Ghana: Stephen Ntim Gets NPA Board Chairman Appointment
Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has appointed the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as the Board Chairman of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator.
Mr Ntim replaces Mr Joe Addo-Yobo, who served as Board Chairman from 2017.
A few weeks ago, there was a speculation that Mr Ntim had gotten the appointment.
Then, on Tuesday, Ghana’s Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, confirmed Mr Ntim’s appointment on his Facebook page.
He wrote: “Earlier today, 21st May 2024, I swore into office, newly appointed Board Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mr Stephen Ayesu Ntim.
”I charged the new chairman of the downstream regulator to focus on key priorities; strengthening regulatory frameworks, enhancing operational efficiencies and ensuring that the NPA operates with the highest standards of integrity and accountability.
“National Chairman of my beloved New Patriotic Party, Mr Ntim, is not new to leadership and, therefore, I have no doubt that he has what it takes to steer the NPA to achieve its objectives for the benefit of all Ghanaians,” he said.
Mr Ntim was the Board Chairman of the Lands Commission and it is not clear why the President moved him to the NPA.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
U.S. Department Of Energy To Release 1 Million Barrels Of Gasoline From Northeas
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the sale of 1 million barrels (42 million gallons) of gasoline from the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve (NGSR) aimed at alleviating gasoline prices as Americans gear up for the summer driving season and ahead of U.S. elections this fall.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is laser-focused on lowering prices at the pump for American families, especially as drivers hit the road for summer driving season,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.
By releasing this reserve between Memorial Day and July 4th, the administration aims to ensure a steady fuel supply in the Northeast during a peak travel period.
The gasoline will be sold in increments of 100,000 barrels to encourage competitive bidding among retailers and terminal operators.
The DOE has designated storage sites in Port Reading, NJ (900,000 barrels) and South Portland, ME (98,824 barrels) for this release.
Successful bidders will receive their allocations by June 30, 2024, ensuring ample supply ahead of the July 4th holiday.
Bids are due by 11:00 a.m. Central Time on May 28, 2024, with revenues from the sale directed to the U.S. Treasury.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to manage the country’s petroleum reserves effectively and ensure energy security.
By introducing nearly 1 million barrels of gasoline into the commercial market, the DOE hopes to stabilize prices and provide relief to consumers.
The Department of Energy established in 2014 the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve (NGSR)—the first federal, regional, refined petroleum product reserve containing gasoline—following the 2012 Superstorm Sandy in the northeastern United States.
The NGSR holds one million barrels of gasoline, including 700,000 barrels located in the New York Harbor area, 200,000 barrels in the Boston area, and 100,000 barrels in South Portland, Maine.
Source: Oilprice.com
Ghana: Petroleum Tanker Drivers On Strike – They’ve Accused NPA, AOMC Of Refusing To Approve Conditions Of Service Framework
Petroleum haulage tanker drivers in the Republic of Ghana on Tuesday declared a nationwide strike action in protest of the refusal of some stakeholders to approve a condition of service document for drivers and their mates.
The drivers are accusing the Board of NPA, the regulator of the petroleum downstream, and the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC), of refusing to sign the document which had received approval by majority members of a committee that was constituted to draft conditions of service framework for drivers and their mates.
The composition of the committee was facilitated by the NPA and is chaired by the Deputy CEO of NPA, Curtis Perry Okudzeto.
The poor conditions of tanker drivers and their mates have been an issue that has lingered on for several years.
As a result of poor working conditions, some drivers in the past used to siphon fuel in the course of their journeys to discharge fuel to service stations.
However, the introduction of trackers on the trucks and setting up of an electronic cargo tracking system that allows NPA to monitor fuel tankers from the point of loading to the destination has stopped the fuel siphoning.
With drafting of the condition of services framework, the drivers and their mates had high hopes that their years of misery was going to end.
Sadly, that appears to have been quashed for now.
In a petition to President Akufo-Addo dated May 7, 2024, the National Executives of Ghana National Tanker Drivers Union (GNTDU), the drivers narrated the genesis of the conditions of service framework drawing the attention of the President that he directed the then Minister Boakye Agyarko and former CEO NPA Hassan Tampuli in August 2017 to ensure that their grievances were addressed.
They said when Boakye Agyarko exited the Ministry and John Peter Amewu was appointed, he (Amewu) called for emergency meeting where a proposal was tabled to segregate drivers and mates margins allocated to transporters within the Unified Petroleum Price Fund (UPPF).
This directive, according to the drivers, was not followed through.
They said following a series of threats in 2023, the NPA constituted a committee comprising representatives from the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Employment and Labour, Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC), National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), General Transport Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union (GTPCWU), Tanker Owners Union (TOU), and Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union (GNPTDU).
They said the committee worked for six months and drafted a conditions of service framework that was unanimously accepted by all the representatives and the document was to be implemented in November 2023.
The drivers expressed shock that the new board of AOMC had kicked against the conditions of service framework with the claim that their representative was not authorised to endorse the document the multiple stakeholders agreed to its implementation, a position that the driver described as untenable.
The drivers urged President Akufo-Addo to step in to resolve the issue.
Speaking, George Nyaunu, the National Chairman of GNPTDU, said they issued two weeks ultimatum to the NPA to resolve the issue but the authority didn’t respond.
He continued that their petition to the President had not yet been responded to, adding “it appears nobody wants to address our conditions of service issue so we have laid down our tools.
“We are not going to work,” he added.
When contacted, Communications Manager for NPA Kudus Mohammed said payment of salaries to workers is the sole responsibility of employers.
“It is not our mandate to determine salaries for drivers. It is the duty of employer,” he explained.
He said the CEO of NPA, out of good heart he had for the drivers because of their poor working conditions, facilitated the composition of the committee to look into the grievances of the drivers.
He said there was some disagreement on some of the things that had already been agreed, stating that some of the stakeholders wanted some of the proposals in the document reviewed.
He rejected the claim by the drivers that the NPA had refused to sign the document.
He wondered why the drivers are saying that NPA had refused to sign the document when it would not have any effect on the regulator.
“The allegation against NPA is wild. This is not something that is going to be charged on NPA, so why would the Board refuse to sign,” he quizzed.
The new CEO of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies Dr. Riverson Oppong was not available when reached via telephone.
Checks at the TOR and BOST depots in Accra and Kumasi showed that the drivers had packed their trucks and congregate themselves and discussing their poor working conditions.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Morocco: Chariot Begins Second Drilling Operation On Dartois Prospect Onshore Morocco
Chariot Limited, the Africa focused transitional energy group, has announced the spudding of OBA-1 well on the Dartois prospect in the Loukos Onshore licence in Morocco, with a best estimate recoverable prospective resources of 12 Bcf.
Success in the drilling operation could potentially unlock a trend of prospects with combined best estimate recoverable prospective resources of 20 Bcf, Chariot Limited said in a statement on Monday, May 20, 2024.
“We are pleased to be underway with our second well in this drilling campaign, having spud the OBA-1 well within short order of completing operations at Gaufrette,” said Duncan Wallace, Technical Director of Chariot.
“We are now testing an independent prospect at Dartois, which is in a different reservoir fairway and along trend from an existing gas discovery, and we look forward to providing an update on the results in due course,” he added.
The results will be announced on completion of drilling, the company said.
As an Africa focused transitional energy group, Chariot runs three business streams – transitional gas, transitional power and green hydrogen.
While the Transitional Gas unit is focused on high value, low risk gas development projects in Morocco, the Transitional Power unit is focused on providing competitive, sustainable and reliable energy and water solutions across the continent through building, generating and trading renewable power.
Chariot Green Hydrogen meanwhile has partnered with TEH2 (80% owned by TotalEnergies, 20% by the EREN Group) and the Government of Mauritania on the potential development of a 10GW green hydrogen project, Project Nour in Mauritania, and are progressing pilot projects in Morocco.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
OPEC Extends Condolences To Iran Following Death Of President Raisi
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has extended its sincerest and deepest condolences to the family, the leadership and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the entire OPEC Family following the tragic death of H.E. Ayatollah Dr. Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, an OPEC member.
Raisi’s death, along with the foreign minister and other officials in a helicopter crash Sunday in northwestern Iran, came as Iran struggles with internal dissent and its relations with the wider world. In a statement issued by the oil cartel on Monday, May 20, 2024, OPEC Secretary General, H.E Haitham Al Ghais, said: “It is with great sadness and deep sorrow that we have learned of the tragic passing of HE Ayatollah Dr Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and other senior government officials. “In these difficult times, on behalf of myself and all the staff at the OPEC Secretariat, I extend my condolences and sympathy to the esteemed leadership and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the families of HE President Raisi and other officials.” H.E. Al Ghais met with H.E. President Raisi in May 2023 in Tehran, Iran, during the Secretary General’s first official visit to the OPEC Founding Member. The meeting focused on Iran’s role in the global oil and energy markets, as well as the future outlook for investments in the oil industry in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The entire OPEC Family commiserates with the family of HE Dr Raisi, and the leadership and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Source: https://energynewsafrica.comGhana: Petrosol Appoints Former CEO Of VALCO As Its Board Chairman
Petrosol Ghana Limited, an indigenous oil marketing company in the Republic of Ghana has appointed Mr. Daniel Acheampong, a distinguished corporate leader and former Chief Executive Officer of Volta Aluminium Company Ltd (VALCO), as its Board Chairman.
He formally assumed the Chairmanship role on Thursday, 16th May, 2024, a statement issued by the oil firm said.
Mr. Acheampong, who spent 36 years in VALCO, playing various key roles, rose through the ranks to senior leadership and by dint of hard work, performance, professionalism, ethical conduct, and excellent leadership qualities, was appointed as the CEO of VALCO in January 2014. He served diligently for almost a decade in this position and retired at the end of July, 2023.
Prior to becoming the CEO, he served as the Deputy CEO in charge of Human Resources and Administration, Public, and Legal Affairs, after having previously served as the Director of Human Resources and Administration of VALCO.
Mr. Acheampong is a Human Resource practitioner by profession and prior to assuming the role of CEO of VALCO, had close to thirty (30) years of contemporary experience in the field of Human Resource Management and Strategic Leadership.
Thus, on becoming the CEO of VALCO in 2014, he leveraged all his internal and external influences to bring about increased confidence, commitment and goodwill of major stakeholders towards VALCO’s operations and in particular, towards the Company’s status as the anchor for the implementation of Ghana’s Integrated Aluminium industry.
Prior to joining VALCO in 1987, Mr. Acheampong acquired considerable know-how in Contract and Administrative Law, both at the University and while working for three years as an Administrative and Investigations Officer at the Office of the Ombudsman, now Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
In recognition of Mr. Acheampong’s outstanding contribution to VALCO, a new state-of-the-art steam boiler which VALCO commissioned in March 2024, was named after him by the company.
In the Ghanaian business community, Mr. Acheampong is highly respected, as he served as the President of the Ghana Employers’ Association (GEA) from 2018 to 2024 (6 years), after having previously served as the 1st Vice President. He also served as the President of the Institute of Human Resource Management Practitioners, Ghana (IHRMP) from 2007-2011 (4 years), having previously served as the Institute’s Vice-President.
He is also highly respected by key players in the global aluminium smelter and allied industries.
Mr. Acheampong is a recipient of a number of high-profile awards and was inducted into the Corporate Ghana Hall of Fame in March 2022. He also received the Ghana Business Leaders Life Time Achievement Award in September 2023.
Mr. Acheampong brings to the PETROSOL Board a wealth of strategic leadership qualities, focused on performance or results, as productivity occupies a pride of place in his heart.
Having successfully served on various boards of some key organizations, he will be bringing those experiences to guide the Board of PETROSOL to ensure the achievement of the company’s strategic objectives.
Some of the Boards/Councils/Commissions he served on include: Member, Board of Directors of VALCO; Chairman, Council of the Ghana Employers Association; Chairman, Council of the Institute of Human Resource Management Practitioners, Ghana (IHRMP); Member, National Tripartite Committee; and Member/Vice Chairman of the National Labour Commission (NLC), where he served for 12 years as a Commissioner of the NLC.
He is currently serving a second term on the Board of Trustees of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) as well as on the Boards of some other private firms.
Mr. Acheampong graduated with First Class Honours Degree in Business Administration from the University of Ghana Business School, (UGBS) in 1984, majoring in Management.
With his wealth of contemporary experience in Strategic Human Resource Management and Leadership, Mr. Acheampong holds a global perspective of issues, given his solid professional/executive post-graduate credentials obtained from the Business Schools of the University of Michigan, Harvard University and the Centre for Creative Leadership, all in the United States of America. With productivity so dear to him, he also had a stint in Productivity studies at the Botswana National Institute of Productivity.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Acheampong said, “It is a great honour to be appointed to chair the Board of PETROSOL. Having accepted the challenge of serving on the Board, I wish on behalf of the Team, to assure the Shareholders and all Stakeholders that we will do whatever it legitimately takes to positively transform the company to take its rightful place on the Ghanaian market and beyond.”
He further stated that, “Continuous improvement in the Corporate World is the name of the game” and that “all hands should be on deck as we move into the Change Management or Transformation mode.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
South Africa: Millions Of Electricity Metering Systems Converted To Curb Theft
South Africa’s power utility company, Eskom and municipalities have converted half of over 11 million electricity metering systems to curb theft.
According to the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) so far municipalities have managed to recode half of their costumers’ meters.
There are 11.6 million prepaid electricity meters in South Africa that need to be updated or recoded.
These meters are the responsibility of Eskom and the municipalities across the country.
And many of these could stop functioning from 24 November 2024 if they do not get updated in time.
The process commenced in August 2023.
Eskom says its project has been progressing well. It says it has recoded 52% of the prepaid meters as of 15 May 2024.
On the other hand, the SALGA says municipalities have to date reset 2.6 million prepaid meters.
“We have about 4.7 million metres that are on prepaid, and currently we have reset around 2.6 million and we’re left with around 2.1 million meters to be converted and we know out of 2.1 million meters there are meters that are faulty meters that will need replacement.
“We are in a process of quantifying that exact number for the meters that will need replacement and this replacement comes with the meters that would have already been converted to key revision number 2,” says Sila Mulaudzi, Sustainable Energy Specialist at SALGA.
Eskom says the process of buying electricity remains unchanged. However, customers are reminded to enter all previously purchased credit tokens. It says this is important because old credit tokens will not work after the meter is recoded.
The Johannesburg’s City Power has reiterated that come the deadline, credit tokens will start duplicating.
“The way prepaid meters are working, they are working through a standard called standard transaction system, which is called an STS and that STS allows the vending system to produce 20-digit numbers. Now these are random numbers that are able to tell the meter if you have bought for 500 or you bought 400.
Now what has been happening is that these numbers, random as they are, we are at risk that beyond November 2024 they those numbers will start duplicating, so it means, once you punch in that number on your meter, your meter will see it as if it’s a number that it has used before,” says Thamsanqa Mathiso, Meter Reading Manager, City Power.
Eskom urges customers to exercise caution during this period of recoding of meters. The power utility says this process is done at no cost to the customers.
Source: Sabcnews.com
Ghana: Premix Fuel Explosion Kills Two In Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis
Two persons aged seven and fifteen years old have died in a premix fuel explosion that occurred at Ngyirasia, a community in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis in the Western Region.
The incident also resulted in the injury of about thirteen people, according to a report by Accra-based Starr FM.
The injured persons are currently receiving treatment at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital and Saint Benedict Hospital at Inchaban.
Four of the victims are in critical condition.
Narrating the circumstances leading to the explosion, the Assembly Member for Mempeasem–Ngyeresia Electoral Area, Gabriel Ato Mensah, told the media that at about 4 pm Saturday, May 18, 2024, some fishermen were transporting premix fuel in gallons to their canoes along the beach.
He explained that due to the unavailability of an access route from the main road to the beach, the fisherfolks often roll barrels of fuel on the ground to the beach, however, this time while transporting the fuel, they exploded.
It is suspected that the fuel might have caught fire from a nearby fish oven.
The victims included eleven males and five females including children.
The blaze also affected a Land Rover and an Opel Astra vehicle, both stationary and wooden structures around.
Firefighters from the Western Region Headquarters of the Ghana National Fire Service reported to the scene promptly and brought the fire under control.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Sekondi Takoradi, Abdul Mumin Issah, has since visited the victims.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: ECG Juapong District Cautions Public Against Network Interference
The Juapong District of the Electricity Company of Ghana, under the Tema Region, has cautioned the public to desist from interfering with the network of the power distributor as such interferences pose threats to the company, customers and the public as a whole.
This caution came as a result of the District discovering that a 200KVA transformer situated at Asikuma, a town under its jurisdiction, has suffered a burnout of the fuse protecting the transformer.
This discovery was on Saturday, 18th May 2024.
“I has come to the notice of the Company that some people, possibly electricians who are not staff of the company, constantly interfere with the distribution network, especially in times of outage, in a bid to restore supply.
“This, however, is dangerous as these persons will not be privy to the uniqueness of the network design for that particular area,” the Juapong District Engineer, Ing Rejoice Garfo sounded this caution on a stakeholder WhatsApp platform for those within the district.
She pleaded that “if such interferences are not stopped, the entire transformer could get damaged,” adding that “in such an instance, the customers will likely remain without supply for a while until a new transformer is installed.”
The Juapong District Manager, Ing William Ahenkorah, added that “these transformers cost the company a lot of resources to be replaced, which means resources meant for other projects will have to be redirected to replacing the damaged transformers.”
He added that “these situations burden the financial operation of the company.”
Ing Ahenkorah also cautioned that before any part of the distribution network is worked on, the teamwork ensures that power is off where necessary.
This, he said “is to avoid accidents, injury and possible death.
“Imagine, then, if an unauthorised person decides to work on the network because of an outage, and then the network gets energised. This can lead to loss of life.”
Ing Ahenkorah is, therefore, cautioning the customers and the general public to report all issues concerning power supply, outage, and related problems to the ECG for resolution, rather than taking chances on their own.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: President Akufo-Addo Appoints Joseph Kpemka As Deputy MD Of BOST
A former Member of Parliament for the Tempane Constituency in the Upper East Region, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, has been appointed as Deputy Managing Director of the Bulk Energy Storage and Transportation (BEST) Company Limited, formerly BOST.
His appointment was contained in a letter signed by Nana Bediatuo Asante, Secretary to the President of Ghana.
The letter asked the Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, to take the necessary steps to regularise his appointment.
“The President of the Republic has nominated Mr Joseph Dindiok Kpemka for appointment as Deputy Managing Director of Bulk Energy Storage and Transportation Limited Company.
”Kindly take the necessary steps to regularise the said appointment by the relevant provisions of the Companies Act, 2019(Act 929) and the constitution of the company,” the letter said.
The appointment of Mr Kpemka adds up to two Deputy Managing Directors assisting Mr Edwin Nii Obodai Provencal in managing the company.
Kpemka holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Ghana as well as an L.L.B and a Barrister of Law from the Ghana School of Law.
He served as a Deputy Minister for Attorney General and Minister for Justice in the first term of the Akufo-Addo government.
Bulk Energy Storage and Transportation Company (BEST), formerly Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited, was created in 1993 as a private liability company with the sole shareholder being the Government of Ghana.
The company’s mandate is to develop a network of storage tanks, pipelines and bulk transportation infrastructure throughout the country, as well as keep Strategic Reserve Stocks for Ghana.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com Ghana: NPA Devises Ways To Stabilise Price Of Gas
Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has implemented strategies to eliminate a huge jump in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) due to the implementation of the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM).
One of the strategies is the introduction of a tender programme for the importation of LPG, which has significantly reduced the premium on the purchase of LPG.
The programme has brought down the price of LPG from US$100 per metric tonne (MT) to US$30 MT, saving Ghana US$70 MT which would be used for investment in cylinders and bottling plants under the CRM.
The Bono Regional Manager of the NPA, Mr. Kwadwo Odarno Appiah, gave the information at the Bono Regional version of the NPA town hall meetings on CRM in Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital, on Thursday.
He said NPA would continue to engage the Ministry of Finance to consider the removal of certain taxes to reduce the price of LPG to make it affordable for all.
Mr. Appiah said Ghanaians would begin to exchange their old cylinders for new ones under the CRM in the coming weeks.
The meeting, which brought together hundreds of people, was aimed at sensitising the public on the implementation of the CRM.
It was also to update and educate them about the policy and its intended purposes and solicit their support in the implementation of the policy.
Mr Appiah said the NPA had had several engagements with service providers, industry experts and external stakeholders to ensure successful implementation.
He said they had also conducted several consumer sensitisation campaigns and programmes to educate the public on CRM and the safe use of LPG in general.
Mr Appiah urged Ghanaians to patronise the implementation of the CRM to avoid smoke-related diseases.
He said a recent study showed that about 18,000 people in the country die yearly from the use of unclean fuels.
Mr Appiah said the smoke from cooking with firewood and charcoal caused several diseases to its users particularly women, who always spend hours in the kitchen cooking.
“The smoke also makes them weak and when used over a long period affects their eyes,” he said.
Mr Appiah said the smoke also affected the world in general because it destroyed the air people breathe in and caused global warming especially as most trees had been felled.
“Let us embrace the model and ensure our safety, switching from charcoal and firewood to gas for a better, healthier life,” he said,
Mr Appiah said the cooking style in Ghana and most parts of Africa has put the lives of women in danger, because of the smoke they inhale from firewood and charcoal.
He said it was for that reason that the government has always promoted LPG as a cleaner, safer and healthier alternative fuel for cooking since it does not produce smoke.
Mr Appiah said though acquiring firewood is free, they (users) should be mindful that the diseases the smoke would bring to them could cost them their lives, which makes it more expensive than LPG or any other fuel.
He said the NPA’s immediate target was to achieve 50 per cent access by 2030 and explained that under the model, consumers would not own cylinders.
Mr Appiah said anyone who wished to use LPG could walk to a cylinder exchange point, register and gain access to the cylinder to use, stressing that “consumers will only pay for the LPG.”
He said the government considered several issues that had created barriers to people using LPG and had come up with CRM.
He urged the LPG marketing companies and dealers in the region to embrace CRM, as it would improve their operations and give them access to more consumers, increase jobs and create value in the process.
He said the NPA had put measures in place to serve all communities with LPG without having to travel long distances.
The Bono Regional Minister, Ms Justina Owusu-Banahene, said they needed to take pragmatic steps to ensure that the adverse effects of the charcoal and firewood were brought to the barest minimum if not eradicated.
She said the use of firewood and charcoal had adverse effects on the forest’s resources and the entire ecosystem.
Ms Owusu-Banahene urged the public to support the government’s efforts to ensure that the majority of Ghanaians have access to safe, clean and environmentally friendly LPG.
The Sunyanihenmaa, Nana Akosua Dua Asor Sika Brayie II, commended the NPA for the sensitisation and urged the Authority to continue to educate the public on CRM.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria: Tinubu’s Order To MDAs To Buy Oil Gas Powered Vehicles Problematic–Energy Experts
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu earlier, this week, ordered all government agencies to purchase only gas-powered vehicles as part of the country’s efforts to transition to cleaner energy and cut high fuel costs.
“All new government vehicles, generators or tricycles must utilise compressed natural gas (CNG), and solar power or be powered by electric energy sources,” the President said.
The President’s directive which was conveyed by the Presidential Spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, has, however, been described as unrealistic by some industry players in the West African nation.
In a report filed by advisors’ report, some energy experts contended that the directive suffers from a lack of a clear policy framework, emphasising that the prohibition of petrol-powered vehicles within the Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) is merely an illusion, rendering compliance by MDAs unattainable.
They, therefore, challenged President Tinubu to lead by example by ensuring that all Presidential fleets were converted to CNG-powered vehicles.
This, according to them, would be a better approach than merely issuing orders to the MDAs to comply.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
South Africa: Eskom Achieves 70% Available Energy, Reduces Unplanned Outages To Less Than 10 000MW
South Africa’s Minister for Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has commended Eskom for achieving an Energy Availability Factor (EAF) above 70%, a feat last achieved nearly three years ago, as the Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF) is now less than 10 000MW.
In his Energy Action Plan media briefing yesterday, Ramokgopa said consistently good performance from Kusile, Lethabo, Majuba, Matla and Medupi from the latter part of 2023 had contributed to the EAF trend, but the improvement was also being seen in older power stations with improved performance from Arnot, Camden, Hendrina as well as Grootvlei.
He said the improvement in Eskom’s power generation was reflected in the EAF rising to 62.08% in week 18 of 2024, from only 49.99% in week 15 of 2023, and had now reached 70.78%.
“As I stand before you today, the Energy Availability Factor of Eskom has breached the 70% mark. That’s significant. The last time we achieved this was in August 2021,” Ramokgopa said.
“The month-to-date statistics suggest that we are at 64.34% and the year to date we are at 59.92%. But we have breached the psychological mark of 70% as a result of this consistent performance.
“This reduction in the UCLF is due to a year’s hard work on planned maintenance which has resulted in improving the reliability of Eskom’s power plants. This improvement is reflected in the EAF breaching the 70% level and is currently at 70.78%, with Kusile at 93%.”
Eskom senior manager in the group executive generation office, Eric Shunmagum, said the target was still to get to a consistent 65% EAF this financial year that ends in March 2025, and to reach 70% in the 2025/6 financial year.
He added that there had been no specific damage to Eskom infrastructure from this weekend’s solar flare activity. In 2003 several power transformers had been damaged by that year’s solar flare activity.
Meanwhile, Ramokgopa was at pains to stress that the current sequence of 47 days without load shedding had nothing to do with electioneering, ahead of the 29 May national elections.
This comes as load shedding has been suspended for 47 consecutive days during which diesel-powered Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs) usage has been lower than the same time last year.
The suspension of load shedding was driven by an improvement in coal fleet performance supported by solar during the day as May had seen clear skies and expensive diesel was not being used to keep the lights on.
The OCGT load factor for April 2024 dropped to 6.8% compared with the April 2023 figure of 19.13%.
“There are some commentators that say Eskom is using expensive diesel-fuelled OCGTs to make sure there is no load shedding ahead of the elections, but they could not be further from the truth as some days in May we have not had to use OCGTs at all,” Ramokgopa said.
He said there was no OCGTs usage on 5, 10 and 11 May.
In April, the OCGTs only provided 86MW compared with 344MW the same month last year, while OCGTs only provided 8MW this month compared with 488MW for the whole of May 2023.
Ramokgopa said that unplanned outages were reduced by 4400MW since April 26, 2024, due to extensive maintenance.
He said this patient investment in planned maintenance has meant that Eskom now has a 4 000MW margin between its winter base case assumption of 14 000MW unplanned outages, and the current unplanned outages of less than 10 000MW.
Ramakgopa noted that in terms of planned maintenance from December 2023 to March 2024, Eskom averaged 16.25% over 4 months, which was the highest over the last three years and enabled Eskom to adhere to the recovery plan, and allow for opportunistic maintenance to address prevailing short-term risks to availability.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Kenya, Uganda To Extend Oil Pipeline From Eldoret To Kampala
Kenya and Uganda have signed a tripartite agreement allowing Uganda’s state oil firm to import her petroleum products through Kenya.
President William Ruto made the announcement on Thursday after meeting his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni at State House, Nairobi.
He said the two nations had agreed during the second session of the Joint Ministerial Meeting (JMC) held early this week in Kampala where seven instruments of cooperation were signed.
“The Tripartite Agreement on the Importation and Transit of Refined Petroleum Products through Kenya to Uganda whose signing we have just witnessed enables the Uganda National Oil Company Limited to Import refined petroleum commodities directly from producer jurisdictions thus bringing to an end the challenges faced by the sector In Uganda,” stated Ruto.
According to President Ruto, the seven MoUs signed helped to resolve other trade barriers between the two countries.
The other agreements included MoUs in Education cooperation, sports, youth affairs, Public Service Management and Development and cooperation between Foreign Service institutions.
President Ruto further noted that the two nations had also agreed to jointly extend the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to Kampala to DRC.
“The meeting also emphasized the importance of extending the SGR not only from Naivasha to Malaba but all the way to Kampala and DRC as an efficient and sustainable Infrastructural artery for the transportation of goods,” he said.
“We have obliged our respective Ministers to take joint urgent measures to mobilize resources for the implementation of this regional shared Infrastructure and report on progress by the end of 2024.”
The agreement which comes months after a dispute between the two countries over oil transportation.
The two nations had been at loggerheads after Nairobi denied Uganda’s government owned oil marketer a license to operate locally and handle fuel imports to the capital Kampala.
Nairobi refused the use of the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) infrastructure to move its refined petroleum products from Mombasa port to Uganda.
The aftermath saw Uganda suing Kenya at the East African Court of Justice on December 28, accusing Kenya of denying the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) rights to operate as an Oil Marketing Company (OMC) in Kenya.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com