces significant barriers that could slow adoption if not addressed strategically.

“Power remains the number one challenge for AI, particularly AI data centres. To put this into perspective, some of the projects we are involved with in the Middle East have power requirements comparable to entire cities.”

Focus on smaller infrastructure too

He added that Africa’s infrastructure conversation cannot focus solely on hyperscale facilities. Instead, organisations should rethink how AI is deployed and where it delivers the greatest operational value.

“When people hear ‘AI’, they often picture massive hyperscale data centres. But AI exists in many different forms. Your laptop can run AI workloads. A small ten-node server cluster deployed at an industrial site can support AI applications. AI does not always require enormous, high-density centralised environments.”

Santini believes this shift is particularly relevant for Africa, where industries such as mining, agriculture, financial services, and government are increasingly adopting AI to improve operational efficiencies, automation, predictive maintenance, and decision-making closer to the edge.

“We are seeing many African organisations deploying smaller AI environments through prefabricated systems, containerised data centres, or even single racks within existing facilities. This allows them to leverage existing cooling and power infrastructure while simplifying deployment.”

He adds that connectivity remains just as important as power in enabling AI success across the continent.

“A data centre without reliable network infrastructure is effectively just an expensive paperweight. If data cannot move efficiently in and out, the infrastructure cannot deliver value.”

All parties at the table

Beyond physical infrastructure, Santini highlighted the growing importance of software intelligence in helping organisations maximise energy efficiency and optimise cooling performance in increasingly power-constrained environments.

“We live in a world where power is constrained and nowhere is that reality felt more strongly than in Africa. Because of this, we need both the right physical infrastructure and the right software intelligence to maximise efficiency and performance.”

Ultimately, Santini believes Africa’s AI success will depend on aligning infrastructure investments with clearly defined business outcomes rather than pursuing AI for its own sake.

“AI in Africa is not a future concept is already happening. But success will depend on defining the right operational outcomes first, and then aligning the appropriate technologies, power, cooling, computing, storage, and networking around those goals.”

“As Schneider Electric, we position ourselves as the energy technology partner helping organisations achieve those outcomes efficiently and sustainably,” he concluded.

Africa's cement industry the push for energy security

Ivanhoe Mines gives DRC power projects update