Nigeria: Lagos High Court Blocks Powercom’s Acquisition Of KEDCO

Michael Creg Afful
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Nigeria: Lagos High Court Blocks Powercom’s Acquisition Of KEDCO

A High Court in Lagos in the Federal Republic of Nigeria has restrained Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Bureau of Public Enterprises and Sahelian Power SPV Limited, from naming Powercom or any other investor as a core shareholder in Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO).

The court presided over by Justice Nicholas Oweibi, also barred the respondents from conducting or recognising any other bidding process for selling Sahelian’s 60 per cent shares in the Kano Electricity Distribution Company.

Other respondents affected by the orders are Fidelity Bank, the receiver manager, Patrick Ikwueto SAN, Kano Electricity Distribution Company Plc. and Powercom Smart Grid Nigeria Limited.

The applicant, Future Energies Africa (FEA) Limited, which is a consortium of local and international investors, told the court that the process that produced Powercom Smart Grid Nigeria (PSGN) as the preferred company to take over the Kano Electricity Distribution Plc (KEDCO) was flawed.

The applicant had also claimed that NERC and Powercom failed to comply with the guidelines and requirements of the federal government, as laid down by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and NERC itself.

BPE is the agency in the custody of the government’s 40 per cent stake in the electricity distribution asset, leaving Fidelity Bank with the temporary ownership stake of the remaining 60 per cent.

Through a receiver manager, in collaboration with the BPE, Fidelity Bank initiated a bidding process to get a technically sound and financially competent buyer to acquire the bank’s stake in KEDCO.

A few days ago, Powercom had, via a statement, announced its acquisition of KEDCO.

Speaking to the press, Adam Ibrahim (an investor and consortium member of FEA), however, faulted the premise of Powercom’s acquisition announcement with the revelation that the company could not claim to have acquired KEDCO when Future Energies had already completed the execution of contracts and agreements through a share sale and purchase agreement to acquire the shares that both BPE and NERC are aware of.

Ibrahim stated that FEA had “no recourse than to seek legal action having filed a complaint to BPE and NERC that fell on deaf ears. FEA is further surprised that NERC, despite (a) its knowledge of a signed share sale and purchase agreement, (b) agreed on transaction terms as forwarded to it by BPE and Fidelity’s representative, and (c) a subsequent complaint by Future Energies regarding Fidelity Bank’s attempt to scuttle the completed process, still issued a ‘No Objection’ for PowerCom.”

Future Energies claimed that it had won the earlier bid after a rigorous review and screening process that lasted almost a year, alongside other bidders, and was given a ‘No Objection’ approval by the BPE after meeting the requirements for acquisition as laid down in guidelines set by BPE and NERC.

However, FEA revealed that for some undisclosed reasons, Fidelity Bank, which is the interim owner of the 60 per cent stake in the entity, decided to halt the process and approve another bidder after having already signed a valid and binding contract to sell the shares to Future Energies.

Ibrahim said, “My consortium—Future Energies Africa Limited (FEA)—was interested in the Kano Distribution Company, and we put in a bid through Fidelity (and its receiver manager) and BPE, which is the entity responsible for approving the guidelines and overseeing the bid process.

“The guidelines were communicated to us by BPE through Fidelity Bank. Shockingly, there is an attempt to destroy the investment and time we spent putting together a competent bid with no explanation.

“We went through the process, sent in an expression of interest alongside other bidders that were interested in the asset. After a long process and evaluation of us and other bidders, we emerged as the new core investor and got approval from Fidelity Bank through the receiver manager, to take over the asset. We also obtained a ‘No Objection’ from BPE.

“We negotiated the core contract that guides the sale of a company, which is the sale and purchase agreement (SPA). We negotiated the document, signed it and Fidelity Bank sent it over to BPE for the BPE to sign the shareholders’ agreement, which is the document that guides all the shareholders in an entity.

“In the process of negotiating the shareholders’ agreement, we understood that a call was placed by Fidelity Bank, telling BPE to halt the process of signing the shareholders’ agreement, even though we had signed the sale and purchase agreement to acquire the asset.

“They (Fidelity Bank) decided to secretly reopen the bid, and they hired PwC to begin a fresh bid process. They also secretly introduced other new companies in the process. We were told to just resubmit our documents, and we had no idea there was a new competitive process after we had already concluded our transaction. We assumed this submission of documents was just for internal purposes. Nonetheless, we reserved all of our rights under the binding contract.”

He added, “The second bidding process doesn’t conform with all of the government’s guidelines and requirements. The risk is that we may end up in the same situation whereby you are selling assets to entities that do not have the technical or financial capabilities to turn around the business.”

 

 

 

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

African Journalists Tour Russia’s Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant In St. Petersburg

Michael Creg Afful
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African Journalists Tour Russia’s Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant In St. Petersburg

Some selected journalists from Africa have visited Russia’s Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant in St. Petersburg to familiarise themselves with the operations of the facility.

The journalists were selected from Ghana, South Africa, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Nigeria.

The visit was facilitated by Rosatom, the state atomic energy corporation of Russia.

The reporters were first briefed by Mr. Kashin Nikolai, Head of the Information Department, and Mr Belyaev Alexander, Chief Engineer, and were later conducted around the facility.

Mr. Tszian Vladimir (Left) and Mr. Belyaev Alexander (Right) Chief Engineer at the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The guests visited the turbine room, control centre and cooling area.

Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant is one of ten nuclear power plants being operated by Russia’s state-owned utility Rosenergoatom, the world’s second-biggest nuclear power generating utility.

The plant is a major producer of electrical power in the Russian North-West and currently generates electricity for more than 50 per cent of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast population.

It is the first Russian nuclear power plant to use the RBMK-1000 reactors (uranium–graphite nuclear reactors of channel type on thermal neutrons). Its construction started in July 1967 and the first unit was launched in December 1973.

In 2006, Rosenergoatom decided to build a power plant that uses the third generation VVER-1200 reactors to replace the RBMK-1000 units of the old plant.

Construction of the first unit of Leningrad NPP-2 began in October 2008, while start-up operations commenced in December 2017 with the loading of the first fuel assemblies into the reactor vessel.

Unit 1 achieved first criticality in December 2017. The unit was connected to the national grid and began producing electricity in March 2018. Unit 2 was commissioned in late 2020. This brings the total capacity of the two units to 2400 Megawatts.

This picture was taken by Michael Creg Afful on Monday, 31st July,2023, during a visit to Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant in St. Petersburg, Russia.
 

 

 

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Nigeria: Several Interest Groups Back NLC Mass Protest Tomorrow Over Fuel Subsidy Removal

Michael Creg Afful
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Nigeria: Several Interest Groups Back NLC Mass Protest Tomorrow Over Fuel Subsidy Removal

Several groups in Nigeria have declared their intention to join the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to hit the streets tomorrow, Wednesday, to protest the hardship in Africa’s largest economy occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidies.

The NLC, last Sunday, in a statement, urged Nigerians to join them at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, at 7 am to protest President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy.

“There is nowhere in the world where government leaves its citizens totally to the vagaries of the market without some measure of control and protection. The Federal Government should immediately deal decisively with the criminal content of subsidy instead of exposing ordinary citizens to avoidable pain and hardship.

“As a matter of national importance, it is imperative to fix all our refineries to be able to cater to domestic fuel consumption,” the NLC said.

The NLC said the Tinubu-led administration was playing games with the lives of Nigerians.

The congress also called on the government to be serious about the engagement with  labour unions.

Meanwhile, academic unions such as the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities have also begun nationwide mobilisation of their members for the strike scheduled to commence on Wednesday.

The national presidents of the two unions, in separate interviews with local media in Abuja, noted that as affiliate members of the NLC, they would join in the strike.

The National President of SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim said, “We are actively going to participate.”

Similarly, the National President of ASUP, Anderson Ezeibe said, “Of course, we will join the protest.”

Also, some northern youths, under the aegis of the Arewa Citizen Watch for Good Governance, on Sunday, said they were set to hit the streets of Abuja to protest the subsidy removal, which, they said, had inflicted pains and hunger on them.

The youths also called for the sacking of the Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Limited, Mele Kyari, for allegedly misleading the President on the subsidy removal.

 

 

 

 

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

SolarAfrica, Starsight Energy Announces Merger Completion

Peter Adofo Asante
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SolarAfrica, Starsight Energy Announces Merger Completion
SolarAfrica Energy and Starsight Energy have announced the successful completion of their business merger. The merged group is now set to become the leading pan-African clean energy platform providing on- and off-site renewable energy solutions to commercial and industrial customers. It is well-positioned to serve a wide range of customers with a comprehensive mix of cost-effective solutions, providing power security and carbon reduction. The merger is backed by Helios Investment Partners (“Helios”) and African Infrastructure Investment Managers (“AIIM”), both of which have decades-long track records of bringing investment to support African innovation. An expanded solutions portfolio unlocking simple and sustainable access to power customers across Africa can access fully serviced clean energy solutions through the merged group. This includes solar energy, battery storage, wheeling and energy management which are all operated and maintained on behalf of the customer. The merged group’s mission is to make power accessible and affordable. The merger will unlock more efficiencies across the group allowing it to take more customers on a green energy journey that solves their power requirements and enables a sustainable future. “The supply of renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa is relatively fragmented with several suppliers in the market. This merger is a substantial step for us and will provide a true pan-African platform to deliver clean renewable energy in key economies,” said Paul van Zijl, Group CEO. The merged group consists of an installed and contracted portfolio of 520 MW in solar power generation, 60 MWh of battery storage and an additional energy pipeline exceeding 2GW. The portfolio has led to a carbon offset of more than 360, 000 tonnes of CO 2 to date. “This merger will enhance our current capabilities and allow us to deploy Energy and Cooling as a Service on a much larger scale. This is therefore a story of growth. Not only for Starsight Energy and SolarAfrica but also for the renewable energy landscape in Africa,” Van Zijl added. Powering Africa Through Affordable, Clean Energy In addition to key markets Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and South Africa, the group is working on imminent expansion into Tanzania and Uganda. It brings a range of renewable energy solutions to the table, with solar energy, battery storage and cooling at the top of the list. “We are excited about making a meaningful contribution to power supply on the continent through our on- and off-site solutions. This will help take pressure off national grids which have been under significant strain in many of the core African markets,” said Charl Alheit, Group Chief Investment Officer. Providing these solutions to more businesses can also go a long way in developing distributed renewable energy frameworks in each region. In-Country Focus Unlocks Continent-Wide Growth The merged group will retain a strong presence within the various countries to further strengthen its footprint across Africa. “We do not believe in a fly-in fly-out model and will have ‘boots on the ground’ in our geographies. Our country teams consist of dedicated in-country management as well as sales and technical teams who represent our ethos, whilst being supported by the wider group management,” said Van Zijl. “It’s important to have strong representation in each geography with teams who know and understand their markets and are passionate about transforming these markets into green energy hubs. That’s something both SolarAfrica and Starsight Energy have always had in common: we know that the people in our business have always been the reason for our success, and this new chapter will be no different,” Alheit concluded. Leveraging Existing Knowledge And Capabilities Both Starsight Energy and SolarAfrica are represented in the group executive management team, combining their expertise and experience. Paul van Zijl assumes the role of Group Chief Executive Officer (formerly Group Chief Financial Officer of Starsight Energy), Charl Alheit assumes the role of Group Chief Investment Officer (formerly Chief Investment Officer for SolarAfrica),  Max Rieg assumes the role of Group Commercial Director (formerly Commercial Director of Starsight Energy) The group will also retain its regional management structures, with David McDonald (Southern Africa), Emmanuel Ayifa Baah (Ghana), Ladi Sanni (Nigeria) and Rupesh Hindocha (East Africa) leading their respective regions.

Ghana: Eni Ghana And VIS Give Scholarship To Students Of Charlotte Dolphyne School In Ellembelle District

Michael Creg Afful
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Ghana: Eni Ghana And VIS Give Scholarship To Students Of Charlotte Dolphyne School In Ellembelle District
Eni Ghana, on behalf of its OCTP partners, Vitol Upstream Ghana Ltd (Vitol) and Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), together with Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (VIS), has handed over scholarship packages to over 1,000 students in 14 communities in the Ellembelle District in the Western Region. The beneficiary students are from Atuabo, Bakanta, Ngalekye, Sanzule (including the Anwolakrom fishing area), Krisan, Eikwe, Anokyi, Ngalekpole, Asemda, Baku, Anyinase, Esiama, Half Assini and Nkroful. The scholarship is part of Eni Ghana and its OCTP Partners, Vitol and GNPC’s Local Development Project to promote inclusive economic development in the Ellembelle District. It covers tuition fees, registration fees, stationery, food, tools and equipment, accommodation, transportation and monthly allowances for the students who are enrolled in Vocational and Technical courses ranging from Fashion, Catering, Building Technology, Electricals and Welding. The scholarship package is designed in collaboration with the World Bank as part of the sustainability initiatives that the OCTP partners are implementing in the OCTP Project Area of Influence. The Ellembelle District Assembly played a major role in the design and implementation of the programme. VIS is a non-governmental organisation that deals with development cooperation and international solidarity and an educational agency that promotes and organises awareness-raising, education and training activities for development and global citizenship.   Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

American Gasoline Prices Suddenly Soar On Heat Wave

Michael Creg Afful
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American Gasoline Prices Suddenly Soar On Heat Wave
U.S. national average gasoline prices spiked over 16 cents last week, hitting $3.72 per gallon, according to data from GasBuddy, while AAA put the average price per gallon on Monday at $3.757. At the same time, the past week has seen diesel prices increase 15.5 cents to $3.99 per gallon, with AAA reporting a price of $4.036 on Monday. GasBuddy data is compiled from more than 11 million individual price reports from over 150,000 gas stations nationwide. “Gas prices suddenly soared over the last week due to heat-related refinery outages that impacted some of the largest refineries in the country, at a time when summer gasoline demand peaks and as gasoline inventories slid to their lowest July level since 2015,” GasBuddy head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan said in a statement. “In addition, oil prices surged to their highest level in months, rising to over $80 per barrel due to SPR releases coming to an end and concerns over cuts in supply from Saudi Arabia and Russia, the second and third largest oil producers in the world,” De Haan noted, adding that this is the “fastest pace” at which drivers have seen gasoline and diesel prices rise this year. However, these price rises should now start slowing, according to GasBuddy. There is a cautionary note, though, with De Haan saying that “as we get ever closer to the peak of hurricane season, any new issues could easily push the national average over $4 per gallon for the first time in 2023. Drivers may want to brace for potentially higher prices yet.” The jump in gasoline prices comes amid five consecutive weeks of gains for crude oil prices, which are up some 5% over a week ago, gaining another boost from a Friday OPEC+ meeting in which the Saudis indicated plans to expand output cuts into September. Fuel demand data from GasBuddy shows U.S. retail gasoline demand falling 0.9% last week, possibly indicating the peak of summer driving.       Source: Oilprice.com

Nigeria: Dangote Refinery Recruited 40,000 Skilled Nigerians, Indians And Chinese—Management

Michael Creg Afful
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Nigeria: Dangote Refinery Recruited 40,000 Skilled Nigerians, Indians And Chinese—Management

Dangote Refinery, a privately-owned refinery in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has disclosed that it recruited almost 40,000 workers including expatriates from India and China to execute Africa’s largest refinery located in Lekki Free Zone.

The Dangote Refinery said to be the world’s largest single –train refinery has a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.

It was built at the cost of US$19 billion.

Giving the breakdown of the skilled work workforce recruited for the construction of the refinery, the company mentioned that it recruited 6,400 Indians, 3,250 Chinese and 30,000 Nigerians.

The company disclosed this in a statement issued in response to a media report suggesting that the company neglected youth from Nigeria and other African countries and recruited expatriates.

Dangote Group’s Chief Branding & Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina said the report was written with malicious intent, as it did not reflect the number of skilled Nigerians on site.

He also said Nigerians on the project demonstrated a high level of technical competence as many hidden skills were discovered among them.

Chiejina advised the public to discountenance such malicious and twisted reports, and instead, focus on the potential impact of the project on the overall economy and well-being of Nigerians.

He said Dangote Group would continue to be the leading light in employment generation.

     

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Russia Will Continue To Collaborate With Africa To Develop Energy Projects—Putin

Michael Creg Afful
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Russia Will Continue To Collaborate With Africa To Develop Energy Projects—Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia will continue to cooperate with African countries to develop energy projects across the continent. He said over many years, Soviet and Russian specialists have designed and built large energy centres in Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia and other countries of the continent with a total capacity of 4.6 gigawatts. Mr Putin emphasised that this is just a quarter of Africa’s hydropower capacity. Mr Putin, who was addressing African heads of state and the African Business Community at the Second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, said Russian companies are currently implementing new mutually beneficial projects aimed at meeting the growing needs of the African economies for fuel and generating capacity, to provide Africans with access to affordable and reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources. “More than 30 promising energy projects with Russian participation in 16 African states are now in varying degrees of development. “The total capacity of the power projects we are working on is about 3.7 gigawatts. Our company “RusHydro” offers a wide range of services to African partners from the design and supply of equipment to the modernisation and construction of new turnkey generation facilities,” he added. Continuing, Mr Putin mentioned that Russian companies notably Gazprom, Rosneft, Lukoil, and Zarubezhneft are all engaged in the development of oil and gas fields in Algeria, Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria and the Republic of Congo. According to him, exports of Russian crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas to Africa have increased by 2.6 times over the past two years. Touching on nuclear, Mr Putin said Rosatom, which is the leading company in the use of nuclear energy, is building the El Dabaa nuclear power plant in Egypt, adding, “At the same time, our state corporation can provide African countries with its unique experience and technologies that have no analogues in the world in the field of non-energy use of the “peaceful atom”, for example, in medicine and the same agriculture.”     Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Angola: Oil & Gas Conference 2023 Officially Launched In Luanda

Michael Creg Afful
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Angola: Oil & Gas Conference 2023 Officially Launched In Luanda
The Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) conference and exhibition has been launched in Luanda by event organizer Energy Capital & Power (ECP) alongside the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas and partners including the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG); the Oil Derivatives Regulatory Institute (IRDP); and national oil company Sonangol. The event was attended by key stakeholders from across the public and private sectors as well as media and served to kickstart official preparations for the highly-anticipated 2023 edition of the conference. AOG 2023 partners include the African Energy Chamber, the Association of Angola Petroleum Service Companies; Rystad Energy; Ethiopian Airlines; UK-Angola Connect; Centurion Law Group; LELLO International; and Cunha Vaz and Association. Representing the official oil and gas platform for the Angolan energy sector, AOG 2023 will take place under the theme, ‘Energy Security, Decarbonization and Sustainable Development,’ with regional petroleum ministers, global investors and project developers, and both public and private sector firms convening in Luanda from September 13-14 to discuss the most pressing matters in the country’s oil and gas industry, forging a future built on the sustainable development of oil and gas. AOG 2023 serves to build on the success of the previous three editions to drive new investment flows into the growing Angolan economy. The event features panel discussions, investor summits and market-focused presentations covering the entire oil and gas sector and its value chain and falls in line with national efforts to position the country as a regional petroleum hub. “This year, we anticipate AOG 2023 to grow exponentially, with more than 40 countries participating. AOG represents an excellent opportunity for investors to learn more about the potential of Angola’s oil and gas sector, and the government policies and regulations that affect it,” states Sergio Pugliese, President, African Energy Chamber: Angola chapter. Dedicated upstream panels will explore progress being made by E&P companies in high-potential basins including Kwanza, Namibe and Lower Congo. Updates will be provided by companies to the likes of TotalEnergies, Afentra – who recently made two major acquisitions in Block 3/05 and 3/05A -, Azule Energy, ENI and many more. On the eve of a new licensing round set to be launched, the ANPG will showcase the investment opportunities and upstream competitive of Angola’s offshore market. Downstream, Angola’s focus on regional connectivity and refining will see discussions center on intra-African trade, infrastructure progress and industrialization, with a suite of downstream players spearheading dialogue around Angola’s future as a regional processing hub. On the gas front, AOG 2023 will comprise dedicated natural gas sessions with speakers exploring the role gas will continue to play in driving sustainable economic growth in Africa. Projects such as the Angola Liquefied Natural Gas facility, the Quiluma/Maboqueiro gas fields, the Cameia-Golfinho developments and others will be showcased while high-level speakers detail the country’s efforts to bolster gas monetization and energy security through gas-to-power. In line with national renewable energy targets, AOG 2023 serves as a platform for green energy stakeholders to sign deals and kickstart new developments across the solar, wind and green hydrogen space. Updates on projects such as the Quilemba solar station, the 960 MW Cambambe I and 700 MW Cambambe II facilities and the Lauca hydroelectric power plant will be provided while new developments kick off.       Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: Digitisation Drives ECG’s Monthly Revenues To Gh¢1.2 Billion

Michael Creg Afful
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Ghana: Digitisation Drives ECG’s Monthly Revenues To Gh¢1.2 Billion
The monthly revenue of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has shot up to about Gh¢1.2 billion as a result of digitisation being introduced into the company’s operations. Hitherto, ECG recorded Gh¢450 million every month and this trend has been for several years. The southern power distribution company now operates a cashless system. Ghana’s Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who disclosed this, said ECG’s revenues were virtually constant even though the customer base had continued to increase. “The constant value was almost the same. They didn’t even take time to change the value,” Dr Bawumia said while delivering a speech at the opening of the Church of Pentecost’s 2023 National Development Conference at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region. He said when this government’s team identified the problem and introduced an intervention to solve it, the team’s work [government team] was “sabotaged with malware by people [ECG staff] working right there.” He said with the involvement of the National Security in the issue, the problem was solved and now the company makes GH¢1.2 billion a month. He said the government’s digitisation agenda has contributed significantly to the country’s economic growth and also reduced corruption.     Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: GRIDCo Seeks Support Of Police To Protect Assets In Western Region

Michael Creg Afful
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Ghana: GRIDCo Seeks Support Of Police To Protect Assets In Western Region
The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), Ing Ebenezer Kofi Essienyi, and the management team of the company have paid a two-day working visit to the Western Region to meet with staff and the Western Regional Police Commander. After holding a discussion with the Takoradi area staff, Mr. Essienyi and the management team, led by the Takoradi Operational Area engineer, Ing Solomon Mensah met with the Western Regional Police Commander, DCOP Osei Akoto Arthur, and his team to formally introduce himself to DCOP Arthur, as they had not met since he assumed the position of Chief Executive. Additionally, they aimed to discuss important matters concerning the protection of GRIDCo’s transmission lines and assets in the region. DCOP Arthur mentioned that his office and the District Commanders have been in communication with GRIDCo’s Takoradi Operational Area team for some time now, which laid the groundwork for the meeting. The discussions mainly revolved around establishing a collaborative approach to ensure the security of GRIDCo’s transmission lines and assets in the region. The GRIDCo leadership expressed gratitude to the police for their efforts in conducting security patrols along the Essiama to Elubo section of the line, which had experienced incidents of vandalism. In response, DCOP Arthur assured the delegation that the police would take the matter seriously and do their utmost to protect this essential national asset. Ing Essienyi reaffirmed the management’s commitment to supporting the collaboration with the police in safeguarding GRIDCo’s infrastructure in the region.         Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: Namibian Legislators Understudy Operations Of NPA

Michael Creg Afful
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Ghana: Namibian Legislators Understudy Operations Of NPA

Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has hosted a delegation from the Namibian Upper House of Parliament who are in the West African nation to understudy how the Authority regulates the petroleum downstream industry.

The delegation, drawn from the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources particularly, wants to understand the petroleum downstream industry in Ghana, specifically areas where they can avoid corruption in their emerging petroleum industry.

The delegation was led by the Vice-Chairman of the committee, Mr Elder Filipe, with Mr Mbangu Paulus, Mr Nicodemus Motinga, Mr Richard Gaoseb and Mr Kennedy Haoseb as the other members.

Welcoming the delegation to the NPA on Wednesday, 26th July 2023, the Chief Executive of the NPA, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid said relations between Ghana and Namibia stretched back to the days of Namibian first President, Dr Samuel Shafiishuna Daniel Nujoma.

He, therefore, expressed excitement that the two countries—Ghana located in West Africa, and Namibia, located on the Southwestern coast of Africa—were making moves to deepen relations by learning from each other to help the African course.

The NPA Boss said the Authority had, through the implementation of the Petroleum Product Marking Scheme (PPMS), succeeded in effectively monitoring and ensuring the quality of petroleum products along the supply and distribution chain.

It has also helped to curb fuel smuggling, ensured the payment of the right taxes and availability of quality petroleum products on the market.

Dr Abdul-Hamid indicated that NPA quality assurance officers visit depots and retail outlets regularly to check the marker concentration in petroleum products to establish whether the products meet the required specifications or not.

He said penalties are meted out to defaulting Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to discourage the practice and protect the interest of consumers.

Besides, Dr Abdul-Hamid said the implementation of the Unified Petroleum Price Fund (UPPF) Margin has ensured uniformity in the price of petroleum products across the country.

He said that but for the UPPF, the five regions of the North and the Central, which are considered to be the poorest, would have been paying more for fuel, saying that “But for UPPF, the situation would have been precarious.“

Dr. Abdul-Hamid said the use of the electronic cargo tracking system had ensured effective monitoring of the transportation of petroleum products across the country.

He said the system had made it possible for the NPA to verify the locations where bulk road vehicles claimed to have transported fuel to.

Touching on local content policy, the NPA Boss said the Authority was before Parliament to amend the NPA Act, 2005 (Act 691) to allow for the implementation of the local (Ghanaian) content policy in the petroleum downstream sector.

He said the policy seeks to restrict operations in the petroleum downstream industry to local players.

Dr. Abdul-Hamid, who is the President of the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA), said Ghana’s sulphur content standard of 50 parts per million (ppm) is the best in West Africa.

He said the goal of ARDA was to harmonise fuel specifications in the face of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

In his remarks, Mr Filipe lauded Ghana for its pacesetter role, recalling that Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, had been instrumental in the liberation of Namibia.

He said Namibia had discovered oil and expected to start production within the next three years.

Mr Filipe said the delegation was, therefore, in the country to learn from Ghana’s experience and pitfalls “so that we can avoid that.”

He said the team wanted the issue of value addition to become part of the Namibian policy “so that we can start on the right track.”

Present at the meeting were a Deputy CE of NPA, Mr Perry Okudzeto; Directors, and Heads of Department.

The Director of Policy Coordination, Dr. Sheila Addo; the Head of Economic Regulation, Mr Abass Tasunti, and the Head of PPMS, Mr. Setso Agbenoto, gave presentations on the general operations of the Authority.

 

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Russia-Africa Summit: Experts Discuss Enhanced Cooperation In Nuclear Energy Technologies For Development Of Africa

Michael Creg Afful
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Russia-Africa Summit: Experts Discuss Enhanced Cooperation In Nuclear Energy Technologies For Development Of Africa
The business programme of the Second Russia–Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum currently underway in St. Petersburg, Russia, opened on Thursday, July 27, 2023, with the panel discussion on the theme: ‘Nuclear Technologies for the Development of African Region’. It was held with the support of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom and moderated by Ruslan Edelgeriyev, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation; Special Presidential Representative on Climate Issues. The speakers at the session included Alexey Likhachev, Director General, State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom; Doto Mashaka Biteko, Minister for Minerals of the United Republic of Tanzania; Princess Mthombeni, Founder, Africa4Nuclear; Nuclear Communication and Technology Specialist of South Africa; Fidele Ndahayo, Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Atomic Energy Board; Ibrahim Uwizeye, Minister of Hydraulics, Energy and Mining of the Republic of Burundi; Amged El-Wakeel, Chairman of the Board, Nuclear Power Plants Authority of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and others. The discussion was opened by its moderator, Ruslan Edelgeriyev, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, Special Presidential Representative on Climate Issues. “The African continent is home to more than one billion people, and it is predicted that by 2050, Africa’s population will triple and make up about one-third of the world’s total population. Africa is growing faster than ever, and in the near future, a very large part of its population will have an improved quality of life. But without stable access to energy and a developed energy system, no development is possible,” said Mr. Edelgeriyev. The experts agreed that one of the strategic tasks facing every state in the modern world is the introduction of technologies that will ensure energy security, guarantee the sustainable development of various sectors of the economy, and increase the scientific and human resource potential of the country. “Africa is on its way from being one fifth of the world’s population to one third. At the same time, if you look at electricity generation globally, last year, approximately 30 trillion kilowatt hours of electricity was generated on the planet, while Africa generated less than one. And in that sense, this disparity cannot be sustained for long,”said Alexey Likhachev. “It is clear that states on the African continent will be actively engaged in building power generation capacity in the coming decades,” he added. Mohamed Shaker El-Markabi, Minister for Electricity and Renewable Energy of Egypt, said that the development of nuclear energy in his country in co-operation with Rosatom has a positive impact on all spheres of life and work. “We expect the number of jobs to increase ninefold. In addition, the country’s development strategy until 2035 states that by that time renewable energy sources should account for about 42% – nuclear power can help us with this.” “Right now, only more than 70% of our population has access to electricity,” said Fidele Ndahayo, Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Atomic Energy Board. According to the speaker, nuclear energy can remedy this situation. “Nuclear power is about reliability. Nuclear power is not just about money. All studies show: it leads to economic growth in all spheres of life.” Doto Mashaka Biteko, Minister for Minerals of the United Republic of Tanzania said, “We already have a uranium programme, but we now want to look at new technologies from other countries. We need to add 10% to our GDP, and uranium is one of them. We want to breathe new life into our projects, and we invite everyone to do so. About 30% of our people live below the poverty line, we want to improve their quality of life. We have natural resources. God has given us everything we need, so we will achieve everything.” Ibrahim Uwizeye, Minister of Hydraulics, Energy and Mining of the Republic of Burundi, said: “I visited the Leningrad NPP. I am impressed. We need energy self-sufficiency, and we will soon sign an agreement with Rosatom to achieve it.” “Africa is the next stage in the development of global nuclear energy. All eyes will now be on what Russia is offering to its friends at this Forum. What is done today will be inherited by the next generations. If we do not address the energy challenge, Africa’s youth will be vulnerable. For the sake of Africa’s sustainable development, African countries should accept the proposals that come from Russia. Unfortunately, the world media is against Africa–Russia cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. It becomes even more important to properly inform the public. Africans are tired of living in darkness,” said Princess Mthombeni, Founder, Africa4Nuclear; Nuclear Communication and Technology Specialist of South Africa.   Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Russia’s Trade Turnover In Africa Reached US$18 Billion In 2022—Putin Discloses

Michael Creg Afful
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Russia’s Trade Turnover In Africa Reached US$18 Billion In 2022—Putin Discloses

Russia’s trade turnover in Africa in 2022 reached almost US$18 billion, President Vladimir Putin has revealed in an article ahead of the Second Russia-Africa Summit scheduled from today July 27 -28, 2023, in St. Petersburg.

Despite these investments in Africa, Mr Putin said, “We are well aware that the potential of our trade and economic partnership is much higher.

“Russian companies are interested in working more actively on the continent in the sphere of high technologies and geological exploration, in the fuel and energy complex, including nuclear power, in the chemical industry, mining and transport engineering, agriculture and fishery.”

Mr Putin noted that the changes taking place in the world require the search for solutions related to the establishment of new transport and logistical chains, the formation of a monetary and financial system, and mechanisms of mutual settlements that are safe and free from unfavourable external impacts.

Touching on Russia’s relationship with Africa, Mr Putin said, “The partnership between our country and Africa has strong, deep roots and has always been distinguished by stability, trust and goodwill.”

According to him, Russia has consistently supported Africans in their struggle for liberation from colonial oppression, adding, “We have assisted in developing statehood, strengthening their sovereignty and defence capability.

“By the mid-1980s, with the participation of our specialists, over 330 large infrastructure and industrial facilities have been built in Africa, such as power plants, irrigation systems, industrial and agricultural enterprises, which are successfully operating to this day, and continue to make a significant contribution to the continent’s economic development. Tens of thousands of African doctors, technical specialists, engineers, officers and teachers have received education in Russia,” he stated.

Mr Putin who expressed disgust at how Europe unscrupulously handled the so-called ‘grain deal’ said notwithstanding the sanctions imposed on Russia, it would continue its energetic efforts to provide supplies of grain, food products, fertilizers and other goods to Africa.

“We highly value and will further develop the full spectrum of economic ties with Africa–with individual states as well as regional integration associations and naturally, with the African Union,” he assured.

Mr Putin was hopeful that the second Russia -Africa summit would adopt a comprehensive Declaration, several joint statements and approve the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan to 2026.

“We are working to prepare an impressive package of intergovernmental and inter-agency agreements and memoranda with individual states as well as regional associations of the continent. I am looking forward to welcoming the African leaders in St. Petersburg and stand committed to a fruitful constructive dialogue,” he concluded.

 

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

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