Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria and Morocco are in talks over a huge project to extend a West African gas pipeline to stretch up towards Europe, officials say. Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said in a government video posted on Twitter on Friday that the pipeline would “go along …
Read More »Oil resumes price rise after OPEC cut
Singapore, Singapore | AFP | Oil prices resumed their rise Thursday and held above the $50 barrier following OPEC’s decision to carry out its first output cut in eight years. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries at a meeting in Vienna on Wednesday agreed on specific targets to enact …
Read More »UEGCL and UETCL take charge of Karuma, Isimba
Uganda’s generation and transmission firms UEGCL and UETCL have taken over administration of mega power projects Karuma and Isimba. “Glad to inform that this morning I received, on behalf of @UegclP , the Deeds of assignment for Karuma and Isimba,” tweeted Harrison Mutikanga, Uganda Electricity Generation Co.Ltd (UEGCL) CEO. The …
Read More »Obama declares parts of Arctic off-limits for oil drilling
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Barack Obama on Friday declared portions of the Arctic off-limits for oil exploration for the next five years, dealing a blow to Republican efforts to expand fossil fuel extraction. The decision means new oil and gas exploration leasing in the Chukchi Sea …
Read More »Russian economy minister sacked, held over ‘$2mn-bribe’ charges
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev was sacked Tuesday and put under house arrest on suspicion of pocketing a two-million-dollar bribe in a deal involving state-controlled oil giant Rosneft. Ulyukayev is the highest ranking official detained over suspected corruption since President Vladimir Putin took power in …
Read More »BUSINESS BRIEFS: NSSF increases stake in Umeme, MTN cuts rates
The National Social Security Fund has bought more shares in power distributor Umeme, increasing its stake from 14% to 23 %. NSSF boss Richard Byarugaba said Fund’s decision was in line with “our statutory mandate to invest NSSF members savings for high returns.” He said the Fund has reached an …
Read More »Chinese angry with Museveni
Threat to cut funding leads to fight among energy bosses Sparks are flying between President Yoweri Museveni and his Chinese lenders, Exim Bank, on one hand and between Ministry of Energy officials and of the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Ltd (UEGCL) on the other. Trouble is over the piling up …
Read More »Tesla expands its portfolio to produce solar roof tiles
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Electric carmaker Tesla has diversified into the alternative energy business, on Friday unveiling solar roofs for environmentally friendly homes. “Global warming is a serious crisis and we need to do something about that,” company founder Elon Musk said during a news conference at …
Read More »VIDEO: MPs’ probe of Isimba, Karuma mess halted
VIDEO: Attempts by the legislators to engage technocrats from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development on the situation that has seen substandard work executed at Karuma and Isimba power dams hit an abrupt end after the permanent secretary Kabagambe Kalisa declined to comment on the matters citing the subjudice rule. …
Read More »South Africa basks in continent’s first solar-powered airport
George, South Africa | AFP | At first glance there’s nothing out of the ordinary about the regional airport in George, a town of just 150,000 residents on South Africa’s south coast. In fact though, the small site is Africa’s first “green” airport to be powered by the sun. The …
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