Upcoming Mega Projects Africa

EGYPT

Project: Electric Train Connection Project 
Value: USD 2,500,000,000
Client: Ministry of Transportation (MOT)
Website: www.mot.gov.eg

Egypt’s Minister of Transportation announced the timeline for the completion of the project. All civil works are expected to be completed by the end of December 2020 and all electromechanical works are expected to be completed by the end of July 2021. Trial runs are expected to start in August 2021, and the system is expected to be fully operational by October 2021.

The proposed Salam Electric Train Project will span 90km, serve 16 stations, and connect the New Administrative Capital to al-Salam City. The Minister of Transportation has also announced plans to extend the electric train (southward) to Sports City. The extension will span 14km and serve three stations. Plans have also been announced to extend the train (northward) to El Tenth. The extension will span 5.3km and serve two stations. The project will be partly funded by a $67m loan from the Exim Bank of China.

ANGOLA

Project: Sonangol Refinery at Cabinda
Value: USD 920,000,000
Client: Sonangol E.P.
Website: www.sonangol.co.ao

Angolan state oil firm Sonangol and investment group Gemcorp have made a final investment decision for the construction of the Cabinda oil refinery in Angola. Planned to be developed in three phases, the refinery is estimated to be built with a total investment of $920m.

The project will create approximately 2000 direct and indirect jobs for the community, sustaining and supporting local and national economies. These opportunities cover the areas of construction, engineering, logistics, security and administration.

ZAMBIA

Project: Kalulushi Smart City Project
Value: USD 550,000,000
Client: Kalulushi Municipal Council

The Kalulushi Smart City Project in Zambia, developed by the Kalulushi Municipal Council in collaboration with Smart City, is moving closer to the construction phase. Recently bids were invited from qualified and credible contractors to undertake the construction works for the project. The project will be carried out in two phases on the 67 ha piece of land no 3380 which is situated at the corner of Luapula road and President Avenue. The Phase-I is expected to commence as soon as the contracts have been awarded. This phase will run for a period of approximately 36 months and it will involve the construction of a shopping mall, hospital, hotel, office block, golf course, filling station, adventure city, and about 200 residential houses among other works.

MORROCCO

Project: Khemisset Potash Project
Value: USD 400,000,000
Client: Emmerson
Website: www.emmersonplc.com

Emmerson Plc plans to launch the construction of a potash plant worth $400m in Khemisset, Morocco by the end of 2021. Golder Associates completed a feasibility study on the project, which confirmed its potential as a world-class mine.

The project will be located in Khemisset, approximately 95km from Rabat, and will create 760 direct jobs. The feasibility study showed that the project could be a “very rare asset” in the industry as a low-capital cost and high-margin potash mine.

TANZANIA

Project: Malagarasi Hydropower Project
Value: USD 149,500,000
Client: Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO)
Website: www.tanesco.co.tz

The Malagarasi Hydropower project consists of several components. It features a run-of-river hydropower plant facility plus a 54km 132kV transmission line that will connect the plant to Tanzania’s national grid. It also includes a distribution network expansion operation that includes rural electrification and last-mile connections. Project management, contract administration support, compensation and resettlement of affected persons are also included in the project. The bulk ($120m) of the project’s overall $144.14m is sourced from the AfDB’s sovereign window with an additional $20m coming from the Africa Growing Together Fund. This is a co-financing fund with resources from the government of the People’s Republic of China. The government of Tanzania will provide the remaining $4.14m.

The hydropower plant’s expected average annual output of 181GWh will meet the electricity needs of up to 133,649 Kigoma households, bringing the region’s electrification rate more in line with the rest of the country. The Malagarasi project is expected to create around 700 jobs during construction. It should cut the region’s electricity generation costs to approximately $0.04/kWh from the current $.033kWh and reduce reliance on greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels.

MALI

Project: Solar Plant in Touna
Value: USD 131,000,000
Client: Phanes Energy Mali-Sa
Website: www.phanesgroup.com

The government of Mali has given the go-ahead to Phanes Energy Mali-SA, a subsidiary of the Phanes Group, an international solar energy developer, investment manager, and asset manager, headquartered in Dubai, UAE to construct a 93MWp photovoltaic solar power plant in Touna, a commune in the Cercle of Bla of the Ségou Region in southern-central Mali.

The project is also expected to significantly increase energy production in the country while lowering the average cost of electricity which is in line with the government’s main energy objectives. The West African country has recently embarked on a series of solar projects such as the recently commissioned 50MW solar plant in Kita, which is Mali’s first IPP solar project towards the realization of this goal.

SOUTH AFRICA

Project: Evander Mines Solar Photovoltaic Plant
Value: USD  9,700,000
Client: Pan African Resources
Website: www.panafricanresources.com

Construction of 9.975MWac solar photovoltaic plant at Evander Mines. Construction will commence in the first quarter of 2021, with first power expected in the third calendar quarter of 2021. The Evander Mines solar photovoltaic plant will utilise bi-facial module technology to maximise its yield and it will be constructed on previously disturbed land owned by Evander Mines.

The Evander Mines solar photovoltaic plant will provide an estimated 30% of Elikhulu’s power requirement during daylight hours and is expected to materially reduce electricity costs at this operation. Furthermore, the Evander solar photovoltaic plant is expected to enhance the reliability of the power supply during daylight hours and result in an expected CO2 saving of more than 26,000 tons in its first year of its operation.