Rail, gas and carbon credits: Africa's major corridors take shape

Rail: regional corridors secure their financing

In Tanzania, the African Development Bank closed a 1.2 billion dollar commercial financing on 4 November for Lot 6 of the Standard Gauge Railway: 411 km of electrified line between Tabora and Kigoma, on Lake Tanganyika. The Bank structured an 800 million dollar partial credit guarantee, the largest in its history, to bring in a nine-bank syndicate co-arranged by Deutsche Bank and Société Générale.

In Zambia, President Hakainde Hichilema received the leadership of Africa Finance Corporation to review the Zambia–Lobito Railway: 830 km of track linking the Copperbelt to the Lobito corridor and the Atlantic, with financial close targeted for 2027.

In Gabon, REMINAC and SETRAG have signed a memorandum of understanding opening negotiations on rail transport of iron ore from Baniaka to the port of Owendo. Conversely, a World Bank report estimates that weaknesses in procurement and land acquisition added around 900 million dollars to the cost of Kenya's Mombasa-Naivasha railway, compared with a benchmark based on the Tanzanian line.

SourcesDevdiscourseAfrica.com (APO)GabonreviewBusiness Daily

Oil and gas: pipelines attract new partners

Algeria is considering bringing Russian companies into the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP), which is to link Nigeria to Europe via Niger and whose construction has begun on the Algerian segment. The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, estimated at 25 to 26 billion dollars, is drawing international investors such as ADNOC, with a final investment decision expected in 2027.

In Namibia, QatarEnergy is to acquire 25% of offshore licence PEL82 from Chevron. In the Gulf of Guinea, strategic interest is returning and translating into new offshore investment, notably Shell on Bonga North and ExxonMobil on Usan, in Nigeria.

SourcesTSA AlgérieMédias24Tank News International

Mining: governments take back control

Mining countries are tightening their grip on the sector. Senegal is auditing 848 mining sites and cancelling inactive permits. In Guinea, 1,263 people have been arrested for illegal gold mining and 22 local administrators have been struck off in Siguiri. Burkina Faso is creating Faso SANU, a state company tasked with reorganising artisanal gold mining, and the DRC has announced 33 new artisanal mining zones in Lualaba.

Chinese investment in local processing is growing: 19 projects worth 16.3 billion dollars, including a manganese processing plant in Gabon (116.7 billion CFA francs) and a bauxite project in Ghana (1.5 billion dollars, with RUSAL).

SourcesGuinéenewsLa Nouvelle TribuneSouth China Morning PostGabon Media Time

Energy: needs counted in billions

Alcazar Energy has secured 436 million dollars for two wind farms in Egypt with a combined capacity of 500 MW. Uganda has presented a 17.7 billion dollar national energy compact to raise electricity access to 85% of the population by 2030, while the DRC is seeking 12 billion dollars for its energy projects.

In Tunisia, STEG is preparing 300 MW of battery storage across ten sites to prevent load shedding. In Madagascar, the state has requisitioned the Enelec power plant to secure supply to Toamasina. Congo is launching a study on power supply for its special economic zones.

SourcesConstruction ReviewDevdiscourseLa Presse de TunisieL’Express de Madagascar

Ports and roads: projects move forward

AFD is lending 100 million euros to Morocco's National Ports Agency to modernise 11 ports, from Nador to Dakhla, including those in the Southern Provinces. In Cameroon, 174.6 billion CFA francs are being mobilised to rebuild 47 km of road between Edéa and Douala, with support from AFD and the EIB.

Tunisia plans 4.4 billion dinars for roads and ten bridges in 2027. The DRC and Zambia are assembling the cable-stayed bridge over the Luapula. Finally, Dangote is starting construction of a 2.5 billion dollar fuel depot and pipeline at Walvis Bay, Namibia.

SourcesTelQuelKoaciNairametrics

Carbon, forests and critical minerals

Gabon has completed the world's first sale of sovereign forest carbon credits: around 6 million tonnes sold to Germany's SEFE, eligible under the CORSIA scheme for international aviation. A landmark deal for African carbon markets.

Legal regimes for voluntary credits are diversifying in West and Central Africa: Togo and Côte d'Ivoire treat them as movable property, while Gabon reserves their ownership to the state. Meanwhile, the African critical minerals strategy aims to attract 70 billion dollars in foreign direct investment and create 101 processing facilities.

SourcesGabonreviewGabon Media TimeCarbon Pulse