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
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved payment of N2trillion as legacy debt for power generation companies, following threats by gas companies to declare force majeure in their operations.
The fund will defray legacy debts to gas companies to allow efficient gas supply to the power sector going forward.
Nigeria’s Minister for Power Adebayo Adelabu disclosed this at the BusinessDay Energy Conference in Lagos.
Mr Adebayo added that the federal government will commence the World Bank Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up, DARES, $750 million facility to increase access to electricity for 2.5 million people through the deployment of solar home systems and mini grids to households, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, throughout Nigeria, educational and health facilities.
“This is in addition to the recently concluded $550 million Nigeria Electrification Plan which has bridged the energy access deficit by providing electricity to over 1.1 million households, MSMEs, educational and healthcare facilities in unserved and underserved rural communities.
“We believe that the global shift towards renewable energy is not just an environmental necessity but also an economic one.
“Nigeria is blessed with abundant renewable resources, and we aim to continue tapping into these renewable sources to diversify our energy mix, reduce our carbon footprint, and ensure energy security.
“We have also secured a presidential approval to defray legacy debts to gas companies to allow efficient gas supply to the power sector going forward and a payment mechanism to address Generation Companies debts to ensure necessary maintenance are resolved and evacuation capacity optimisation.
“With this effort, we aim to not only increase our generation capacity but also improve the efficiency and reliability of our power supply,” Mr Adelabu said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
CEMENCO Liberia has signed-up to be the largest customer to the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) by connecting its factory to the LEC grid that will now serve as the main source of its power generation.
At a ceremony to commemorate the commissioning of LEC to CEMENCO held in Monrovia on Wednesday June 5, a formal agreement was signed between the LEC and CEMENCO that is intended to increase revenue for the NEC and reduce production cost of CEMECO.
The partnership took effect by concretizing long months of hard work and cooperation between the two entities, according to a report by the Observer.
The ambitious agreement is the fruit of a joint effort to promote and strengthen the local electricity network.
The agreement also means the LEC will not only be able to increase its investment capacities, but also allow CEMENCO to reduce its dependence on generators.
According to Mr. William Ph. Gaignard, Managing Director of CEMENCO, said this progress is crucial to improving the reliability of the company’s electricity supply, an essential factor for the economic and social development of the country.
He also said, in addition to the progress, his company CEMENCO, will be able to benefit from renewable electricity which is essential in the company’s approach to reducing carbon emissions.
Said William Ph. Gaignard: “It is undeniable that this agreement goes beyond the simple supply of electricity. It also represents an exceptional opportunity for exchanges between our two companies.
CEMENCO, as a priority partner, must play a key role in obtaining the supply of cement and ready-mixed concrete for all LEC projects, with qualitative and quantitative offers but also with the best financial solutions.”
“Our focus is to do two things, which include getting customers legally connected to the grid, creating access to both private and public sectors and paying attention to the energy transition. We, at LEC, will be moving towards an energy transition that moves us to renewable energy.”
Speaking, Mr. Monie Captan, LEC’s chief executive officer, commended CEMENCO for the confidence and disclosed of the LEC plans to connect other large businesses and entities, including the Roberts International Airport (RIA).
He said, the LEC business strategy is to ensure that people using its service are metered and connected because, according to him, a survey has shown that 98% of people that were in illegal connections did not have meters and their strategy was to ensure that they metered them which has reduced commercial losses significantly.
“Expending the grid is a challenge for the government. In terms of poverty reduction, it is our mission to create access to electricity.
“We are carefully working to ensure more commercial entities get connected to the National grid. Today, CEMENCO joins a number of large customers including the US embassy.
“I also want to inform you that in a couple of weeks the Roberts International Airport (RIA) will also be connected to the LEC,” he added.
Mr. Captain also announced that, through the assistance of the World Bank, LEC are extending Mount Coffey, which has a resort capacity of 80-megawatt and they will be extending it to 148-megawatt.
“The financing is available, we are now working on the procurement process. We are also adding the first utility size solar plant to the LEC generation portfolio which is a 20-megawatt solar plant at mount Coffey and that will be available by the end of next year. We are moving heavily to renewable energy so going forward, every hydro project we pursue we want to have a complimentary solar plant.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
From July, the European Union is set to impose additional tariffs of up to 25% on imports of China-made electric vehicles as part of its investigation into anti-competitive Chinese subsidies for EVs, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, quoting sources familiar with the European Commission’s decision.
The Commission plans to slap provisional tariffs on imports of EVs made in China, depending on the car manufacturer and the extent of the competition-undermining subsidies the EU has identified in its ongoing investigation, according to FT’s sources.
The tariffs are set to raise more than $2.15 billion (2 billion euros) per year for the EU budget as Chinese sales of electric vehicles in Europe are growing, the FT notes.
France and Spain have spearheaded the decision to impose provisional tariffs, while Germany has opposed them arguing it would risk a trade war with China and ultimately make EVs more expensive.
German and other foreign automakers with production in China could also become subject to tariffs for their China-made vehicles in the EU. They also risk a Chinese retaliation with tariffs on other models in China.
EU member states are set to vote on tariffs on China-made EVs before early November.
France and Spain lead the effort to protect local EU manufacturing with tariffs, while Germany, Hungary, and Sweden are leading the opposition to the move, according to FT’s sources.
The EU launched in October 2023 anti-subsidy investigations into EU imports of EVs from China to determine whether the value chains in China benefit from illegal subsidies.
A potential EU tariff of 20% on China-made electric vehicles would cost China $3.8 billion worth of EV exports to the bloc, but it would also cost EU end-consumers “noticeably higher prices,” Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy said in an analysis last month
Source: Oilprice.com
Malawi has prescribed stiffer sanctions for illegal electricity connection and meter tampering in its amended Electricity Act 2024, with an offender liable for 20 years imprisonment or a fine of K100 million(US$57,686.76).
Previously, an offender could be jailed for 10 years or fined MK5 million.
The amended Electricity Act 2024 which has been assented to by President Lazarus Chakwera is intended to stop vandalism and criminal activities being perpetrated by Malawians.
According to Sally Mtambo, Legal Director of Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), the company has suffered heavily due to vandalism.
She said this prompted them to take drastic steps to amend the law to reflect the severity of the offence.
She said from a general penalty of 10 years imprisonment and MK5 million fine, the new law provides K100 million and 20-year imprisonment for illegal connection or meter tampering or theft of electricity.
“K150 million and 25-year imprisonment if ESCOM/Licensee employee or former employee assists in electricity theft. The fine for denying access to premises for ESCOM/Licensee to carry out works is now at K50 million and 10 years imprisonment.
“Failure to carry out an order of the Licensee will cost K100 million and 20 years imprisonment.
“There is also 30 years imprisonment for non-fineable offences for vandalism and being found in possession of stolen equipment belonging to ESCOM/Licensee,” Mtambo said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria’s Customs Service has announced the seizure of 280,135 litres of petrol (PMS) valued at N115 million.
The products which were in gallons were seized in the West African nation during a seven-day operation, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this to reporters at a news conference on Monday in Yola, Adamawa.
This feat, Bashir Adeniyi said, was achieved through intensive operations by Operation Whirlwind which seized 105,950 litres while the Federal Operating Units and Marine Commands seized 120,185 litres respectively.
According to him, smuggling is a sabotage to the Nigerian economy, hence, the need for cooperation of security agencies and individuals to curb the menace.
“These activities, if left unchecked, could further deteriorate the country’s economic situation and exacerbate current foreign exchange challenges.
“The influx of unaccounted foreign currency could be channeled into funding illegitimate activities, including the support of non-state actors engaged in criminal activities against the Nigerian state.
“These issues have serious implications for national security, making it imperative to check, curtail and dismantle. Achieving this requires the cooperation and collaboration of patriotic agencies,” he said as carried by News Agency of Nigeria.
Mr Adeniyi said that Operation Whirlwind of the Customs Area Commands remained vigilant against illicit activities of smugglers targeting petroleum products.
The Customs boss said the nationwide operation was aimed at ensuring that Nigerians enjoy the full benefits of fuel price deregulation in line with the vision of President Bola Tinubu.
“Defend the national currency and reduce pressures that may be attributed to the activities of smugglers.
“Identify, dismantle and disrupt cartels of smugglers operating within the ecosystem. Raise awareness of the local communities and solicit their support to achieve these objectives,” he said.
Also speaking, Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director, Distribution System, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI) of the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), lauded the personnel over the development.
While describing cross border diversion of petrol as economic sabotage, Ukoha reiterated the commitment of the Service to collaborate with security agencies to end smuggling in the country.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 
