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Sempra Energy has entered into an agreement with State Grid International Development (SGID) – a fully-owned subsidiary of the Chinese power transmission company State Grid Corporation of China – to sell its equity interests in its Chilean activities. The sale will include Sempra’s 100% stake in Chilquinta Energía for US$2.23bn in cash, its 100% interest in Tecnored and its 50% stake in Eletrans. In addition, Chilquinta Energía has signed an agreement to acquire the 50% held by Sociedad Austral de Electricidad in Eletrans, which will enable Sempra Energy to transfer 100% of Eletrans to SGID. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

Chilquinta Energía is the third-largest distributor of electricity in Chile, providing electricity to approximately 2 million consumers in the regions of Valparaíso and Maule in central Chile. In addition, Chilquinta Energía also develops and operates power transmission lines in Chile. Tecnored provides electric construction and infrastructure services to Chilquinta Energía and third parties, while Eletrans owns, builds, operates and maintains power transmission facilities. SGID currently has investments in the Philippines, Brazil, Portugal, Australia, Hong Kong, Italy and Greece and the transaction will enable the group to enter the Chilean market.

Earlier in October, Sempra agreed to sell its equity interests in its Peruvian businesses, including its 83.6% stake in the power distribution company Luz del Sur, to China Yangtze Power Co. (CYPC), a subsidiary of China Three Gorges Power Corporation (CTGPC) for US$3.6bn in cash. The sale is also expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2020.

The four main German power transmission system operators (TSOs), namely 50Hertz, Amprion, TenneT and TransnetBW, have published the update for the 2020 German renewable energy surcharge (EEG-Umlage, a levy on end-consumer power prices to support the expansion of renewable energies). The EEG surcharge will increase by 5.5% to €6.756c/kWh in 2020.

The Spanish energy group Naturgy and the Algerian national oil and gas company Sonatrach have signed an agreement to buy the 42.09% stake held by Abu Dhabi state-owned holding Mubadala (United Arab Emirates) through Cepsa in Medgaz, which operates the 8 bcm/year gas pipeline linking Beni Saf (Algeria) to Almeria (Spain).

Total, which signed last year an agreement with Adani, the largest private energy and infrastructure group in India, to cooperate in fuel retail and LNG activities, has decided to expand its strategic partnership with Adani, to further take part to the development of the Indian gas market. …

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a €138m (US$152m) funding to the Tunisian electricity and gas company (Société tunisienne d’électricité et gaz, STEG), to develop and upgrade its power transmission network. The €290m (US$319m) grid development programme will receive €108m (US$119m) from the AfDB and €30m (US$33m) from the Africa Growing Together Fund.

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has received a record low bid of US$1.6953c/kWh (US$16.95/MWh) for the fifth phase (900 MW) of its Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar PV project. This is the lowest bid ever submitted in a solar tender worldwide. The name of the bidder has not been disclosed.

Hong Kong-based Towngas intends to increase its natural gas storage capacities in mainland China by 1.1.5 bcm in 2026. To do so, the company plans to build 10 underground reservoirs with a combined capacity of 453 mcm in a first phase expected to be achieved by 2023. In a second phase, expected in 2026, 15 storage facilities with a total capacity of 701 mcm will be built.

Lekela Power, a developer of renewable power projects in Africa, has issued a Notice to Proceed to Siemens Gamesa, which has officially started the construciton of the 250 MW West Bakr Wind project near Ras Ghareb in Egypt. The project is being built under the Egyptian government’s Build, Own, Operate (BOO) framework.