The Republic of Guinea has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia to cooperate on the development of floating nuclear power to deal with Guinea’s electricity supply challenges.
The MoU was signed on June 7, 2024, during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum between the Mechanical Engineering Division of Rosatom, the state atomic corporation of Russia, and the Government of Guinea.
The signing was witnessed by Andrey Nikipelov, Deputy Director General for Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Solutions of ROSATOM, and Igor Kotov, Head of Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division.
Under the reached agreements, the parties will explore the implementation of floating power units in the Republic of Guinea and work on the project’s terms and conditions.
The signed memorandum supplements the roadmap of Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division for the production of advanced equipment for the new generation of the nuclear industry and demonstrates the high global interest in our technology.
Commenting, Vladimir Aptekarev, Deputy Head of ROSATOM’s Mechanical Engineering Division, said: “The cooperation involves joint work on developing a power supply solution both to industrial and domestic consumers in the Republic of Guinea, by deploying floating nuclear power units with RITM-200 reactors, which have already proven efficient.
As you know, the power supply issue in the African region is urgent, and our main task is to provide a fast, reliable, and environmentally friendly solution for our partners.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The UK could be producing 30% more oil from the North Sea in 2030 than previously expected if investments worth some $25 billion (20 billion pounds) are deployed for that purpose.
This is according to Offshore Energies UK, formerly Oil and Gas UK, the industry group that earlier today published its Economy and People Report 2024.
In the report, the authority also said that with the right political support investment in what it calls offshore energy could rise to over $25 billion from $16.5 billion in 2023.
The offshore energy that OEUK talked about included oil and gas, hydrogen, carbon capture, and offshore wind power.
“With supportive policy, the industry can deliver enduring economic value, scale up our supply chain capacity, sustain skilled jobs, deliver energy security, all while delivering on our climate goals,” Offshore Energies UK said.
The UK is currently producing some 1.2 million barrels of oil equivalent but this will fall steeply to just 700,000 barrels daily by 2030, according to forecasts by the North Sea Transition Authority—the industry regulator, as cited by Bloomberg.
According to Offshore Energies UK, the decline could be softened to 900,000 bpd if investments keep flowing into the industry, a 30% increase on current estimates.
Yet for that to happen, oil and gas operators in the North Sea need a hand from the government.
They are, however, unlikely to get that hand if the next government is Labour, which appears to be the case per recent polls that predicted “political extinction” for the Conservatives.
There has been little difference on energy transition matters between Labour and Conservatives but the latter have signaled some support for continued oil and gas production, and even new exploration licenses.
Labour, on the other hand, plans to hike taxes for the industry even higher if it wins the vote, and it also promised its voters to cancel new exploration licenses.
In a further blow to the industry, a Labour government would scrap a tac inventive dubbed investment allowance that exempts profits from taxes as long as they are reinvested in production.
Source:Oilprice.com
Zambia’s power utility company, Zesco Limited, has restored power supply to parts of the country that experienced supply interruptions caused by the South African Power Pool (SAPP) interconnected network
Parts of Zambia experienced a power cut at about 17:05 hours on Monday.
The corporation, in a statement, assured its customers that it was doing its best to rectify the problem and restore power supply to all affected areas.
In the latest update on the situation, the power utility notified Zambians that power supply had been restored to Northern, Muchinga, Luapula, Eastern and Central provinces at 19:17 hours.
“ZESCO expressed regret about the inconvenience caused by the unplanned power supply interruption,” the statement ended.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria’s national oil company, NNPC Limited, is pushing for the establishment of a specialised court to deal with persons who would be caught involved in crude oil theft and vandalism of crude oil pipelines.
The company’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mele Kyari, believes that it is about time the country’s judiciary
supported in tackling the twin challenges of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
Kyari made the call in a speech read for him at the National Judges’ Capacity Building Workshop on the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, in Abuja, last week, stating that the gains of the PIA have been severely undermined by crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
In light of this, he urged the judiciary to consider the creation of a special court to try offences related to crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism or granting accelerated hearings to such cases.
According to him, the role of the judiciary was critical to the success of the efforts of the various security arrangements put in place by the NNPC, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in the industry.
“In particular, is the recommendation that a special court be created to try those offences as they hinge on our survival as a country and/or for such trials to be conducted under an accelerated hearing process by the issuance of Practice Directions to that effect, with concomitant sanctions to deter would-be offenders,” Kyari stated.
The GCEO also called on the judiciary to accelerate hearings on criminal cases in their courts, through timely determination of the criminal charges and imposing adequate punishments and sanctions on culprits to serve as deterrence to others.
He said that NNPC remains committed to collaborating with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the PIA, adding that “together, we can ensure that the benefits of our natural resources are maximised for the economic and social development of our country.”
Kyari also commended the Chief Justice of the Federation, Olukayode Ariwoola, and the organisers of the workshop for extending the invitation to him and the opportunity to deliver a goodwill message at the workshop.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
A Tamale District Court has sentenced a man to a six-month jail term for illegally connecting power and consuming it freely from the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).
The convict, Wahab Shiraz, will also pay a fine of 500 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢6,000 to the state.
The convict who is a resident of Bulpella, a suburb of Tamale, is also expected to pay GH¢10,096.55 to the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), an estimated value of the electricity he had stolen.
The court presided over by Justice Derrick Annan, stated that should Shiraz fail to pay the amount owed to the state, he would face an additional seven months in prison.
Wahab Shiraz pleaded guilty to the charge of interference with the “electricity distribution system” under Rule 41 (2A) and 1 (6) of the Electricity Supply and Distribution Rules 2005 (L.I.1816).
His illegal activities were uncovered during NEDCo’s Mass Revenue Mobilisation Exercise in December 2023.
After receiving an illegal connection notice and failing to report for investigation, Shiraz’s case was referred to the Tamale police, leading to his prosecution and conviction.
Following the sentencing, NEDCo’s legal representative, Ms Esther Yirbom, urged the public to avoid illegal power connections and instead, take advantage of NEDCo’s resolution options.
She highlighted that suspects who cooperate by paying for stolen power and signing a bond of good behaviour might face reduced penalties if their cases go to court.
Ms Yirbom emphasised that while these measures do not absolve the offence, they could mitigate the severity of punishment.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
UK’s Liberal Democrats say fuel duty relief should be expanded to 20 new areas to support motorists in rural communities.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said “a real rescue plan” is needed to support rural communities struggling with “outrageous pump prices”.
The party suggested Cornwall, Cumbria, Shropshire, Yorkshire in England, and rural parts of Scotland and Wales should be included in the scheme.
The scheme currently applies to 21 areas across the country including the Isles of Scilly, three postcode districts in England, and the Highlands and Orkney and Shetland in Scotland.
The Liberal Democrats earlier pledged in its manifesto to help motorists in rural areas who face higher fuel costs by expanding rural fuel duty relief – but have now expanded on their plans.
Fuel retailers can apply for relief of 5p per litre of petrol or diesel, which is then passed on to motorists through reductions in price at the pump.
Mr Davey said: “People in rural areas have been clobbered by the cost-of-living crisis and the Conservatives have just not done enough to support them.
“The Conservatives have let the cost-of-living crisis hit rural communities hard.
“They have ignored Liberal Democrat calls to expand rural fuel duty relief, left roads to crumble and cut public transport options, including rural bus routes.”
The Conservative government brought in a temporary cut to the overall rate of fuel duty in 2022, and it has remained in place since then, with the party’s manifesto mentioning that it is something which has been “prioritised”.
The Liberal Democrats said that their plans would cost an additional £7m per year by the end of the next Parliament.
It has also backed calls for a Pumpwatch scheme so drivers can compare fuel prices in different areas.
Source:BBC.com
Some unidentified gunmen have attacked soldiers said to be guarding the major Niger-Benin oil pipeline, resulting in the death of six of the soldiers.
Three security sources confirmed the attack, which took place between the villages of Salkam and Tibiri in Niger’s southeastern Dosso region.
According to Oilprice.com, the assault was targeted at a patrol unit assigned to protect the pipeline.
Despite the violence, the pipeline itself sustained no damage, according to one source.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
However, the region is known for the presence of militant groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS, raising concerns about the potential involvement of these groups.
This marks the first attack on security forces tasked with safeguarding the pipeline. This has highlighted the escalating risks in the area, including risk to oil infrastructure.
The Niger-Benin pipeline is designed to transport crude oil from Niger’s Agadem field to the Port of Seme in Benin; it covers approximately 2,000 kilometres.
The pipeline represents a crucial economic development for Niger, providing a reliable export route that can boost its oil revenue.
Niger’s oil industry, relatively nascent, began significant production in 2011 with the development of the Agadem oil field by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has announced a drop in the price of petrol by KSh3 while that of diesel by KSh6.08 per litre and that of kerosene by Sh5.71 per litre.
EPRA announced the new prices in the latest review done on Friday, according a report by Kenya Star.
The review will cover the period between June 15, 2024, to July 14, 2024.
In Nairobi, super petrol, diesel and kerosene will now retail at Sh189.84, Sh173.10 and Sh163.05, respectively, effective midnight for the next 30 days.
In Mombasa, super petrol will sell at Sh186.66, diesel at Sh169.93 and kerosene at Sh160.
In Nakuru, the retail prices for petrol, diesel and kerosene will be Sh188.90, Sh172.54 and Sh162.57 respectively.
The prices in Eldoret will be Sh189.67, Sh173.31 and Sh163.34 for super petrol, diesel and kerosene respectively.
The prices are inclusive of the 16 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT).
EPRA said the drop is in line with the provisions of the Finance Act 2023, the Tax Laws (Amendment) Act 2020 and the revised rates for excise duty adjusted for inflation as per Legal Notice No. 194 of 2020.
“The average landed cost of imported Super Petrol decreased by 1.95 per cent from US$765.87 per cubic metre in April 2024 to US$750.95 per cubic metre in May 2024,” EPRA said.
EPRA added that diesel decreased by 3.92 per cent from US$719.21 per cubic metre to US$690.99 per cubic metre while Kerosene decreased by 6.84 percent from US$728.97 per cubic metre to US$679.14 per cubic metre.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Seplat Energy is pursuing a swift conclusion to its $1.28 billion acquisition of ExxonMobil’s Nigerian shallow water oil assets, it said on Friday after being notified that NNPC had halted a legal challenge to the deal.
State oil company NNPC had challenged Exxon’s sale of the assets to Seplat, saying it had first right of refusal. The deal was further held up by regulatory issues.
“Seplat Energy commends the open cooperation and progress achieved by all stakeholders, and will diligently engage with all key stakeholders, including the government, in progressing towards a swift completion of the acquisition,” a Seplat statement said.
An NNPC spokesperson was unable to provide immediate comment.
Analysts have said that the Exxon-Seplat deal would inject much-needed capital into Nigeria’s oil industry, potentially leading to improved output. It would also signal to investors that similar deals, such as Shell’s asset sale to Renaissance in January, are likely to gain regulatory approval.
Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, relies on crude oil for more than 90% of its foreign exchange and half its budget. However, output has declined in recent years owing to underinvestment and theft.
Oil majors operating in Nigeria, including Shell and TotalEnergies, have been exiting their onshore shallow water operations to focus on deepwater drilling operations.
Source: Reuters.com
Russia has expressed readiness to engage any African government that is interested in adopting the use of floating nuclear power plant to address energy supply challenges and ensure sustainable development.
Although there are land-based nuclear power plants across Europe, United States of America, Asia and South Africa, Russia is the first country in the world to have designed and operated floating nuclear power plant since August 2020.
The floating nuclear power plant – Akademik Lomonosov – was named after the 18th century Russian scientist, Mikhail Lomonosov.
The plant is located in Pevek, and it serves the Chukotka Region, the northernmost and coldest part of Russia.
It is equipped with two KLT-40S reactor systems each, with a 35MWe capacity similar to those used on icebreakers.
Designed by Russian nuclear scientists and naval architects, the vessel is 144 metres long and 30 metres wide, and it has a displacement of 21,000 tonnes.
The Editor of Energy News Africa Limited, Mr Michael Creg Afful, had a rare opportunity to tour the facility with some reporters from South Africa, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia and India at the instance of Russia’s state nuclear power corporation ROSATOM.
The reporters were welcomed by Andrey Valeryevich Zaslavsky, the Chief Engineer of the Floating Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP).
He took the reporters through the operations of the FNPP.
After his presentation, Viktor Nikolayevich Chyorny, the Deputy Chief Engineer for Engineering Support and Quality, conducted the reporters to tour the facility.
Viktor Nikolayevich Chyorny, the Deputy Chief Engineer for Engineering Support and Quality at the FNPP.
Speaking to Viktor Nikolayevich, Mr. Afful was told that the facility had been operating for almost four years without recording any incident.
Viktor Nikolayevich told energynewsafrica.com that great lessons had been learnt since they started operating the FNPP, adding that “floating nuclear power technology is viable and feasible.”
Going into the future, Viktor Nikolayevich said Russia would be developing more floating nuclear power plants with higher generation capacity than the Akademik Lomonosov, which has two reactors each with a capacity of 35MWe.
Asked whether Akademik Lomonosov had been designed in such way that it could be operated under different weather conditions, Viktor Nikolayevich responded positively.
He explained that the FNPP is fully automated and designed with environmental safety, including the security of the crew.
“The FNPP can operate at temperatures ranging from minus 50 to plus 50 Centigrade,” he said.
Comparing the advantages of land-based nuclear power plant to floating nuclear power plant, Viktor Nikolayevich said floating nuclear power plant is cheaper to construct and can be moved to any location when it is needed.
“There is also zero CO2 emissions, predictability of operating costs throughout the whole FNPP’s lifecycle leading to low fuel prices volatility,’’ he said.
“Floating nuclear power plant will take about four years to construct,” he added.
He stressed that Russia would be more than willing to engage any African nation that is interested in floating nuclear power to solve their energy needs
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
More than 33 ministers and 100 high-level public sector officials from across Africa will travel to Spain for the 26th edition of the Africa Energy Forum (aef), 25-28 June, at the Fira de Montjuïc, Barcelona.
With Spain’s commitment of $2.3 billion in funding to South Africa and its recently announced support for green hydrogen projects in Mauritania, the country joins France, Germany, Italy, the EU and the UK as European nations step up their commitment to clean energy development in the African continent.
But is the private sector ready for the investment opportunities that could potentially double those commitments?
Renewable energy capacity in Africa has almost doubled in the last decade, but it’s not enough.
A recent study from Climate Analytics indicates that Africa needs $100 billion a year in climate finance – five times current investment levels – to meet the renewable energy goals agreed at COP28.
As investors from nearly 90 countries around the world prepare to arrive in Barcelona for aef24, Simon Gosling, EnergyNet, said,
“The private sector has already demonstrated its willingness to commit billions to projects, but projects still aren’t moving fast enough.
“It’s the industrialised nations that will be most affected if Africa cannot significantly increase its electrification rates and unlock the investment landscape that is inhibiting proven private sector players.
“World food security, access to minerals, textiles, and industrial growth are critical to future economic growth, health, and sustainability. With Africa forecast to be home to a quarter of the world’s population under 25 years by 2050, red tape must be reduced, and projects must start happening at scale and pace.”
This year’s theme, ‘Energy Systems for the Future – Balancing Africa’s Needs with Global Goals’ is set to tackle these barriers head on.
Public and private sector stakeholders will spend almost a full half-day together, behind closed doors, discussing the challenges both sides are facing. All attending ministers and Vice Presidents, as well as heads of utilities (national and municipal), regulatory bodies, DFIs, and private investors, will be in the room.
The new Corporate Leadership Roundtable will also give private sector developers and investors a platform to debate the opportunities and challenges they face in moving projects forward, sparking vital discussions before they meet with Ministers and utilities to establish an improved path for Africa’s energy sector.
This innovative format will create the most high-level sessions ever held at the Africa Energy Forum, where business leaders can spend exclusive, quality time with public sector counterparts.
Key topics on the agenda across the four days include the potential of hydrogen on the continent; grid management; energy storage and distribution; the future roles of gas and mining; advancing renewable energy projects, distributed power, and commercial and industrial (C&I) projects to accelerate universal access; navigating power markets; and Africa’s broader energy transition.
Among the nearly 2,500 delegates attending, an unprecedented number of ministers from across Africa will be in attendance, including ministers from Nigeria, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Togo, Gabon, Central African Republic and Zambia.
“As specialists in renewable energy with transformative projects in Nigeria and Angola, for the second consecutive year, we are proud to be the forum sponsor of this imperative event for Africa,” said Adam Cortese, CEO, Sun Africa.
Wale Shonibare, Director, Energy Finance Solutions, Policy & Regulations, African Development Bank (AfDB), added: “The African Development Bank’s participation at the Africa Energy Forum underscores our commitment to sustained dialogue, collaboration, and partnerships to transform the energy landscape across Africa.
“In Barcelona, the Bank will showcase initiatives aimed at innovating finance, delivering technical assistance, and mobilizing investments to achieve universal access to modern, affordable, and reliable energy in Africa.”
As global stakeholders in energy, including the World Bank, Engie, Power Africa, and TotalEnergies, return to aef for 2024, they will be joined by new, significant partners such as Pele Green Energy and Juwi Renewable Energy, as the forum continues to expand its reach and influence year on year.
Ghana’s power transmission company (GRIDCo) and the Electricity Company of Ghana Limited (ECG) have confirmed that the reduction in gas supply from Nigeria has reduced power generation in the West African nation.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday night, the two entities revealed that the development has already caused power supply interruptions in the country since Wednesday, June 12, 2024.
This portal reported on Wednesday that the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) had announced a drop in volume of gas available for transportation to customers in Benin, Togo and Ghana.
The company said this is due to ongoing maintenance works by one of its gas producers in Nigeria.
“One of the producers of the natural gas WAPCo transports from Nigeria has shut down its facility for a three-week maintenance, resulting in a decrease of gas available for WAPCo to transport to customers in Togo, Benin and Ghana,” the company explained in a statement copied to energynewsafrica.com said.
According to GRIDCo and ECG, the maintenance could result in load management over the period.
The duo, however, assured the public that it is collaborating with other stakeholders in the power value chain to optimise available resources to ensure minimal impact of the reduction in gas supply on customers.
Ghana relies on natural gas from Nigeria and domestic natural gas from Ghana Natural Gas Company to power most of the thermal power plants owned by VRA and Independent Power Generators.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria’s power transmission company, TCN, has reported that two of its towers–T193 and T194–along the Damaturu-Maiduguri 330 Kilo Volt (KV Single Circuit) transmission line have again been destroyed by vandals.
Ndidi Mbah, TCN’S General Manager Public Affairs, said this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Mrs Mbah, the incident happened at about 10:15 pm on Tuesday night, when the 150 Mega Volt Ampere (MVA) power transformer at Molai substation tripped.
She said that the tripping happened at the same time as the 330kV transmission line supplying bulk power to Maiduguri from Damaturu Transmission Substation.
After the line tripping, efforts were made by TCN engineers to close the Mulai–Damaturu line to enable bulk transmission of electricity, which failed repeatedly.
“Early today, TCN lines engineers along with security operatives patrolled the line and discovered that towers 193 and 194 along the 330kV transmission line were brought down using an explosive device, which fragments are scattered at the site of the incident.
”The area affected by this incident is Maiduguri and its environs,” she said.
Mrs Mbah recalled that on December 28, 2023, towers T193, T194 and T195 were destroyed using similar improvised explosives.
She said that two out of the towers in question were the towers affected by the Tuesday vandalism attack, which were rebuilt after that incident.
According to her, TCN is currently assessing the situation with a view to deciding the best approach at ensuring temporary restoration of the power supply while a contractor is mobilised to rebuild the two transmission towers.
”We will continue to do everything possible with the assistance of security operatives to protect our transmission towers.
”We are also calling upon the government and well-meaning Nigerians to join in the fight against the destruction of our collective national assets,” she said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has announced a drop in volume of gas available for transportation to customers in Benin, Togo and Ghana.
The company said this is due to ongoing maintenance works by one of its gas producers in Nigeria.
“One of the producers of the natural gas WAPCo transports from Nigeria has shut down its facility for a three-week maintenance, resulting in a decrease of gas available for WAPCo to transport to customers in Togo, Benin and Ghana,” a statement issued by WAPCo and copied to energynewsafrica.com said.
“The current situation is entirely out of WAPCo’s control,” the statement added.
WAPCo said it continues to transport gas from the Western Region of Ghana to Tema, and it expects normalcy to return after the maintenance activities.
This portal cannot tell the current volume of gas available for WAPCo to transport to Ghana.
However, this portal can confirm that the situation is likely to reduce power generation and, therefore, result in pockets of outages in some parts of the West African nation.
Ghana relies on natural gas from Nigeria and domestic natural gas from Ghana Natural Gas Company to power most of the thermal power plants owned by VRA and Independent Power Generators.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
