Oil firm Apache blames windfall tax for North Sea pull-out
Oil firm blames windfall tax for North Sea pull-outApache Apache said changes to windfall tax make production in the North Sea "uneconomic"A US oil firm has said it will end all its operations in the North Sea by the end of 2029, blaming the impact of the windfall tax. Apache said recent confirmation in the Budget that the windfall tax on oil and gas firm profits would rise and be extended to 2030 had made production uneconomic. The Texas-based firm took control of the Forties field, east of Fraserburgh, in 2003 but suspended all new drilling activity last year. The Energy Profits Levy (EPL) - the official name for the windfall tax - is a levy on profits made from extracting UK oil and gas. It was introduced in May 2022 after energy firms recorded bumper profits due to the rise in energy prices.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 10:38 UTC
As Trump reality sinks in, Biden fizzles out of African eyes
When he came to power in 2020, Biden promised to elevate the continent, reviving the US-Africa Summit, which had almost died in Covid-19. Except that Biden, like Trump, never visited Africa on their terms. Biden has, of course, promised to visit Angola next month, after initially postponing a trip planned for October. Analysts say that even if President Biden visits Angola, he won't make any long-term deals. President Biden once considered Angola to be the most important country in Africa for the US.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 10:31 UTC
_(1).jpg?disable=upscale&width=1200&height=630&fit=crop)
Africa-1 subsea cable lands in Egypt
Telecom Egypt and Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) have landed the Africa-1 subsea cable system at the Ras Ghareb cable landing station in Egypt. According to Telecom Egypt, this was the first of two planned landings in Egypt - the second Egypt landing will be on its Mediterranean coast. Telecom Egypt said the Africa-1 subsea cable system is scheduled to be ready for service sometime in 2025. Subsea cable landingsTelecom Egypt and ASN's successful landing follows the telco's announcement that it had signed a cooperation agreement to land the first Saudi submarine cable connecting the Kingdom to Egypt with Mobily. That landing followed the telco's completion of two cable landing stations in Egypt for the India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) subsea cable system with SubCom in June 2024.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 10:28 UTC
Women in energy: A catalyst for sustainable progress
The inclusion of women in the energy sector is not a matter of equity but a catalyst for change that will benefit communities. It was reported that organisations are accelerating gender equality in the energy sector through a variety of programmes. Empowering women in energy across AfricaSheri Adoghe, SLB’s Production Systems Division Manager for West Africa, said the initiative had helped more than 930 women in 94 countries since its inception. The panel took place at Africa Energy Week. After an insightful Women in Green Economy Breakfast at Africa’s Green Economy Summit 2024, Sharon Myburgh-de Gois, Project Manager for circular economy and energy efficiency, spoke to us about how important it is to include and collaborate with women in the development of Africa’s green economy.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 10:03 UTC
Morocco’s Chari partners Orange to digitise neighbourhood retailers
Moroccan retail-tech startup Chari has partnered telecoms firm Orange Maroc to accelerate the digital transformation of Moroccan neighbourhood retailers. Through the partnership, Orange Maroc and Chari will offer Moroccan neighbourhood retailers tailored digital solutions. “The vast majority of Moroccan grocery stores already distribute services from the telecom operator Orange. This partnership with Orange will allow Chari to digitise the distribution process of these services by adding them to its eCommerce app. This will contribute to better training grocers in using digital tools and promoting their digital inclusion,” said Ismael Belkhayat, CEO and co-founder of Chari.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 09:31 UTC
Tunisia: Wastewater Treatment Plant in Skhira, Sfax
The National Sanitation Utility of Tunisia, ONAS, has published a tender for a wastewater treatment plant for Skhira in the governorate of Sfax. Skhira is a coastal town in Sfax Governate in central-eastern Tunisia. The demanded works under the present public procurement consist of:Construction of wastewater treatment plant “Turnkey” according to the process of activated sludge at low load with tertiary treatment with the capacity of 2,770m3 per day and 1150kg DBO5/d as well as the treated wastewater transfer system. The supply, transport, assembly and testing services of mechanical, electromechanical and electrical equipment must be trusted to a specialised company. All documents submitted must be in FrenchThe technical offer and the financial offer are placed in two separate closed and sealed envelopes and in two copies (original and copy).
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 09:18 UTC
Middle East businesses lack clear climate guidelines, WEF report warns
Despite 70% of carbon emissions in the Middle East and North Africa now being included in net-zero pledges, many businesses still lack clear guidelines to successfully meet climate goals, a new report has warned. It added that MENA businesses often encounter significant challenges due to the lack of clear guidelines and best practice on reporting that are tailored to the region’s unique context. “The proactive adoption of sustainability practices, supported by clear regulatory frameworks and incentives, is essential for the region to navigate this complex landscape successfully," he added. The report suggested ways to help MENA companies align their practices with global sustainability standards, address specific regional challenges and strengthen resilience. These commitments will help OCP achieve carbon neutrality in operations and energy sources (scope 1 and scope 2) by 2030.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 08:53 UTC
Meet the Investor: Temi Marcella
The parallels between the Silicon Valley tech ecosystem and the emerging African tech landscape were evident, but so were the gaps. Building on this momentum, Marcella partnered with MAGIC Fund, founded on the principle of “founders backing founders”, and the belief that innovation knows no borders. Engaging with founders at the earliest stages across various markets, Marcella has observed striking similarities between emerging innovation ecosystems, particularly between Latin America and Africa. Capital constraints have only gotten greater recently, given the way the current global capital shortage has disproportionately affected African founders. “These challenges have made it increasingly difficult for promising African companies to secure the necessary funding to scale,” she said.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 08:34 UTC
Accelerating the adoption of C&I solar and storage solutions
Matthew le Cordeur will be a speaker at C&I Solar + Storage Summit in Johannesburg on a session called Exploring Strategies to Accelerate the Adoption of C&I Solar and Storage Solutions in South Africa. The Just Energy Transition Research Manager at Krutham says the boom in private sector generation investments are really taking over the public procurement process in south Africa. “But after loadshedding ended seven months ago we saw a sudden decline in private sector projects in the beginning of this year and this has suddenly changed in the third quarter of 2024 with 2 GW of new private generation being added including a 475MW solar PV project in the Free State. “There seems to be a realisation that with Eskom’s proposed 36% tariff increase the cost of utility scale electricity will continue rising,” said le Cordeur. Attend the C&I Solar + Storage Summit at the Maslow Hotel in Johannesburg from 19 to 20 November to find out how the rollout of solar and storage technologies and solutions into the C&I sector are shaping up around Africa.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 08:23 UTC
Eight-year-old completes ’emotional’ climb up highest peak in north Africa
An eight-year-old mountaineer from Cumbria said he felt “so proud” after completing an “emotional” expedition up the highest peak in north Africa with his mother. Frankie and Basia McMillan (Basia McMillan/PA)However, Frankie became ill just before they were to climb Toubkal and was forced to return to the nearby village, where he rested and recuperated. Ms McMillan explained: “After dinner, we packed our bags to go up Toubkal the next day in the morning, and Frankie was sick. Ms McMillan said: “Frankie was very emotional actually. On what they learned from the experience, Ms McMillan said: “Just be patient and persevere, because the time will come.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 08:08 UTC
AFD Sees Others Adding to €400 Million South Africa Climate Loan
The head of France’s state development bank expects other development finance institutions to add to a €400 million ($432 million) climate loan for South Africa that partners will likely sign within days. “The idea is not do it in a pure France, South Africa partnership,” Remy Rioux, the chief executive officer of AFD, said in an interview in Johannesburg on Thursday. The success of the South African partnership — the first of its kind — is key as funders pursue similar deals with Indonesia, Vietnam and Senegal. To date, aside from grants, the only money that South Africa has received through the pact is the earlier loan from the AFD and €800 million from Germany. The AFD’s board has approved the loan and the lender has to iron out some final details with South Africa before signing, Rioux said.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 08:03 UTC
Al Khulaifi, UK Minister for Middle East and North Africa discuss bilateral ties
QNALondon: Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi met Minister for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office H E Hamish Faulkner in London, yesterday. The meeting dealt with discussing the strong bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the United Kingdom, and the means to enhance them, the latest developments in Gaza and Lebanon, ways to de-escalate, in addition to a number of issues of joint interest.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 07:13 UTC
Startups invited to pitch, network at this month’s Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town
The African Tech Festival takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, on November 12-14, offering startups a host of chances to pitch their business, connect with funders, and meet potential customers. Africa Tech Festival, including anchor events AfricaCom, AfricaTech, AfricaIgnite, and AI Summit Cape Town, is the largest tech and digital connectivity conference and exhibition in Africa, attracting hundreds of exhibitors, more than 450 speakers and more than 15,000 delegates. “Africa Tech Festival is all about providing a platform for stakeholders from across all spheres of Africa’s technology arena to connect, collaborate, and drive innovation. It is wonderful to see how AfricaIgnite has grown since first being included in the Africa Tech Festival line-up. Delegates can look forward to a stellar range of speakers, and sponsorship by established brands like Collective 54 and SAP for Scaleups,” said James Williams, event director of Africa Tech Festival.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 07:01 UTC
Upcoming exhibition to explore Arthur Erickson’s travels
Upcoming exhibition to explore Arthur Erickson’s travels The CCA exhibition will examine architect Arthur Erickson’s exchanges with people, places, landscapes, buildings, rituals, and ideas during his travels in Europe, North Africa, and Asia. The opening of the exhibition Being There: Photography in Arthur Erickson’s Early Travel Diaries will be taking place at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal on Thursday, November 14, 2024. Curated by David Covo, the exhibition examines architect Arthur Erickson’s exchanges with people, places, landscapes, buildings, rituals, and ideas during his early travels in Europe and North Africa between 1950 and 1952, and in Asia in 1961. The exhibition, presented as a geographical and thematic reading, is structured around two collections: Erickson’s letters and photographs. This new chapter aims to explore how travel photography acts as a mode of note-taking and thinking in design practice.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 07:00 UTC
At CoP29, Global South and North should shed adversarial position on climate finance
Securing better climate finances for the Global South has emerged as the pre-eminent goal for CoP29. However, the Global South and the Global North should not come to the table as adversaries. The monetary system encourages profitability, so the first way forward could be for the Global South countries to facilitate higher returns. Second, using climate finance not as loans or grants but as a backstop for the public and large private lenders may be explored. A little more generosity from the Global South may, ironically, transform COP29 into a resounding success.
Source:The North Africa Journal
November 08, 2024 03:31 UTC