Qatari state-owned petroleum company QatarEnergy has unveiled plans to build a new 2GW solar power project in Qatar’s Dukhan area.
The initiative is expected to more than double Qatar’s solar energy production capacity, while significantly contributing to the nation’s lower carbon emissions.
The project will elevate Qatar’s photovoltaic (PV) solar power production capacity to 4GW, a report by power technology said.
Dukhan solar power plant, along with the existing Al-Kharsaah solar power plant, was inaugurated in 2022 with an 800MW capacity.
Two further upcoming projects in the Ras Laffan and Mesaieed industrial cities will bolster QatarEnergy’s solar power portfolio.
The Ras Laffan and Mesaieed projects, with a combined capacity of 875MW, are anticipated to commence production before the end of 2024.
With the Dukhan plant’s completion, QatarEnergy’s solar power projects within Qatar will have a total capacity of 4GW by 2030, representing almost 30% of the nation’s total electrical power production capacity.
The Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the president and CEO of QatarEnergy Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi stated: “I am pleased to announce that, in line with our sustainability strategy, we will more than double our solar power production capacity to about 4,000 megawatts by 2030 through the world-scale, 2,000-megawatt Dukhan solar power plant.”
“I would like to emphasise that developing solar power plants is one of Qatar’s most crucial initiatives to reduce CO₂ missions, develop sustainability projects and diversify electricity production, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 4.7 million tons per annum.”
In August 2022, QatarEnergy awarded a QR2.3bn ($630.33m) contract to South Korea’s Samsung C&T for the construction of its industrial cities solar power project, IC Solar.
The contract covers the construction of two solar PV plants with a total clean power generation capacity of 875MW.
Samsung C&T will handle the engineering, procurement and construction of the solar power plants, which are scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2024.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
TotalEnergies and Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) have entered into an agreement to create a new joint venture, equally owned by TotalEnergies and AGEL, with a 1,150 MWac (1,575 MWp) solar portfolio in Khavda in Gujarat.
The electricity generated by the solar projects will be sold through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) signed with the federal government agency, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), and through sales on the wholesale market.
This new transaction will allow TotalEnergies to capitalize on the ongoing liberalization of the Indian electricity market.
This will strengthen TotalEnergies’ strategic alliance with AGEL, allowing it to support the company in becoming a global renewable leader as it targets 50 GW of renewable power capacity by 2030, a statement issued by TotalEnergies said.
AGEL already operates over 11 GW of solar and wind capacity in India.
AGEL will contribute to the joint venture with assets and TotalEnergies will provide an equity investment of $444m to support their development.
The signing and completion of the transaction is subject to the approval of AGEL’s shareholders and satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals.
Khavda-the world’s largest renewable energy plant AGEL (19.75% owned by TotalEnergies), is developing the world’s largest renewable energy site in the Khavda region (Gujarat).
Spanning over 538 km², five times the size of Paris, the site will boast solar and wind capacity of 30 GW. Of this, 2 GW has already been operationalized by AGEL.
Once completed, Khavda will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 16 million homes in India.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
By:Dr. Riverson Oppong, CEO of Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC), Ghana
“Research is the foundation for innovation, and innovation is the future of energy.” Bill Gates
I participated in a key panel discussion convened under the all-important theme “Innovation, Research, and Development in Africa’s Energy Systems” at the Future of Energy Conference organized by the @Africa Centre for Energy Policy”.
During this crucial dialogue, I emphasized the urgent need for Africa to adopt a comprehensive and tailored approach to energy transition.
Drawing on China’s strategy of leveraging all available energy solutions—from their expansive solar installations to significant coal capacities—I highlighted the importance of focussing on industrialization and ensuring energy security alongside the transition.
I challenged the notion that Africa’s relatively low carbon emissions justify complacency or exclusion from the global energy transition.
With 51% of our emissions coming from the transport sector, I underscored the critical need for innovative solutions to reduce our carbon footprint.
Hydrogen offers promising potential, yet challenges related to transportation and storage must be addressed.
Similarly, geothermal energy, which employs drilling techniques akin to those in oil and gas, remains underexplored in West Africa—an issue I left our energy commission to ponder on.
I also questioned why hydropower is often overlooked in renewable energy discussions and emphasized the need to develop smart grid infrastructure to minimize transmission losses as we expand solar and other renewable investments.
Contrary to fears that the energy transition will eliminate jobs, I argued that it will transform them.
I advocated for our educational curriculum to be revamped to equip students with the hands-on skills required for the evolving energy sector.
The example of petroleum engineers in the Middle East being retrained to install solar panels is a case in point.
It is disheartening to see our brightest engineers leaving the continent. Adapting our curricula to include emerging technologies like AI is crucial.
I also punctuated the need for robust investment in research and development, particularly in renewable energy, and called for governments to intentionally support businesses that are building technologies in Africa, reducing dependency on imports.
Finally, I accentuated the importance of creating favourable policies that encourage the growth of startups and the development of skilled professionals.
I was honoured to contribute to this critical discourse with other key industry professionals. My immense gratitude to African Centre for Energy Policy for creating a platform for key discussions such as these to take place.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Zambia’s power situation is growing from bad to worse as the country’s power utility company, Zesco Limited, announces its inability to implement a 17-hour power rationing schedule which was to commence on 1st September 2024.
The power utility company blamed the situation on an unforeseen development, arising from a number of factors.
Among the factors are reduced power imports from the southern circuit via Namibia due to a converter fault on the transmission line.
The company also talked about ongoing annual plant maintenance works at Maamba Collieries Limited, which has temporarily taken 150 MW off the national grid.
To cushion the impact of this power supply shortfall, Zesco Limited said it had undertaken some measures, including power supply to residential customers for up to three hours per day on a rotational basis to support access to household essentials, such as water pumping, prioritising essential services like health, water pumping, and security and installing diesel-powered generators in some markets to support business continuity.
With the installation of these generators, the utility company also expects to ease grid pressure by freeing up some power initially reserved for exempted loads, which can then be redistributed on the network.
“The corporation will continue to monitor the situation closely and will release an updated power rationing schedule as soon as power supply conditions improve and network stability is achieved.
“We seek our customers’ understanding and patience during this challenging period. The inconvenience caused is deeply regretted,” the company stated.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria’s state-oil firm NNPC on Sunday said it is facing financial strain making it unable to import petrol into Africa’s most populous nation, that has seen weeks-long fuel scarcity across its retail stations.
The news comes after Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the country’s sole importer of refined products, in August announced record profits for 2023 but warned that it was covering for shortfalls in government’s petrol import bill.
Reuters reported early July that the NNPC’s debt to oil traders had surpassed $6 billion, doubling since early April, as the company struggled to cover the gap between fixed pump prices and global fuel costs. The NNPC declined to comment at that time.
It later blamed operational hitches for the long fuel queues.
“This financial strain has placed considerable pressure on the company and poses a threat to the sustainability of fuel supply,” NNPC’s spokesperson Olufemi Soneye said in a statement late on Sunday.
President Bola Tinubu scrapped a costly but popular subsidy on petrol last year when he took office, to cut government expenditure. But he reintroduced subsidy partly after inflation skyrocketed, worsening a cost of living crisis and stoking tension among the population.
The IMF has said fuel subsidies could cost Nigeria up to 3% of GDP this year as the increases in pump prices have not kept up with their dollar cost.
The West African country expects to likely spend 5.4 trillion naira ($3.7 billion) this year – 50% more than in 2023 – to keep petrol prices fixed, while borrowing to plug gaps in its budget, a draft document had said in June.
“We are actively collaborating with relevant government agencies and other stakeholders to maintain a consistent supply of petroleum products nationwide,” the NNPC said.
Source: Reuters
Ghana’s two major political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have both expressed their commitment to nuclear power development by promising to introduce nuclear power into the country’s energy mix in their Manifestos for the 2024 General Election.
Ghana’s energy mix is mainly from hydroelectric power, thermal and solar energy.
However, the demand for reliable and affordable power has necessitated the need for the West African country to add nuclear power into the energy mix.
Consequently, the country has made strides towards establishing the first nuclear power and is currently at the second stage of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) requirements for nuclear power projects.
According to Nuclear Power Ghana, the agency spearheading the nuclear power project has identified the Central and Western Regions of Ghana as the two suitable locations for the siting of the nuclear power plant.
Interestingly, the quest for nuclear power projects has received endorsement from the two major political parties.
On page 110 of the 2024 Manifesto of the NPP, it said, “Under the Bawumia presidency, we will continue the government’s plans to establish a nuclear power plant to generate affordable electricity for industrial and domestic uses.”
The NDC also said, “Under Mr John Dramani Mahama, we will systematically: implement an energy transition strategy that will augment thermal and hydropower production with nuclear and other renewable energy sources like solar, wind, biogas, waste-to-energy and other off-grid energy systems such as mini-hydropower production (e.g. Juale, Pwalugu and Pra), optimising the flexibility and adaptability of our power system and supporting planned special production zones while reducing our carbon footprint.”
The Executive Director for Nuclear Power Ghana Dr Stephen Yamoah recently disclosed that the NPG is in the process to request for IAEA site and external events design SEED mission.
This assessment will afford the IAEA experts the opportunity to review Ghana’s siting activities for construction of nuclear power plant up to the point of preferred site identification.
The mission will thus afford NPG the opportunity to fill in gaps when undertaking the detailed site characterisation studies, which is the next stage of the siting activities and seek regulatory approval before the site can be ready for construction
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s leading Indigenous Oil Marketing Company, GOIL PLC, has announced a reduction in the prices of both Super XP (Ron 91) and Diesel XP for the first pricing window in September 2024.
A litre of Super XP (Ron 91) has been reduced to Gh¢14.16 from Gh¢14.22 per litre while Diesel XP has been reduced to Gh¢14.70 from Gh¢14.90 per litre effective Monday, September 2, 2024.
This means that petrol has witnessed a reduction of 6 pesewas while diesel witnessed a 20 pesewas reduction.
Since the second pricing window in August, the cost of refined petroleum products has been declining, with petrol falling to US$779.10 per metric tonne while Diesel declined to about US$712.8 per metric tonne.
Forex (exchange rate) which is also one key determinant of cost ex-pump price of fuel has also seen some stabilisation, with a dollar being exchanged for Gh¢15.73
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, the operators of the Kainji, Jebba and Zungeru hydropower plants in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has swiftly repaired the Sabon Pegi Bridge within 24 hours after its collapse due to heavy rainfall last Friday.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had previously issued warnings of heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding over the weekend, which were accompanied by thunderstorms.
The flash floods caused the collapse of the Sabon Pegi Bridge, a vital link between the southwestern and northwestern regions of Nigeria.
The incident, reported early on Friday morning, led to confusion among the local communities.
Mainstream Energy Solutions was promptly contacted, and the Chairman of the Board immediately approved the company’s intervention to repair the bridge.
Abdullahi, a local youth, expressed gratitude, saying, “We pray for Mainstream always because there are very few companies in Nigeria that can respond so quickly to such a problem. They are a highly responsible company.”
Siraj Abdullahi, an Executive Director of the Company, said, “This is what Mainstream is about. We have brought relief and restored the economic artery of the Borgu Land and the Southern Sokoto and Kebbi States.”
Ghana’s leading indigenous oil marketing company, GOIL PLC, in partnership with the Soroptimists Club of Accra, has inaugurated three borehole projects in the Ekumfi District of the Central Region.
The borehole water projects, connected with overhead tanks and pipes, were constructed for the pupils of the Egyankwaa Owuwa Basic School, the Eyisam Basic School and the Ekumfi Twa Community.
The borehole facilities for the schools will enable the over 400 pupils and teachers of the two schools to access potable water while the Ekumfi Twa community will benefit from easy access to clean water even during the dry season.
At a ceremony to hand over one of the borehole facilities at Ekumfi Egyankwaa in the Ekumfi District of the Central Region, the Public Relations Manager of GOIL PLC, Robert Kyere, explained that the company is committed to supporting life-changing projects such as the provision of water to deprived communities.
He indicated that the projects are in alignment with the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandate of providing clean water and improving sanitation for deprived and under-served communities.
He entreated the beneficiary communities to maintain the facilities to ensure a long lifespan.
The immediate Past President of the Soroptimist Club of Accra, Karen Korsah Amartefio, noted that the NGO remains committed to spearheading social development in communities, including advocating for human rights and offering opportunities.
School children beaming with smiles and excitement as water flows through the tap at their school for the first time by the kind courtesy of GOIL PLC.
She noted that as a responsible organisation, the Club was thrilled to partner with GOIL to offer support to the three communities and will continue on that path to help improve the living conditions of rural communities.
Speaking at the ceremony, the District Chief Executive for Ekumfi, Ebenezer Kwesi Monney, expressed appreciation to GOIL and Soroptimist Ghana for the construction of the boreholes in the communities, indicating the projects would positively impact the lives of the people and particularly improve sanitation delivery in the beneficiary communities.
In agreement, the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the Ekumfi District, Samuel Baffoe Aikins (Nana Odeasempa III), thanked GOIL and Soroptimists Ghana for the borehole facilities, describing the initiatives as life-changing.
Present at the ceremony were the Assemblyman of Egyankwaa Assembly Area, Eric Baidoo, the Headmaster of Egyankwaa Owuwa School, Ebenezer Ampiah, the Chairman of Egyankwaa School Management Committee, Samuel Egyir, PTA Chairman, Samuel Eyiah, Executives from Soroptimist Club of Accra, some GOIL staff and members of the community.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Vivo Energy Ghana, the Shell licensee, has proudly hosted its inaugural ShePower training session at its head office in Accra.
The event, targeted at female employees of the company, was held under the theme: ‘The Power of Positive Self Talk: Cultivating Confidence and Resilience’.
The ShePower training programme encapsulates Vivo Energy Ghana’s commitment to empowering female employees at Vivo Energy Ghana, providing them with the tools and confidence needed to excel in their careers and personal lives.
This programme will help Vivo Energy Ghana foster a supportive and inclusive workplace where every individual can thrive.
Stirring up conversations under the theme for the training, Mrs Rita Krampah, a seasoned corporate trainer, in her address, emphasised the importance of developing self-confidence through positive self-talk.
She shared various affirmative phrases and initiatives that could inspire individuals, ultimately fostering steady growth in their confidence and abilities.
Drawing from her personal experiences with positive self-talk, Mrs Krampah stated: “My crucible transformed me. It will transform you if you leverage the opportunities it presents to build confidence in yourself. Don’t personalise negative perceptions.”
She went on to outline nine ways to identify and mitigate negative thought patterns that trouble female employees, especially at workplaces and homes where they spend most of their time.
The Managing Director of Vivo Energy Ghana, Mr Jean-Michel Arlandis, in his remark, inspired female participants to confidently embrace their potential, overcome challenges and reassure them of the company’s support.
“This initiative is more than just a training programme. As a company committed to the promotion of female diversity and inclusion, will continue to provide support and create an enabling environment for women to take charge of their growth and drive positive change within our organisation and beyond,” he said.
To foster individual involvement, the session included a group discussion in which employees were actively engaged in exploring and practising positive self-talk techniques.
This interactive segment allowed participants to share their experiences, learn from one another and strengthen the day’s lessons.
Ghana’s second largest state-owned power generation company – Bui Power Authority (BPA) – has recorded a net profit of $80 million in the 2023 Financial Year compared with the $79.2 million recorded in 2022.
Although the company’s total revenue for the year 2023 stood at US$157,100,000 which was lower than the previous year’s revenue of US$158,800,000 representing a decrease of 1.0%, stringent cost containment over the period impacted positively on the company’s net profit.
In 2023, the Bui Power Generation Station generated a total of 1,519 GWh of energy but 3 GWh was lost, while the remaining 1516 GWh was supplied to the National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS).
This represents 2% lower than the all-time-high of 1,547 GWh generated in 2022.
These figures were disclosed by the Board Chairman of BPA, Hon. Kwasi Ameyaw Cheremeh, in a speech delivered on his behalf by Dr. Mrs. Rebecca Acquaah-Arhin.
Hon. Ameyaw-Cheremeh described the company’s overall performance for 2023 as remarkable.
Touching on the challenges facing the company, he said ECG’s inability to pay for power supplied to them continued to have adverse effects on the company, thereby limiting its ability to purchase critical spare parts for the maintenance of the plants and lack of funds to execute renewable energy projects.
In order to stay financially viable, Hon. Ameyaw-Cheremeh said the company was exploring the possibility of engaging other off-takers.
He complimented the board members, management and staff of the company for their commitment and dedication.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of BPA, Mr. Kofi Ahiave Dzamesi, said the company was going to intensify efforts to expand its renewable energy portfolio in the area of windpower, solar, and other sustainable energy sources to meet the growing demand for clean energy.
“We will continue our pursuit of leadership in the renewable energy industry within our sub-region guided by our vision to be at the forefront of the transition to clean energy,” he said.
Mr. Dzamesi, who praised the workers for their hard work, charged them, saying “let us resolve to work together to make 2024 another great success.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, has expressed worry about the continuous explosions at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) where nuclear safety and security remains precarious.
In a statement on Friday, the IAEA said Mr Rafael Grossi will, next week, travel to Ukraine to hold high-level talks and assess developments at the facility.
This visit will be the fifth time that the Director-General crosses the frontline to access the ZNPP after he established a permanent IAEA presence at the site two years ago, on 1st September 2022, to monitor nuclear safety and security.
It is the tenth time he is in Ukraine since the conflict began in February 2022.
“The IAEA acts promptly and decisively whenever and wherever there are threats to nuclear safety and security. Our pro-active presence is of paramount importance to help stabilize the situation.
“My message has been loud and clear throughout this tragic war: a nuclear accident must be avoided at all costs, and a nuclear power plant must never be attacked.
“The consequences could be disastrous, and no one stands to benefit from it. I remain determined to do everything in my power to protect nuclear safety and security as long as the fighting continues,” he said.
According to the IAEA, its team stationed at the site has continued to hear explosions and other indications of military activities at times near the plant itself.
“Due to reported drone threats in the area, the team was told to shelter indoors on 20 August and had to reschedule their planned walkdown on 26 August,” IAEA said
Since the Director-General last went to the ZNPP site in February, it has been hit by drone strikes, experienced loss of power lines and, earlier this month, a fire caused significant damage to one of its two cooling towers.
“Two years after I launched our mission at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, it is needed more than ever.
“As these recent deeply concerning incidents make all too clear, the nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant remains extremely challenging.
“Our teams there and elsewhere in Ukraine are carrying out indispensable work on behalf of the wider international community in very difficult circumstances,” he said.
Over the past week, the IAEA team at the ZNPP has continued to conduct regular walkdowns across the site as part of their on-going nuclear safety and security assessment.
Among other activities, they went to the turbine halls of reactor units five and six but were again not allowed to access the western parts of the buildings, as was also the case when they visited the turbine halls of units three and four in mid-August, and unit two earlier in the month.
The IAEA team is also continuing to closely monitor the cooling water situation at the site.
Following the destruction of the downstream Kakhovka dam last year, the ZNPP dug eleven new wells in order to obtain the water needed for reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety functions.
“While none of the plants lost all their access to the national electricity grid, which has happened repeatedly at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant over the past two years, I’m increasingly concerned about the growing vulnerability of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and the potential impact this is having on the safety of all Ukraine’s operating nuclear power plants,” Director-General Grossi said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Kenya is considering establishing its first nuclear power plant by 2034, The Star of Kenya has reported, citing Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
According to Mudavadi, a research reactor will also be commissioned by the early 2030s.
He said the initiative will start in 2027 and aims to increase energy capacity, reduce Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, as well as create significant job opportunities to boost economic growth.
“Kenya is committed to leading in clean energy and advancing nuclear technology as part of sustainable energy strategy,” Mudavadi said during a meeting with the Director-General of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), William D. Magwood IV.
During the meeting, the PCS and Magwood’s discussion focused on advancing nuclear technology as part of Kenya’s sustainable energy strategy, which aligns with NEA’s leadership goals to integrate atomic energy into our clean energy mix.
Key areas include deploying Small Modular Reactor technology, enhancing research, and building institutional sustainability.
Mudavadi said the government is keen to strengthen its partnership with NEA for Kenya’s long-term energy and development goals.
“As we move forward, this collaboration will play a vital role in the successful implementation of our nuclear energy programme, contributing to the nation’s prosperity and sustainability.”
Interest in nuclear power development is growing in Africa, with Ghana, Uganda, Guinea and Nigeria currently in the advanced stages of developing the first nuclear power plant in some years to come.
Egypt, in partnership with Rosatom, is currently constructing a nuclear power plant at El Dabaa with a total capacity of 4.8 Gigawatts at the cost of US$30 billion.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria’s National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) Ltd has commenced shipment of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) cargoes to Japan and China on Delivered Ex-Ship (DES) basis, thus, expanding its market globally.
This is in line with the company’s strategic vision to be a dynamic and reliable global energy supplier of choice.
NNPC Ltd achieved the milestone through the collaboration of two of its Downstream subsidiaries–NNPC LNG Ltd and NNPC Shipping Ltd–which delivered its first DES LNG cargo from the 174,000m³ LNG vessel Grazyna Gesicka at Futtsu, Japan, on 27th June 2024.
Since then, it has expanded its footprint to China with the delivery of one LNG cargo on DES basis.
Delivered Ex-Ship (DES) is an international commercial term that requires the seller to deliver the products/goods at a specific port.
The seller takes responsibility for the shipping and insurance for the products/goods until they get to the specified port of delivery.
It requires expertise and a higher level of efficiency to execute than the Free on Board (FOB) system.
NNPC Ltd has been involved in LNG trading since 2021, with its first LNG cargo sale in November of that year.
It has since traded over 20 cargoes into the European and Asian markets on FOB basis.
Speaking on the development, the Executive President for the Downstream at the NNPC Limited, Mr Dapo Segun, said: “The DES system, apart from being more financially rewarding, allows NNPC Ltd inroads into the downstream segment of the LNG sector and positions it to capture more market shares while building in-house capacity and ensuring that global customers are familiar with the NNPC Ltd brand.”
The collaboration between NNPC LNG Ltd and NNPC Shipping Ltd in executing the LNG supplies on DES basis has strengthened the latter’s position as a world-class shipping provider in the LNG sector.
“NNPC Shipping intends to build a shipping portfolio (including owned vessels) so that we can provide our sister company and other clients all the shipping flexibilities they need,” Managing Director of NNPC Shipping, Panos Gliatis said.
NNPC LNG Ltd, in collaboration with NNPC Shipping Ltd, is scheduled to deliver, at least, two more LNG cargoes to the Asian market on DES basis by November. Many more orders are expected before the end of year.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Hydrogen offers promising potential, yet challenges related to transportation and storage must be addressed.
Similarly, geothermal energy, which employs drilling techniques akin to those in oil and gas, remains underexplored in West Africa—an issue I left our energy commission to ponder on.
I also questioned why hydropower is often overlooked in renewable energy discussions and emphasized the need to develop smart grid infrastructure to minimize transmission losses as we expand solar and other renewable investments.
Contrary to fears that the energy transition will eliminate jobs, I argued that it will transform them.
I advocated for our educational curriculum to be revamped to equip students with the hands-on skills required for the evolving energy sector.
The example of petroleum engineers in the Middle East being retrained to install solar panels is a case in point.
It is disheartening to see our brightest engineers leaving the continent. Adapting our curricula to include emerging technologies like AI is crucial.
I also punctuated the need for robust investment in research and development, particularly in renewable energy, and called for governments to intentionally support businesses that are building technologies in Africa, reducing dependency on imports.
Finally, I accentuated the importance of creating favourable policies that encourage the growth of startups and the development of skilled professionals.
I was honoured to contribute to this critical discourse with other key industry professionals. My immense gratitude to African Centre for Energy Policy for creating a platform for key discussions such as these to take place.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 
