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
Nigeria: Federal Gov’t To Pay N130bn Gas Supply Debt – Power Minister
Nigeria’s Minister for Power Adebayo Adelabu has assured that Federal Government will soon begin the payment of N130 billion debt owned suppliers of gas for power generation in the country.
According to the Minister, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved submission of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, (Gas) to defray outstanding debt owed to the gas supply companies to the power sector operators.
The minister said the payments would be in two parts as there is the legacy debt and the current debt.
“For the current debt, approval has been given for a cash payment of about N130 billion from the gas stabilisation fund which the Federal Ministry of Finance will pay.
“The payment for the legacy debt is actually going to be made but from future royalties and exchange of incomes in the gas sub-sector which is quite satisfactory to the gas supply companies.
“The last figure was about 1.3 billion dollars and this payment, we believe, will go a long way to encourage these gas companies to enter into firm supply contracts with the power generating companies, ‘’ Mr Adelabu said on Thursday at the 2024 Eight Africa Energy Marketplace in Abuja.
The forum was organised by African Development Bank, AfDB, Ministry of Power and the United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility, UKNIAF.
The theme of the forum titled “Towards Nigeria’s Sustainable Energy Future: Policy, Regulation, and Investment – A Policy Dialogue for the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan (NIEP-SIP)”.
Mr Adelabu said the Federal Government planned to adopt a model that would ensure firm contracts between gas companies and majority of the power generating companies.
“The day they cannot supply gas, there is no penalty but once there is a firm contract, they will be under contractual obligation to supply gas to these power generating companies so that we have a consistent power generation.
Mr Adelabu said that for the power generating companies, the debt is put at N1.3 trillion.
The minister said the ministry of power has the consent of the President to pay on a condition of settling the reconciliation of the debts between the government and the power generating companies.
“And this, we have successfully done, and are being signed off by both parties. Majority has signed off and we are actually engaging others, so we have 100 per cent sign off from the power generating companies.
‘The modalities for paying this will be two ways; there will be immediate cash injection as government is not buoyant enough to pay the N1.3 trillion at once.
“A fraction will be paid in cash, while the remaining fraction will be settled through a guarantee debt instrument, preferably a promissory note, ‘’ he said.
On his part, Sanusi Garba, Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, said the poor financial state of the Electricity Distribution Company, DisCos, made it difficult for them to raise the needed capital to invest.
Mr Garba said the challenges facing the sector were a culmination of all past inactions and missteps by those saddled with the responsibilities of managing the sector both at policy and operational levels.
He said, “today when you look at distribution companies, they are clearly and technically insolvent, and you also want them to raise capital in terms of debt or equity.
“It’s a herculean task. I also want to mention that implementing the power sector reform requires very strong political will to implement decisions that impact on the wider public,” he said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria: Senate Approves Tinubu’s $500m World Bank Loan for Electricity Metres
Nigeria’s Senate Wednesday approved a $500 million World Bank loan request by President Bola Tinubu to provide electricity metres for the citizens.
The fund was approved for the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) after considering the report of the Committee on local and foreign debts.
The report was presented by the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Haruna Manu.
The $500 million loan was part of the $7.94 billion World Bank loan which President Bola Tinubu sought the Senate’s approval for on November 1, 2023.
It was under the 2022-2024 external borrowing plan. The President also sought the approval for €100 million then.
However, the Senate gave the approval to borrow $7.4 billion approved during its special plenary on December 30 after considering the report of the Committee on local and foreign debt.
Manu, while presenting the report, said the $500m for the BPE could not be approved because the agency did not appear before the committee to defend the proposal
He noted that the terms and conditions under which the loan was brought will not in any manner compromise the sustainability of Nigeria’s economic growth or hinder the integrity and independence of Nigeria as a sovereign nation.
He said, “The Committee recommends that the Senate do approve the ongoing negotiations of the external borrowing in the sum of $500m for BPE; that the terforions of the loan from the funding agency be forwarded to the National Assembly before execution.”
It will be recalled that the Senate had earlier put on hold the approval of the N$500m because the BPE was unavailable to defend it when it was scheduled to appear before its committees.
However, following the defence of the borrowing, the Senate on Wednesday gave its approval for the loan in unanimous decision presided over by its Deputy President, Sen. Barau Jibrin.
“The programme development objective of this project is to improve financial and technical performance of electricity distribution companies,” the Senate report said.
After considering the report, the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the meeting, ruled in favour of the loan request approval after a voice vote.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
China To Boost Coal Output
China’s biggest coal-producing province is set to boost output in June in a bid to prop up the provincial economy after a drop in coal production earlier this year.
Production in Shanxi declined substantially in the first quarter, due to closer oversight on safety practices after a series of fatal accidents.
It was down by some 25%, which affected the GDP growth of the province, Bloomberg reported, adding that Shanxi dropped to the 31st place among Chinese provinces in terms of economic growth.
The decline followed orders from state regulators to halt some production and conduct safety inspections between March and May. Shanxi produces about 29% of China’s coal, both coking and thermal.
This has in turn boosted imports of both coking coal, which China generally tends to import a lot of because of insufficient local supply, and also thermal coal, which it does produce locally in substantial volumes.
While demand for both kinds of coal remains quite strong, demand for thermal coal has recently been affected negatively by surging hydropower production, China’s Coal Transportation and Distribution Association said earlier this week.
Hydropower generation in China jumped by 42.9% in the last third of April compared to the same period last year and is “very likely to maintain double-digit growth,” Reuters quoted Feng Huamin, an analyst at China Coal Transportation and Distribution Association, as saying at a market seminar on Wednesday.
This is a reversal of the situation from last year when insufficient rains and drought caused a spike in coal consumption for electricity generation because wind and solar could not shoulder the whole additional burden of demand.
Meanwhile, China has generally boosted its imports of coal so far this year, as it looks to stockpile fuel for the power plants ahead of the summer amid international prices that were half last year’s levels in the first four months of 2024.
Source: Oilprice.com
Uganda: Gov’t In Talks With China’s Sinohydro Over Power Line To South Sudan
Uganda is in talks with Chinese firm Sinohydro (SINOH.UL) Corporation Limited for the development of a $180 million power transmission line to allow Uganda to export power to energy-starved South Sudan, the president’s office said.
As part of the talks, a delegation led by Yang Yi Xin, Sinohydro Corporation’s vice president, met Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni on Monday, a statement from Museveni’s office said late on Monday.
The project will involve the construction of a 138-km (85.75 miles) high-voltage transmission line to take power to South Sudan, the expansion of two substations and construction of one new one, the statement said.
“We are very much willing to help develop this project with the required finance if needed,” Xin was quoted as telling the president.
Museveni expressed support for Sinohydro’s offer to develop the project, the statement said.
In June last year the two countries signed a power sales agreement to allow Uganda to sell electricity to South Sudan.
The Chinese firm is completing a $1.5 billion, 600 megawatt hydropower project on River Nile in northern Uganda that is meant to be the source for the electricity exports to South Sudan.
Source: Reuters.com
Benin Gives Niger Temporal Access To Cotonou Port For Oil Shipment To China
The Republic of Benin has provisionally reversed its decision to block exports of crude oil from Niger Republic to China via its Cotonou Port and agreed to hold a meeting between the two countries, the West African nation’s Minister for Water, Energy and Mines said on Wednesday.
Last week, three vessels carrying crude oil from Niger and destined for China arrived in Benin, but the Benin authorities prevented them from docking at the Cotonou Port.
President Patrice Talon declared that the Contonou Port would not be opened to Niger oil export unless the junta in Niamey ends the border blockade with Benin.
“If you want to load your oil in our waters, you can’t view Benin as an enemy and at the same time expect your oil to cross our territory,” President Patrice Talon said in a statement.
“We’re open to working with Niger. They’re the ones that refused to allow trucks to cross.
“Benin is not an enemy country and if tomorrow the Nigerien authorities decide to collaborate with Benin formally, the boats will be loaded,” he added.
However, on Wednesday, Benin’s Minister for Water, Energy and Mines, Samou Seïdou Adambi, announced that his country had decided to allow Niger to have access to their port after a meeting with Chinese partners, according to Reuters.
“We have decided to authorise the loading of the first vessel in our waters. However, it is important to note that this authorisation is provisional,” Samou Seidou Adambi told reporters after a meeting with the Chinese partners.
Benin intends to respect all the agreements within the pipeline project, Adambi said, adding that the country planned to hold a meeting to examine “urgent matters relating to the proper conduct of the pipeline’s export operations.”
Relations between Benin and Niger have been strained since the coup in Niger in July, which led the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, to impose strict sanctions for more than six months.
Trade flows in the region were expected to normalise after the West African regional bloc lifted sanctions to dissuade Niger from withdrawing from the political and economic union.
“Nonetheless, Niger has kept its borders closed to goods from Benin and not formally told Benin why it has done so,” President Patrice Talon said in a statement last week.
Niger’s Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, said on Saturday that Benin’s blockade of Niger’s oil exports violated trade agreements between the two countries and with Niger’s Chinese partners.
He added that Niger could not fully re-open its border with Benin for security reasons.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Ghana Gas Denies Misleading Report On Gas Pipeline Project Phase II Contract
Ghana’s national gas aggregator, Ghana Gas, has refuted media reports that its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ben K.D Asante, is under pressure to sign the contract for phase II of the Gas Pipeline Project (GPP2) in favour of a company owned by someone close to the presidency.
The company described the report as misleading.
Contrary to the claims in the media, Ghana Gas explained in a statement issued by the Head of Corporate Communications, Ernest Kofi Owusu- Bempeh Bonsu , that the award of the contract for the GPP2 project to the selected tenderer, went through a rigorous tender process and complied strictly with Act 663 of the Public Procurement Act 2003, as amended, and all relevant approval obtained.
To make the tender process even clearer, the company said following the approval by the Board of Directors of Ghana Gas in 2021 to commence the GPP2 project, management applied and sought approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to adopt the Restricted Tender Procurement method under section 38 (a) of Act 663 of the GPP2 as amended for EPCC and financing of the GPP2 project.
By the Restricted Tender, Procurement Method, the company said tenders were submitted by four firms and upon evaluation of their Technical and Financial bids, the Entity Tender Committee selected the tenderer it awarded the contract following concurrent approval received from the Central Tender Review Committee (CTRC) of the Ministry of Finance.
“Accordingly, Ghana Gas and the selected tenderer have signed a Project Implementation Agreement to outline the terms and conditions for the EPCC project. The selected tenderer has been incorporated.
A special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to undertake the project and Ghana Gas is currently in negotiation with the SPV to execute the relevant agreements for the implementation of the project,” the company stated.
The company said its Chief Executive Officer has not been under any external pressure to sign any deal, thus, describing the reports as mischievous and urged the media to be circumspect by cross-checking facts before publishing stories in order not to harm people’s hard-earned reputation.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: ECG Stirs Anger On Social Media As It Celebrates MD’s Achievements In Two Years
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has been celebrating the achievements of its Managing Director, Samuel Dubik Mansubir Mahama (Esq), who assumed office two years ago.
Dubik Mansubir Mahama, who was a member of the ECG Board, was appointed by President Akufo-Addo in May 2022 to replace Kwame Agyeman Budu who attained mandatory retirement age.
Marking his second anniversary on Tuesday, ECG, in a Facebook post described Mr Dubik Mansubir Mahama’s two years in office as transformational.
The ECG wrote: “Yesterday marked a significant milestone as our Managing Director; Mr Samuel Dubik Mahama Esq, achieved two years of exemplary leadership at ECG. Under his guidance, we have witnessed remarkable transformations.”
The ECG then highlighted some of the things that have been done since his leadership.
According to the ECG, it has implemented digital solutions for seamless payment and billing processes, which ensured convenience for its customers and combating losses and corruption.
It again mentioned the revamping of the ECG PowerApp, by making it more user-friendly and accessible, resulting in a surge of active users from 500,000 to over 3.5 million.
The company further touted the elevation of its monthly revenue from GH¢400 million to an impressive GH¢1 billion, enabling it to invest in improving services.
“Significantly reducing meter request backlogs through the Loss Reduction Project (LRP), injecting 275,000 meters into the system and improving efficiency.
“Replacing outdated meters with our enhanced meter management system, ensuring accuracy and reliability for our customers across operational regions,” ECG said.
The company concluded its message by asking Ghanaians to join it in applauding its Managing Director for his visionary leadership and thanking its staff for their dedication and support in achieving these milestones.
However, some Ghanaians who visited the ECG’s Facebook page to comment expressed varying views.
While a few of them commended Mr Dubik Mahama’s efforts so far, others believed the ECG was being insensitive to Ghanaians for asking them to commend him (the MD) when they have been experiencing power outages in their homes.
The post had garnered 1.100 likes with 768 comments and 97 shares as of Wednesday morning.
https://web.facebook.com/ECGghOfficial/posts/869544838550386?ref=embed_post
A social media user by the name of Mckingtorch Makafui Awuku, wrote: “This should be an internal memo. When consumers wanted a timetable for outages, you ignored them. It’s insensitive. Or the customer is not king?”
Another user by the name of Sos Lives wrote: “I applied for prepaid metering in January this year for my shop, paid all necessary fees and expectations done. But I’m yet to get my meter fixed because I learned there is no meter available. How do u [sic] guys expect start-ups in this country to do well with this kind of messed up system?”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com Nigeria: Three Persons Jailed Six Years Each For Damaging IBEDC’s Electrical Installations
Three people have been sentenced to prison for six years each by the Federal High Court, Abeokuta Division in the Republic of Nigeria, for unlawfully tampering, disconnecting and damaging electrical installations belonging to Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The convicts–Chibueze Emmanuel, Michael Genesis and Ojuilape Olaitan–pleaded guilty to the offence and were accordingly jailed by the court presided over by Hon. Justice A. Demi-Ajayi.
The facts of the case as presented in court were that Chibueze Emmanuel and Michael Genesis were arrested in January 2022 while Ojuolape Olaitan was arrested in January 2024 and was put before the court.
The judge adjourned the case to May 8, 2024, for the review of the facts.
After a careful review of the facts, the Hon. Judge sentenced each of the defendants to six years of imprisonment.
Commenting on the case, IBEDC noted that energy theft cases which include various offences such as meter bypass and illegal meter tampering have a significant financial loss for the company.
As stipulated by the Electricity Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, IBEDC said energy theft is recognised as a criminal offence, carrying severe penalties including imprisonment.
“We want to send a clear message to our customers that energy theft will not be tolerated. Our collaboration with the Federal Government Special Investigation and Prosecution Task Force on Electricity Offences underscores our commitment to ensuring a fair and just electricity distribution system.
Energy theft not only undermines the integrity of our operations but also deprives IBEDC of the revenue necessary to provide quality services to our customers.
“We urge our customers to refrain from engaging in any form of energy theft, as the consequences can be severe,” the company said in a statement.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: ECG ICT Directorate Began Revenue Collection Digitalisation In 2016–ECG Workers’ Response To Bawumia
The staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has challenged a claim by the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Muhamadu Bawumia, that they sabotaged the government’s effort to digitalise ECG’s revenue collection.
According to the workers, Dr Bawumia’s claim of sabotage is not only unfounded but also dampens the morale of the hardworking ECG workers, especially those working in the IT Department.
Disputing the claim by Vice President Bawumia which seems to suggest that the power distribution company began digitalisation under the current administration, the ECG staff said the ICT Directorate already spearheaded the digitalisation of the ECG payment systems with the rollout of the ECG PowerApp and USSD(*226#) services dating in July 2016.
The staff said Dr Bawumia was only invited as a Guest of Honor on the 18th of February 2020 to launch the ECG PowerApp at the Head Office of ECG.
“ECG’s financial performance is a matter of public record, as indicated in the company’s 2019 Annual Report. The average monthly revenue for the period 2017 to 2019 was around GHS532.7 million. In the 2023 signed SIGA–ECG Performance Contract, the average monthly revenue was GHS631.3 million as of early 2022. These documents are available to the public on the ECG website.
“The ECG IT Department has been at the forefront of digitalising revenue collection for decades, a fact that seems to have been overlooked. The sophisticated ransomware attack attributed to internal sabotage has been proven to be the work of an international cybercriminal group (Lockbit), which further exonerates our members from such erroneous claims,” the workers said in a statement issued by Michael Adu Mattah, General Secretary of Public Utilities Workers’ Union ( PUWU).
The ECG staff said they prioritise initiatives that enhance efficiency and service delivery.
“We further wish to put on record that the enhancement of aspects of digitalisation into ECG work processes by the current Management has improved convenience to our customers and commitment exhibited by staff has been the pivot of any observed Improvement especially in the area of revenue mobilization.”
The workers expressed awareness of attempts to privatise ECG and urged stakeholders to refrain from disparaging hardworking members.
“We are fully aware of the several attempts by some key stakeholders to push for the privatisation of ECG and the deliberate attempt to give ECG a bad name and hang it. We urge key stakeholders to refrain from disparaging our hardworking members and instead recognise their contributions to national development, in the face of many challenges including the shortage of critical resources for smooth operations,” the workers said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Breathe Battery Technologies Appoints Laurent Cordonnier As CFO
Leading supplier of physics-based adaptive charging software for batteries, Breathe Battery Technologies (“Breathe”) has strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of Laurent Cordonnier into the role of Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.
Reporting directly to CEO and co-founder Dr Ian Campbell, and working closely with fellow co-founders Dr Yan Zhao (CTO) and Professor Gregory Offer (Chief Scientist), Cordonnier’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for Breathe as the company positions itself for further expansion and industry leadership.
His extensive experience will contribute to the company’s growth trajectory, which can be seen through the announcement of recent partnerships with leading OEMs, including Volvo Cars.
In March, Breathe announced that Volvo Cars will implement the latest version of Breathe Charge adaptive charging software in its new generation fully electric cars. Breathe Charge will reduce the time it takes to charge an electric Volvo from 10 to 80% state of charge by as much as 30%*, while maintaining the same energy density and range.
As Breathe further scales its customer base, Cordonnier will play a central role in enabling the organisation to continue making batteries better.
Cordonnier has joined Breathe from private-equity backed technology companies Native Instruments and Deezer where he served as CFO to drive revenue growth, while also leading successful capital raises.
His experience at Native Instruments, which blends software, hardware and creativity to create experiences, positions him perfectly to drive similar outcomes for Breathe. Prior to that, Cordonnier was an investor at Access Industries and an investment banking associate at Morgan Stanley.
He has two decades of experience in financial leadership and as CFO of Breathe he is set to play a fundamental role as the company continues its expansion in response to intense demand.
Laurent Cordonnier, Chief Financial Officer, Breathe said: “I am excited and honored to join the team at Breathe. The company’s commitment to innovation and its potential to significantly impact the automotive and consumer electronics industries is truly extraordinary. I look forward to working closely with the founders Ian, Yan, Greg and the entire team as we embark on the next phase of growth and continue to deliver on our promise of creating remarkable end-user experiences through software-defined batteries.”
Dr Ian Campbell, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Breathe said: “We are delighted that Laurent has chosen to join Breathe as our CFO. This new appointment reflects the growing capability of Breathe to proactively address existing gaps in battery technology. We set out to make batteries better and Laurent’s wealth of experience has found fertile ground here as we expand our production programmes and further invest in technologies.”
Since its inception, Breathe’s focus has been on building battery technology to contribute to a faster, better and more sustainable electrification of the world. It exists to enable world-class OEMs to do more with the power they have, unlocking performance from existing batteries to deliver superior end-user experiences. Unlike traditional methods, Breathe’s adaptive battery charging software dynamically controls the battery in real-time with demonstrated benefits in charging and user experiences. This includes delivering longevity and optimal performance gains, while simultaneously supporting battery health and sustainability efforts.
Cordonnier’s appointment also comes off the back of recent investment from Volvo Cars Tech Fund in March and a $10 million series A led by Lowercarbon Capital, one of the world’s largest climate tech investors, with participation from Speedinvest, who led Breathe’s seed round in 2019.
Cordonnier began his career as an auditor with Arthur Andersen and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Laurent holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from San Jose State University and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.