Kenya: Kenya Power Announces 13.7% Reduction In Electricity Tariff As Cost Of Fuel Drops
Kenyan electricity customers will enjoy up to a 13.7 per cent reduction in the cost of power this month, following the strengthening of the Kenya Shilling and a reduction in the cost of fuel that is used to generate electricity.
The fuel cost charge and foreign exchange fluctuation adjustment, which comprise the key variable components of the electricity bill, were reduced by 37.3 per cent between March 2024 and April 2024, across all customer categories, as gazetted by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
The fuel cost charge reduced from KSh.4.64 in March 2024 to KShs.3.26 in April 2024, and from a high of KShs.4.93 in January 2024.
On the other hand, the forex adjustment charge was reduced from Kshs.3.68 in March 2024 to KShs.1.96 in April 2024 and from a high of KShs.6.85 in January 2024.
CEO of Kenya Power, Dr (Eng)Joseph Siror, in a statement, said, “We are happy to note that the reduction has given reprieve to our customers and we are optimistic that the prevailing macro-economic environment and the improved hydrology, which enables us to dispatch less thermal power, will sustain the benefit to our customers.”
A customer under the Domestic Customer 1 (DC1) tariff band (those consuming less than 30 units per month) using 30 units of electricity will pay KShs.629 in April 2024 compared to KShs.729 for similar units in March 2024, representing a 13.7 per cent reduction.
Similarly, a customer under the Domestic Customer 2 (DC2) tariff (averaging 31-100 units per month) who consumes 60 units will pay KShs. 1,574 in April 2024 compared to KShs. 1,773 in March 2024 representing a 11.2 per cent reduction.
A customer under the Domestic Customer 3 (DC3) tariff band (averaging more than 100 units per month) who uses 120 units per month will pay KShs. 3,728 in April 2024 compared to KShs. 4,127 in March representing a 9.7 per cent reduction.
Access to affordable electricity is key to spur the socio-economic development of the country.
To this end, Kenya Power is focused on driving economic development through the provision of reliable and sufficient electricity across the country.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: ECG Board Members Slapped With Over GH¢5M Fine … Each Member To Pay GH¢652,000
Ghana’s technical regulator for electricity – Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) – has imposed a fine of five million, eight hundred and sixty-eight thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢5,868,000) on board members of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for breaching regulatory rules by carrying out power outages without notifying consumers between January and March this year.
Each of the nine-member board of the power distribution company, including the Managing Director, will pay about GH¢652,000 per a calculation by this portal.
The fine was originally slapped on ECG, but the Commission, in a letter, explained that it could not allow the company to bear the cost due to the nature of its business and the likely impact on service delivery.
It thus passed on the fine to the company’s board members which failed to provide strategic direction to ensure the provision of safe, adequate, efficient, reasonable and non-discriminatory service to consumers.
“For failure to comply with the three-day statutory notice on notification and publication of planned outages required under Regulation 39 of L.I. 2413, the Commission in accordance with Regulation 45 of L.I. 2413, also imposed a regulatory charge of 3,000 penalty units on ECG for each of the 163 breaches, amounting to GH¢ 5,868,000.”
“The Commission has determined that having regard to the nature of ECG’s ownership and business, the imposition of the penalty of GH¢5,868,000 on ECG would be counterproductive, as payment from ECG’s revenue would have a rebounding adverse effect on quality of service and consumers who pay tariffs to the company.
“For that reason, in the interest of justice and to protect the interests of consumers, the Commission shall hold the Board Members of ECG who were in office from 1 January to 18 March 2024 liable for the payment of the GH¢5,868,000,” a portion of the letter said.
It would be recalled that the regulator made three requests to the ECG with the timelines of March 25, March 27, and April 2, 2024.
The request from ECG by PURC followed anger from the public demanding that ECG should issue load-shedding timetable for them to know when they would have power in order to plan due to power outages.
The information requested related to the tariff revenue allocation under the Cash Waterfall Mechanism (CWM), the provision of regulatory audit data and the submission of information related to operational matters, as well as the provision of other regulatory audit data.
ECG responded to the Commission’s request.
However, the PURC letter said, “The Commission established from its analysis of data submitted by ECG that there were 4142 outages to consumers within ECG’s operational areas between January and March 2024.
Out of this number, 165 representing 3.98% of the total outages were ECG-planned outages.
“Further analysis showed that of the 165 ECG planned outages, 40 were supported by public notices, while there were no notices for the remaining 125 outages.
“Further, 38 of the 40 notices did not comply with the requisite three-day statutory notice prescribed under Regulation 39 of L.I. 2413.
“This indicates that in 163 instances of planned outages, ECG did not comply with the law”.
The amount is to be paid into a dedicated fuel account under the joint control of the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Finance on or before 30th May 2024.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com AfDB President To Co-Chair Clean Cooking In Africa Summit With Leaders Of Tanzania, Norway And International Energy Agency
The African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi Adesina will co-chair the upcoming Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa alongside President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway and International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol.
An estimated four in five Africans cook their meals over open fires and traditional stoves, using wood, charcoal, animal dung and other polluting fuels.
The practice has devastating impacts on health, gender equality, and the environment, with 600,000 Africans, mainly women and children, dying annually from indoor pollution.
Dr Adesina said: “Access to clean cooking isn’t merely an energy issue. It is a fundamental human right, and a promise for a healthier, and more sustainable future. The African Development Bank is committed to tackling this challenge head-on, and I am therefore pleased to co-chair the Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa alongside distinguished global leaders.”
“President Suluhu Hassan, Prime Minister Støre and I are delighted to welcome President Adesina as a co-chair for the Summit,” said Dr Birol.
“The African Development Bank has been involved in early preparations and has been a critical partner for the IEA on the issue of clean cooking. Its support will be an invaluable addition to this major Summit, which aims to deliver strong policy recommendations and additional financial commitments, while cementing clean cooking as a global priority for years to come.”
Last year, the IEA and the African Development Bank co-authored a major report on clean cooking, A Visio for Clean Cooking Access for All .
Alongside the African Union and Clean Cooking Alliance, they also launched the Africa Clean Cooking Consortium at the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai.
The IEA estimates that achieving universal clean cooking access around the world by 2030 will improve health and prevent 2.5 million premature deaths annually.
Globally, it will also avoid 1.5 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, create 1.5 million jobs and preserve 225 million hectares of forest each year, an area equivalent to the size of Ireland.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
South Africa Seeks $21 Billion Funding For Major Grid Expansion
Eskom, the state-owned utility of South Africa, is holding talks with the government on ways to attract public and private financing of the equivalent of $21 billion for a major expansion of the power grid to accommodate an expected rise in renewable energy, the company told Bloomberg on Friday.
Eskom has estimated that it needs $21 billion (390 billion South African rand) to fund its plan to build nearly 9,000 miles of new power lines over the next decade, which would be more than triple the miles of transmission lines it has installed in the past decade.
Currently, coal is the major energy source for South Africa, accounting for around 80 percent of the country’s energy mix. The country is also the world’s fifth-largest coal exporter.
But South Africa is going through a significant energy crisis with daily rolling power cuts that are crippling the economy as state firm Eskom continually fails to boost generation capacity to keep pace with growing demand in recent years.
Eskom is currently in “ongoing discussions with key government ministries on the funding of the South Africa’s transmission capital-expenditure requirements,” the company told Bloomberg via email in response to queries.
Some of the money could come from the so-called Just Transition plan that wealthy nations have pledged to back with funding, according to Eskom.
The state firm is also considering tapping private funding, it said.
The U.S., the UK, France, Germany, and the EU are mobilizing an initia $8.5 billion to catalyze the first phase of South Africa’s Just Energy Transition (JET) Investment Plan as part of a long-term Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) signed in 2021.
Under the just transition plan, South Africa will invest in job retraining and reskilling, cash payments to support displaced workers while they find new employment, and redevelopment of former coal mines and coal power plants as clean energy production sites.
Source: Oilprice.com
Niger: Niger, China Sign Crude Oil MoU Worth $400m
Niger has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese state-owned oil giant China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) worth $400 million linked to the sale of crude oil from its Agadem oilfield, Niger state television RTN reported late on Friday.
RTN did not provide details on the agreement.
Niger’s military authorities and CNPC could not be reached for comment.
“China is a great friend to Niger; we can never say it enough,” Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine said at the signing ceremony, which was broadcast by RTN.
“This signature demonstrates the friendship … and fruitful cooperation between the two states,” Chinese ambassador Jiang Feng said.
An export pipeline project backed by CNPC subsidiary PetroChina was officially launched last November, linking the Agadem oilfield to the port of Cotonou in neighbouring Benin.
Previously, the West African country had a small oil refinery with capacity of around 20,000 bpd that mostly supplies Niger’s domestic fuel market.
Source: Business Recoder
Azerbaijan And Congo Agree On Oil & Gas Refinery Projects, Economic Cooperation
Congolese President Denis Sassou-Nguesso has engaged in game-changing strategy, widening its search for a reliable partner ready to explore it oil reserves, undoubtedly after Russia’s delay in acting on its bilateral agreements.
In the past, Russia has not implemented oil and gas agreements it signed with Angola and Nigeria, such deals have never seen the bright sunlight.
Nigeria expected possible cooperation on oil exploration and the establishment of petrochemical plant from Russians.
There has been a long-dead silence after Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, signed an agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on the exploration and exploitation of gas reserves with a new joint venture company known as NiGaz Energy Company.
With Congo, Russia’s Vladimir Putin also held an official meeting with Sassou-Nguesso, in Novo-Ogaryovo near Moscow during which both leaders assertively agreed on strengthening economic cooperation.
Several packages of documents that were signed that year included intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and also on exploration of natural resources.
Russia’s Pipe Metallurgical Company (TMK) was awarded the sole contract for building a major oil pipeline, running more than 1,300 km from the port city of Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo to the border with Cameroon.
In an interview with TASS News Agency, Sassou-Nguesso underscored the fact that “Russia is an important country, a strategic partner that may play its role in the period when Africa is looking for cooperation in building a new world in the region, building infrastructure, new economic and security systems.
The African people want to develop their economy and to establish themselves on the global arena. Russia may hold a strategic position on this issue.”
Despite the praise given to Russia, the leadership of Congo has now shifted to Russia’s neighbour Azerbaijan, which is by description a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. As a former Soviet republic, it adopted a declaration of independence in October 1991.
Geographically, three physical features dominate Azerbaijan: the Caspian Sea, whose shoreline forms a natural boundary to the east; the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north; and the extensive flatlands at the country’s center.
What is most import here is that two-thirds of Azerbaijan is rich in oil and natural gas resources. There are many pipelines in Azerbaijan.
The goal of the Southern Gas Corridor, which connects the giant Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan to Europe, is to reduce European Union’s dependency on Russian gas.
After gaining independence in 1991, Azerbaijan became a member of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Asian Development Bank.
These make its significant importance for business, to establish corporate relations. And particularly, in the 21st century, a new oil and gas boom helped improve the situation in Azerbaijan’s science and technology sectors. It is not by mistake that Congo has established relations here.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held both tete-a-tete and expanded negotiations with Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso in early April 2024, a statement on the Azerbaijani leader’s website said.
The report monitored by this author, indicated that Azerbaijan and Congo signed a package of documents aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation following high-level negotiations in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan.
It therefore implies that the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the National Oil Company of the Congo, by the signed agreement, both will jointly on specified conditions develop and expand Congolaise de Raffinage oil refinery.
Congolaise de Raffinage specializes in the processing of light oil, its website says. The refinery’s capacity is 1 million tonnes of oil per year. Production started in 1982.
Both will jointly pursue various projects by the protocol of intent signed between the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development on cooperation in the field of the environment, sustainable management of natural resources and climate change.
Nearly 80% of the population still live in abject poverty despite the fact that the country boasts of huge resources. The Republic of Congo has become the fourth largest oil producer in the Gulf of Guinea, providing the country with a high degree of potential prosperity despite its internal ethnic conflicts and economic disparity.
It has large untapped mineral wealth, large untapped metal, gold, iron and phosphate deposits. In 2018, the Republic of the Congo joined the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Source: The Azerbaijan state news agency
Source: The Azerbaijan state news agency China Is Leading The Global Nuclear Power Build Out
China is currently constructing a total of 26 nuclear power units with a combined capacity of 30.3 gigawatts (GW), the highest in the world, according to a report by the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) cited by local media.
Last year, China approved the development of five new nuclear power projects and began construction of five units, the report found.
Air pollution from coal-fired power plants is a major impetus for China to expand its nuclear generation fleet, according to the World Nuclear Association.
China Heavily Subsidized BYD to Expand Its EV Market Share
China is not giving up coal, but it is betting on nuclear, too, to meet its rising power demand with cleaner energy sources.
Many countries in the West, with the notable exception of Germany, have also recognized that nuclear power generation would help them achieve net-zero emission goals.
At the COP28 climate summit in Dubai at the end of last year, the United States and 21 other countries pledged to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050, saying incorporating more nuclear power in their energy mix is critical for achieving their net zero goals in the coming decades.
The United States, alongside Britain, France, Canada, Sweden, South Korea, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), among others, signed the declaration at the COP28 climate summit.
China is not a signatory to that declaration, but it aims to develop more nuclear energy capacities to reduce emissions as its demand for electricity rises.
As of September 2023, China had 55 nuclear power units in operation with a combined installed capacity of 57 GW, and 24 units under construction with a total installed capacity of 27.8 GW, Xinhua quoted CNEA official Wang Binghua as saying. By 2060, that capacity is expected to jump to 400 GW, the official said.
China is also expected to approve six to eight nuclear power units each year “within the foreseeable future.”
Source: Oilprice.com
Tesla Will Lay Off 10% Of Staff As Demand For EV Cars Starts To Falter
Tesla shares dropped on Monday morning after the firm announced plans to lay off ‘more than 10 per cent’ of its global workforce as demands for its electric vehicles start to falter in a highly competitive market.
CEO Elon Musk sent a company-wide email over the weekend announcing the layoffs, tech publication Electrek reported on Monday.
Musk, in the internal memo, said the ‘difficult decision’ to reduce staff will ‘enable us to be lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth phase cycle’.
‘There is nothing I hate more, but it must be done,’ the billionaire said, as cited in the memo, before thanking ‘everyone who is departing Tesla for their hard work over the years’.
Tesla, which is set to report its quarterly earnings on April 13, reported a decline in vehicle deliveries in the first quarter, its first in nearly four years and also below market expectations.
The firm, in a press release, blamed its fall in deliveries on a drop in EV car demand, the arson attack at its factory near Berlin and supply-chain issues caused by the Red Sea conflict.
Rumors of a looming layoff had been spreading over the last few months after Tesla asked managers to identify critical team members, paused some stock rewards and canceled some employees’ annual reviews, according to the report.
Tesla, the world’s largest automaker by market value, had 140,473 employees globally as of December 2023, according to its latest annual report. The reported cuts will affect about 14,000 workers.
The firm is also expected to shorten Cybertruck production shifts at its Gigafactory in Texas despite Musk having recently insisted that Cybertruck is currently production constrained.
The move comes as automakers across the world tighten their belts amid a slower than expected uptake of EVs.
BP has cut over a tenth of the workforce in its electric vehicle charging business and pulled it out of several markets after a bet on rapid growth in commercial EV fleets didn’t pay off, company sources said on Monday.
However, China’s electric vehicle market is understood to be booming, with Musk just last year hailing the country’s carmakers as being ‘by far our toughest competition’.
‘I think the Chinese car companies are extremely competitive,’ he said in November, warning: ‘There’s a lot of people out there who think that the top 10 car companies are going to be Tesla followed by nine Chinese car companies. I think they might not be wrong.’
At the time, Musk hailed the Chinese work ethic as being ‘incredible’ and said the country was ‘super good at manufacturing’, The Street.com reported. He also said that Tesla considered ‘the Chinese league to be the most competitive’ and added that the firm does ‘very well in China because our China team is the best’. Elon Musk’s Email To Tesla Employees That Announced Looming Mass Layoffs Over the years, we have grown rapidly with multiple factories scaling around the globe. With this rapid growth there has been duplication of roles and job functions in certain areas. As we prepare the company for our next phase of growth, it is extremely important to look at every aspect of the company for cost reductions and increasing productivity. As part of this effort, we have done a thorough review of the organization and made the difficult decision to reduce our headcount by more than 10% globally. There is nothing I hate more, but it must be done. This will enable us to be lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth phase cycle. I would like to thank everyone who is departing Tesla for their hard work over the years. I’m deeply grateful for your many contributions to our mission and we wish you well in your future opportunities. It is very difficult to say goodbye. For those remaining, I would like to thank you in advance for the difficult job that remains ahead. We are developing some of the most revolutionary technologies in auto, energy and artificial intelligence. As we prepare the company for the next phase of growth, your resolve will make a huge difference in getting us there. Thanks, Elon Source: Natasha AndersonGhana: Opposition NDC Former Energy Ministers ‘Roast’ Gov’t For Rebranding Ameri Power Plant
Two former Ministers for Energy under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration have vented their anger at the government for rebranding the controversial Ameri Power Plant procured at US$510 million in 2013 to shore up power generation to tackle the debilitating power crisis during that period.
Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, a former Minister for Energy and Petroleum, and Hon. John Abdulai Jinapor, former Deputy Power Minister, described the government’s rebranding of the Ameri Power Plant as Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plant as shameful, a lack of integrity and an insult to the intelligence of Ghanaians.
The duo who accused the government of failing to manage the energy sector well said instead of the government acknowledging the foresight and proactive measures that was taken by the previous administration, the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia administration chose to discredit, vilify and undermine former President John Mahama’s initiatives for their own political gain at the time.
In a post on Facebook, Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah wrote: “The Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government’s renaming spree is not limited to universities but now extends to the power sector.
“The rebranding of the Ameri Power Plant as the Kumasi 1Thermal Power Plant is not merely a superficial change but a cynical attempt to distort historical facts and mislead the public about the true origins of this critical infrastructure.
It is, however, important that the people of Ghana do not forget the history of the Ameri power plant.
“The Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government’s pattern of renaming projects initiated by previous administrations is a clear reflection of their lack of innovation and leadership in the energy sector.
“The once-thriving energy sector that was bequeathed to this government by President Mahama has regrettably been eroded under their watch. We are currently struggling with ‘dumsor’ due to the indebtedness made worse by this administration.
“The good people of Ghana deserve leaders who are committed to honesty, accountability and genuine progress, not hollow promises and superficial gestures,” parts of his post read.
On his part, Hon. John Abdulai Jinapor wrote: “The only thing the Akufo-Addo administration has done is to relocate the units to Kumasi in Ashanti. And as if this is not enough, they have gone a step further by deciding to recommission the same plants on 17th April 2024. Interestingly, this same plant was commissioned under President Mahama.
“This attempt to appropriate achievements of President Mahama and present them as that of this non-performing government will no longer be countenanced,” he said.
Last week, this portal reported that President Akufo-Addo would on Wednesday 17th April 2024 inaugurate the Ameri Power Plant which is currently located at Anwomaso near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
The 250MW power plant which is on a wheel and comprised 10 units with each producing 25MW was originally located at Aboadze in the Western Region, but relocated to Anwomaso to stabilise the national grid and ensure power supply reliability in the Ashanti Region.
The plant was procured from the UAE-based Africa & Middle East Resources Investment Group in 2015 by the erstwhile government, when the West African nation was experiencing an erratic power supply due to a shortfall in electricity generation.
The plant cost US$510 million and it was to be managed by its owners for five years and later transferred to the Government of Ghana under the Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) agreement.
The Ameri deal was one of the number of power deals which generated public furor, with the then opposition, the New Patriotic Party, now in government, accusing the then administration of ripping the nation.
After negotiations between the current government and the Ameri Group, the latter waived over US$2 million of the cost of the plant.
In 2022, the plant was handed over to Ghana and VRA was assigned to manage it.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Ameri Power Plant To Be Reconnected On Grid Wednesday After Two Years Of Sitting Idle
Ghana’s power supply which, in recent times, has been erratic and sparked public criticisms of the government, is likely to improve in the coming days as the Volta River Authority (VRA) has finally completed the installation of the Ameri Power Plant at Anwomaso near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
The Plant is due for inauguration by President Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, 17th April 2024.
According to the Volta River Authority (VRA), six units which are about 150MW out of the total capacity of 250MW, have been installed and technically tested for inauguration by President Akufo-Addo.
The reconnection of the Ameri Power Plant to the national grid is to improve power supply and boost economic activities, especially in the Ashanti Region.
The relocation of the Ameri Power Plant to the Ashanti Region is aimed to ensure stability to the national grid and ensure power reliability in the Ashanti Region.
Ameri Power Plant which is on a wheel was procured from the UAE-based Africa & Middle East Resources Investment Group in 2015 by the erstwhile government, when the West African nation was experiencing an erratic power supply due to a shortfall in electricity generation.
The plant cost US$510 million and it was to be managed by its owners for five years and later transferred to the Government of Ghana under the Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) agreement.
The Ameri deal was one of the number of power deals which generated public anger, with the then opposition, the New Patriotic Party, now in government, accusing the then administration of ripping the nation.
After negotiations between the current government and the Ameri Group, the latter waived over US$2 million of the cost of the plant.
In 2022, the plant was handed over to Ghana and VRA was assigned to manage the plant.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Japan Loads The World’s Biggest Nuclear Reactor With Fuel
Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Co. has loaded its biggest nuclear power plant, Kashiwazaki Kariwa, with fuel for the first time since the Fukushima disaster, Bloomberg has reported.
The move is part of a nuclear power return on the Japanese scene after the 2011 tragedy, which saw all nuclear reactors in the country turned off.
But the restart of the Kashiwasaki Kariwa, which is the biggest nuclear power generator in the world, is not yet guaranteed.
The plan has to get the go-ahead from the Niigata prefecture’s governor and this go-ahead is not guaranteed.
The 8.2 GW Kashiwasaki Kariwa plant was turned off in 2012 but that was not the only thing that happened to it.
Back in 2021, Tepco was banned from operating the plant by the Nuclear Regulation Authority, after safety protocol breaches were detected, among them failure to protect nuclear materials, according to a Reuters report from last December.
It was in December that the Japanese authorities lifted the operational ban, citing improvements in the treatment of safety issues at Kashiwasaki Kariwa.
Japan is bringing back nuclear power as a key energy source, looking to protect its energy security in the wake of the 2022 energy crisis that led to surging oil and gas prices.
The resource-poor country which needs to import about 90% of the energy it consumes, made a U-turn in its nuclear energy policy at the end of 2022, as its energy import bill soared amid the energy crisis and surging costs to import LNG at record-high prices.
The Japanese government confirmed in December 2022 a new policy for nuclear energy, which the country had mostly abandoned since the Fukushima disaster in 2011.
A panel of experts under the Japanese Ministry of Industry has also decided that Japan would allow the development of new nuclear reactors and allow available reactors to operate after the current limit of 60 years.
Source: Oilprice.com
Nigeria: Blackout In Nigeria As National Grid Collapses Again
Nigeria’s national electricity grid collapsed again on early hours of Monday, April 15,2024, thus throwing the entire West African country into a total blackout.
The grid collapsed around 2 am, according to data obtained from the country’s System Operator’s portal (niggrid.org).
The grid recorded an unprecedented zero Megawatts (MW) at the time and is currently generating a meagre 52.3MW around 7:10 am the same day.
The consequences of this blackout were felt nationwide, as electricity distribution companies (DisCos) struggled to cope with the sudden and prolonged outage.
This latest collapse marks the fifth grid disturbance in 2024, adding to challenges that have long plagued Nigeria’s power sector.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is yet to comment on the situation.
Checks by this portal indicate that power has been restored in some parts of the country.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: GRIDCo Organises Maiden Electricity Market Conference
Ghana’s power transmission company, GRIDCo, has been tasked to collaborate with players in the power sector value chain to deliver reliable, affordable and stable electricity in the West African nation.
Deputy Minister for Energy, Hon. Herbert Krappa, made the call during a maiden Electricity Market Conference organised by GRIDCo at Akuse in the Greater Accra Region.
The conference which was held between the 4th and 5th of April 2024 brought together key stakeholders in the energy, petroleum, communication, banking and agricultural sectors, as well as USAID, to discuss major challenges, explore innovative solutions and chart the future direction for a sustainable wholesale electricity market in Ghana.
Hon. Krappa emphasised that the timing of the conference was very significant, coming off at a time of challenges in the power sector.
He advised that conversations about reforms should be held, bearing in mind the associated risks.
“The conference should focus on the roadmap for the implementation of the capacity market. On behalf of the Minister for Energy, I assure you of the Ministry’s support, as we work with GRIDCo to keep the lights on,” he said.
In his welcome address, Ambassador Kabral Blay Amihere, the Board Chairman of GRIDCo, indicated that being the first of its kind, the Market Conference formed part of the process to enable GRIDCo to fulfil Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 1937, mandating it to establish the Ghana Wholesale Electricity Market (GWEM).
In this regard, the Board and Management are committed to implementing this law.
He added, “The timing of the Conference is very peculiar given the recent power supply challenges.”
The Board Chairman was confident that the Conference would bring stakeholders to the point of taking definite actions to operationalise the Market.
Adding his voice to that of the Board Chairman to welcome participants, the Chief Executive of GRIDCo, Ing Ebenezer Kofi Essienyi, indicated that the power sector reforms are intended to deregulate the electricity sector to pave the way for private sector participation, ultimately improving reliability, operational efficiency, drive down cost and accelerate industrialisation for national development.
Unfortunately, the reforms that started in 1994 remained incomplete, and this situation has created many challenges for the power sector which includes the high cost of electricity, poor allocation of risks and a growing energy sector debt that continues to weigh on the national budget, he said.
Ing Essienyi was hopeful that the conference “would provide a platform for engaging and dispassionate discussions on the shared vision of activating an efficient framework to deliver competitively priced electricity to our cherished customers.”
The keynote speakers for the conference included Dr Sheila Addo, Director of Policy Coordination, National Petroleum Authority (NPA); Mr Edmund Fianko, Director of Engineering, National Communications Authority (NCA); Mr Kojo Siaw Ofori-Atta, Managing Director, SSESCO-a consulting firm; Mr Joesph Oko Lartey, CEO, Central Securities Depository (CSD); Mr Robert Dowuona-Owoo, Chief Operating Officer, Ghana Commodities Exchange and Mr Sydney Tetteh, Executive Vice President, Energy and Infrastructure, Stanbic Bank.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
South Africa: Eskom Outlines Measures For Reliable Power Supply During Winter
Eskom board chairperson, Mthethwa Nyathi, says they have put in place measures to ensure reliable power supply during winter.
“The good thing is that there is nothing really special that we needed to do more than what we have been doing which is to implement the planned maintenance that we have been implementing. If you look at it, now that we are entering winter, we will be reducing the planned maintenance, giving us additional capacity to be able to take care of the additional demand that we will be experiencing during winter.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Electricity, Dr kgosientsho Ramokgopa expressed confidence that his ministry will no longer be needed by the end of the year.
Speaking at the NinetyOne Annual Infrastructure Forum last month, Ramokgopa said “For as long as I exist, you know that the problem exists. So I’m a personification of the problem if you know what I am saying. We are doing everything possible to address it.”
“I am more than confident that there will not be a need for this ministry by the end of this year.”
During a media briefing earlier this week on an update of the country’s Energy Action Plan, Ramokgopa attributed the current reduced levels of blackouts to Eskom’s increased planned maintenance and good management.
Ramokgopa added that electricity supply is currently higher than demand, saying that planned maintenance allows for the accelerated sourcing of spares.
Source: Sabcnews