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Power Watch — Veille Énergie

Weekly curated power-sector intelligence for off-grid and hydropower markets — summaries by TC × HIER editors, with links to original sources.

Summaries are written by TC × HIER editors from publicly reported information. All rights to original articles belong to their publishers. Content removal requests: sales@tch-hydro.com

This week — the short version

Africa's power conversation this month is about resilience. Madagascar state-directs fuel to keep JIRAMA diesel plants running; the DRC restores 178 MW by refurbishing Inga II Unit 5; Kariba's allocation rises as a $294 M dam rehabilitation closes out; Côte d'Ivoire locks in $300 M for grid modernisation. Rehabilitation and hybridisation are where the fastest bankable megawatts are found.

This week's briefing

Madagascar

Madagascar takes direct control of fuel imports to keep JIRAMA plants running

Madagascar received its first state-negotiated diesel cargo in August 2026 — 67 million litres reserved for utility JIRAMA, covering roughly six months of fuel. Law 021/2026 moved fuel importing from a private distributors' pool to the State Procurement Office, after months of shortages and an energy state of emergency reactivated on 17 July.

Source: Ecofin Agency →

Why it matters

Every imported litre is a cost and currency risk for the Malagasy grid, especially in the dry season when hydropower output drops and diesel plants carry the load. Sites that shift baseload to run-of-river hydro — with locally serviceable turbines and solar hybridisation — cut that exposure structurally. TC × HIER builds, rehabilitates and services such plants, with O&M based in Madagascar.

DR Congo

Ivanhoe and SNEL bring Inga II Unit 5 back to life — 178 MW restored

Ivanhoe Mines and utility SNEL have completed the refurbishment and commissioning of turbine Unit 5 at the Inga II hydropower plant, restoring 178 MW of generating capacity. A first 50 MW tranche now supplies the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex, with hydro supply to the mine set to increase further as grid reinforcements advance.

Source: Ivanhoe Mines →

Why it matters

Brownfield turbine rehabilitation is the fastest and cheapest capacity available in the DRC — and it is precisely what TC × HIER does: runners, governors, excitation and control systems repaired or rebuilt to original drawings, frequently without taking the plant offline for long.

Zambia

Kariba allocation raised to 36 billion m³ as $294 M dam rehabilitation wraps up

The Zambezi River Authority has raised Kariba's 2026 water allocation for power generation to 36 billion cubic metres — the strongest storage position since 2019. The $294 million dam safety rehabilitation, financed by the World Bank, AfDB and the EU, is expected to close out this month, extending the dam's working life by at least 50 years.

Source: Zambezi River Authority (via Energy News Network) →

Why it matters

Water variability is now a planning constant, not an anomaly. Hybrid solar-hydro operation and dam safety programmes sustain steady demand for turbine upgrades, governors and SCADA — the core of TC × HIER's retrofit line, proven from Laos to Enshi on units up to 15 MW.

Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire ratifies $300 M US grant to modernise grid and deepen WAPP trade

On 5 August 2026, Côte d'Ivoire ratified a CFA 171 billion (US$300 million) grant agreement with the US Millennium Challenge Corporation to support the second phase of the West African Power Pool and modernise the national grid for cross-border trading. Installed capacity reached 3,019 MW in 2024, and the national energy pact under Mission 300 is entering its 2026-2030 investment round.

Source: Millennium Challenge Corporation →

Why it matters

Grid modernisation programmes pull through equipment demand — switchgear, transformers, protection relays and SCADA — plus services for regional interconnection. TC × HIER manufactures all of these in-house and exports to 14+ countries.

Egypt · Sudan (rotating)

Egypt and Sudan plan second interconnection phase and plant rehabilitation push

On 10 September 2026, Egypt's Electricity and Renewable Energy Minister met Sudan's Oil and Energy Minister to discuss the second phase of the Egypt-Sudan electricity interconnection, training programmes and the rebuilding of damaged networks. Sudan's stated needs include rehabilitation of hydropower and thermal plants, transformers and mobile support units.

Source: Egyptian State Information Service →

Why it matters

Post-crisis rebuilding is a brownfield market: refurbishing existing hydro-thermal fleets and supplying transformers and mobile units delivers power faster than new build — a natural fit for TC × HIER's retrofit packages and equipment range.

Tenders & Awards Watch

Public procurement notices from official sources, curated weekly.

RefCountryInstitution SubjectDeadlineTypeOfficial link
OP00461616Nigeria Fed. Ministry of Water Resources & Sanitation (World Bank IDA — SPIN) Consulting firm for Hydropower PPP process & guidelines review 18 Sep 2026 Open tender Open tender
MCC-CICôte d'Ivoire Millennium Challenge Corporation / Govt of Côte d'Ivoire US$300 M grant ratified — WAPP phase 2 & national grid modernisation Ratified 05 Aug 2026 Financing approved Official link

Archive

  • Issue #1 — 13 September 2026 (this page)

Power Watch — FAQ

What is Power Watch?

A weekly curated briefing: our editors summarise publicly reported power-sector developments across Africa and selected rotating markets, always linking the original source, and add a short note on what each item means for project owners, utilities and EPC contractors.

Do you republish news articles?

No. We do not republish articles, images or RSS feeds. Summaries are original text written by TC × HIER editors from publicly reported information; all rights to original articles remain with their publishers. Content removal requests: sales@tch-hydro.com.

Can you alert us to tenders in our country?

Yes. Send your country and technology scope through the inquiry form. We track official procurement portals weekly and can discuss equipment scope, delivery timelines and financing context for your project.

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