The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is excited about a potential partnership with Namibia and ready to support the southern African country in its oil journey, OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said on Wednesday.
The OPEC+ oil producers’ group, having lost Angola and other players in recent years, is looking at Namibia for possible membership as it aims to start pumping oil by the next decade following a string of big discoveries.
“We are excited about the potential of the Namibian OPEC partnership and stand ready to offer support at this crucial juncture,” Al Ghais said in a pre-recorded message at an international energy conference in Namibia.
“We are enthused by the discoveries in Namibia. Namibian oil and energy will be essential to meeting future demand.”
TotalEnergies and Shell in recent years have made discoveries estimated at 2.6 billion barrels, setting the stage for the southern African country to plan production from about 2030.
Sources told Reuters earlier this month the initial focus for OPEC+ – the wider grouping that includes Russia – would be to see Namibia join its Charter of Cooperation, a group that engages in longer-term dialogue about energy markets and does not decide on output policy.
OPEC did not comment at the time.
In addition to Total and Shell, firms including Chevron , Rhino Resources, Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas and Galp Energia are conducting exploration and appraisal activities.
“We encourage potential investors to look at Namibia and the abundance of possibilities here,” OPEC’s Al Ghais said.
Based on the existing discoveries, Namibia is looking at 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) of peak production capacity by the next decade, according to energy consultancy Rystad Energy.
That is smaller than Angola’s output of about 1.1 million bpd, although Rystad noted Namibia’s number could rise with more successful exploration.
Angola quit OPEC in December last year in a dispute over output quotas.
Source: Reuters.com
The Nigerian Army has dismissed two soldiers, Corporal Innocent Joseph and Lance Corporal Jacob Gani, who were accused of stealing armoured cables at the Dangote Refinery in Lagos.
The soldiers were caught on April 14 at the company’s main gate with 897 armoured cables already cut to size.
A statement issued by Maj-General Nwachukwu Onyema, Spokesperson for the Nigerian Army on Monday, April 21, 2024, said the two soldiers were found to have abandoned their duty post and “to be in unauthorised possession of the 897 armoured cables materials,” and had since been handed over to relevant authorities for further prosecution.
Onyema said, “In line with the Nigerian Army’s commitment to upholding high standards of professionalism, integrity and discipline, the NA wishes to update the general public on the outcome of the investigation into the alleged theft of armoured cables at the Dangote Refinery premises on April 14, 2024, involving Corporal Innocent Joseph and Lance Corporal Jacob Gani.
“Sequel to a thorough investigation conducted in collaboration with the management of the company, the two soldiers were found to have abandoned their duty post and to be in unauthorised possession of the materials.
“Subsequently, they were both charged for Failure to Perform Military Duties punishable under Section 57, subsection (1) and Other Civil Offences punishable under Section 114, subsection (1) of the Armed Forces Act CAP A20, the Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
“They were summarily tried. During the trial, the evidence against them was presented and they were given the opportunity to present their cases and defend themselves, but were, however, found guilty of the charges levelled against them in accordance with military laws.
“As a demonstration of NA’s zero-tolerance for misconduct and criminality within its ranks, the two soldiers have been dismissed from the NA with immediate effect and handed over to relevant authorities for further prosecution.”
Last week, Onyema had said the now-dismissed soldiers were hired by a contractor identified as Smart.
He noted that a preliminary investigation conducted into the incident revealed that Smart informed the soldiers that he needed to retrieve some cables that had been left behind at the facility.
Onyema added that when they got there, Smart sensed trouble, then excused himself and left the scene.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported another attack involving four towers along the Jos-Gome 330kV line, and it appears attacks on Nigeria’s power transmission infrastructure will not end anytime soon.
With Africa’s most populous nation struggling to make light available to less than half of the population who have access to power, the least Nigerians expect is this kind of unpatriotic and shameful attacks on its power infrastructure.
According to a statement issued by TCN on Tuesday, there was an attack at about 3:32 p.m. on Monday, 22nd April 2024, resulting in the damage of its transmission line.
The statement issued by the General Manager of TCN for Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, mentioned that their transmission line tripped and the company’s operators attempted to restore it to service but it tripped again.
Mbah said this prompted the dispatch of TCN operators to trace the line to detect and rectify the fault.
She added that while tracing the fault, TCN’s engineering crew discovered that towers 288, 289, 290, and 291 had been vandalised, with some parts carted away.
“Also, the towers had equally collapsed as a result of the incident,” she disclosed.
“Presently, bulk power supply to Gombe, Yola, and Jalingo substations have been disrupted, affecting bulk power supply to parts of Yola and Jos Electricity Distribution Companies’ franchise areas.
“To mitigate the effect of the incident on electricity consumers affected by the incident, TCN is trying to first backfeed Gombe through its 132kV transmission line from Bauchi and subsequently Ashaka, Potiskum, Damaturu, and Billiri/Savannah,” she said.
She said TCN would do everything humanly possible to restore supply to the affected areas, while efforts were being made to reconstruct the vandalised towers.
On April 18, the transmission company said it had deployed a digital system called generation dip/loss detection system (GLDS) to swiftly detect and respond to sudden drops in power generation.
The deployed GLDS, which provides advanced tools for real-time monitoring and analysis of grid performance, is to help enhance management.
The country has on three different occasions suffered a grid collapse in 2024.
The first national grid collapse was recorded on February 4, with another blackout on March 28 and on April 15.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The IAEA has kicked off a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the G20, with the Agency set to contribute to the work of the world’s largest economic grouping on the key role that nuclear energy can play in achieving energy security and climate change goals.
The Agency began this participation with the G20 (Group of Twenty) under the Presidency of Brazil as an invited organization in the Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG), which takes place under the G20 Sherpa Track.
An Agency report presented to the working group last week in its first in-person meeting in Brasilia, laid out how policy shifts and better access to financing mechanisms are essential for nuclear power deployment to scale up to the level needed for the world to reach net zero by 2050.
This is the first time the IAEA has presented to the G20 on issues related to nuclear power, following on from successful prior engagements on the value of nuclear techniques for fighting plastic pollution.
Nuclear Energy for Net Zero: Accelerating Investment in the Clean Energy Transitions provides an overview of nuclear power in the clean energy mix, underscoring the need to speed up nuclear investments to meet net zero goals, especially in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs).
The IAEA will be making a series of contributions to the working group throughout 2024, providing information on nuclear energy’s key role in the net zero transition.
Nuclear energy already plays a key role in most of the countries of the G20, which is the main forum for international economic cooperation, representing 85% of global economic output, more than 75% of global trade and two-thirds of the world’s population.
Fourteen G20 countries operate nuclear power plants, two are considering adding the technology to their energy mix, and six joined the pledge to triple nuclear capacity by 2050 made at COP28 in Dubai.
“The global clean energy transition requires nuclear energy – that is absolutely clear. In the past months the world has embraced that fact in several milestones, including by nuclear’s inclusion in the first Global Stocktake at COP28; in the pledge by more than 20 countries to triple nuclear capacity, and also in our landmark Nuclear Energy Summit last month,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.
“Through the leadership of the Brazilian Presidency of the G20, the IAEA is helping to further build on this momentum within the G20 Energy Transitions Working Group”.
The ETWG discusses the use of clean and sustainable energy sources and the pathways to a fair, accessible and inclusive energy transition.
Under the Brazilian Presidency, the working group will prioritize three main themes: how to accelerate financing of energy transitions, especially in emerging markets and developing economies; the social dimension of the energy transition; and perspectives of sustainable fuel innovation.
The document presented by the IAEA in Brasilia calls for a combination of a supportive policy environment and improved access to finance to scale up investments in nuclear energy, particularly in developing economies.
Investments in nuclear power will need to more than double from current levels to more than $100 billion annually if the world is to reach net zero, the document notes, in line with estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
“The outlook presented by the IAEA tells a very important story around the scientific consensus on the role of nuclear energy to reach net zero, highlighting the acknowledgement of the role of nuclear in climate agreements and the recognition by the IPCC and climate experts that nuclear is needed to achieve net zero.
It is fundamental to bring this to the ETWG discussions,” said Thiago Barral, Secretary of Planning and Energy Transition of the Ministry of Mines of Brazil.
The IAEA’s technical work with the G20 will culminate in October when it releases another report, Climate Change and Nuclear Power 2024: Financing Nuclear Energy in Low Carbon Transitions.
The new report will examine the dynamics of nuclear project financing for low carbon transitions and will be released in the run-up to the G20 Presidential Summit and COP29, and on the sidelines of the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting and the Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation meetings.
For the next working group meeting at the end of May, the IAEA will release a toolkit produced for the G20 on sustainable energy planning, building on decades of the IAEA’s expertise in enhancing national and regional capacities for energy system analysis and planning, including capacity building in developing economies and the transfer of energy planning tools and methodologies.
“Energy is absolutely fundamental to society. Countries need to plan carefully so that their people have access to reliable, affordable and sustainable sources.
The IAEA assists developing and developed countries in this endeavor, and that includes working with the experts within the G20,” Mr Grossi said.
Source: IAEA
The United Arab Emirates and Oman signed on Tuesday $35 billion worth of investment partnerships in renewable energy, green metals, railways, and digital infrastructure and technology during the state visit of Oman’s Sultan to the UAE.
The memorandums of understanding establish investment partnerships between the UAE and Oman worth a combined $35 billion (129 billion UAE dirhams) to deepen cooperation across multiple sectors, the UAE’s Ministry of Investment said in a statement.
Under the deals, several UAE and Omani companies entered into investment and collaboration agreements across various sectors to boost “economic cooperation aimed at driving economic development through strategic investments,” the ministry added.
The single-largest investment agreement was for an industrial and energy megaproject valued at $31 billion (117 billion dirhams), encompassing renewable energy initiatives, including solar and wind projects, alongside green metals production facilities.
The signatories included Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (MASDAR), Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), Emirates Steel Arkan (ESA), OQ Alternative Energy, and Oman Electricity Transmission Company.
“The agreements represent a major milestone in our bilateral ties, as they pave the way for us to leverage our collective strength to realize our shared vision of advancement and prosperity,” said Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment of the UAE.
Both the UAE and Oman, large oil-producing countries in the Middle East and part of the OPEC+ agreement, have intensified efforts to boost renewable energy, hydrogen, and carbon capture projects in recent years.
Oman is looking to become a green hydrogen hub, while UAE-based companies Masdar and TAQA are expanding their renewable energy installations and footprint globally.
The UAE has plans to generate most of its electrical energy by 2050 from solar power, according to its Ministry of Economy. Major opportunities exist in solar energy, waste-to-energy, wind energy, and water treatment, the ministry notes.
Source: Oilprice.com
Bui Power Authority has paid a visit to the University of Energy and Natural Resources (URNR) to commiserate with the management and students of the institution after a robbery incident that led to the death of Abdul Aziz Issah, a renewable energy engineering student of the school.
The deceased, a level 400 student, and other colleagues were returning to their campus in Sunyani after a study tour of the
Bui Generating Station, when they encountered armed robbers, resulting in his untimely death.
Consequently, the BPA CEO, Ing. Samuel Kofi Ahiave Dzamesi, delegated some of the senior officers led by the Director of Estates, Mr Wumbilla Salifu, to commiserate with the Vice Chancellor of the UENR.
In a letter addressed to the Vice Chancellor of UENR, the CEO of BPA, Ing. Dzamesi, conveyed his condolences to the family of the deceased and extended his sympathies to the affected students and wished them a speedy recovery on behalf of the management and staff of Bui Power Authority.
On his part, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of UENR, Prof. John Kuwornu, who received the BPA delegation on behalf of the Vice Chancellor of UENR, thanked Samuel Kofi Ahiave Dzamesi for showing care and affection to the deceased, the affected students and the entire university community.
In addition, he appealed for support for the bereaved family and the other students who sustained various degrees of injury.
Other members of the BPA delegation included the Deputy Director of Renewables, Maxmillan Kwarteng, and Senior Corporate Affairs Officer, Mawuli Fui Kwadzovia
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Globeleq, the leading independent power and energy transition company in Africa, has acquired a 48.3% equity stake in the 25 MWp Winnergy solar PV plant (Winnergy) in Egypt from Enerray, Enerray Global Solar Opportunities and Desert Technologies.
The company announced this in a statement copied to energynewsafrica.com on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
The plant, which is in operation, is located within Egypt’s flagship Benban Solar complex, near Aswan, and is adjacent to Globeleq’s 66 MWp ARC solar plant.
GILA Altawakol Electric (Altawakol), a leading Egyptian group in electrical engineering, equipment manufacturing and services, remains the co-shareholder and operations and maintenance contractor.
Globeleq and Altawakol have worked together since 2019 and will continue to cooperate on the asset management and operation of the plant.
The Winnergy plant was originally developed as part of the second round of the Egyptian government’s Feed-in-Tariff program.
Commencing operations in 2019, it provides approximately 58 GWh per year of clean electricity to the Egyptian Electricity and Transmission Company (EETC), under a 25-year power purchase agreement. This is sufficient to power around 13,600 residential consumers annually, thereby avoiding 30,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Winnergy was financed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), British International Investment (BII), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Europe Arab Bank.
Mike Scholey, Chief Executive Officer of Globeleq, commented: “This transaction confirms Globeleq’s long-term commitment to Egypt where the company has been investing for 20 years. The addition of Winnergy is a good fit with our existing portfolio as we pursue additional opportunities in Egypt across green hydrogen and ammonia, solar, wind and desalination. Egypt is committed to an ambitious energy transition programme and we look forward to playing our part.”
Gareth Bayley OBE, British Ambassador to Egypt, added:
“Globeleq’s ongoing commitment to the Egyptian renewable energy market demonstrates how British companies continue to support Egypt’s ambitious energy strategy through investment in the renewable energy sector and the energy transition.”
Amr Tawakol, Chairman of GILA Altawakol Electric, said: “It gives us great pleasure to partner with a highly regarded company such as Globeleq. We look forward to leveraging their extensive experience to optimize the performance of the Winnergy asset. Gila continues to be committed to Egypt’s, and the global mission, of decarbonization.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The United Arab Emirates is aiming to become self-sufficient in gas supply by 2030 following the discovery of more onshore hydrocarbon reserves, latest report by GlobalData suggests.
Currently, the country is dependent on gas imports for power plants and water desalination plants.
As of 2023, thermal power generation comprised around 77.7% of the total power generation mix of the country.
GlobalData’s latest report, “UAE Power Market Size, Trends, Regulations, Competitive Landscape and Forecast, 2024-2035,” reveals that the installed capacity share of thermal power in the UAE was around 80.4% in 2023, where gas-based thermal power capacity dominated the power capacity mix with a share of 80.2%.
Sudeshna Sarmah, Power Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “With the discovery of new hydrocarbon reserves, the UAE is planning to invest heavily in hydrocarbon infrastructure and seek to develop new production techniques. At present, the country is in the process of choosing new locations to set up new infrastructure and seeking unconventional methods for hydrocarbon production.”
By 2035, it is anticipated that the cumulative thermal power capacity will expand to 46.1 GW, up from 41.2 GW in 2023, increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.9% during the forecast period.
Correspondingly, annual generation from thermal power sources is projected to increase from 135.5 TWh in 2023 to 155.9 TWh in 2035, at a CAGR of 1.2%.
Sarmah adds: “Most of the increase in capacity is expected in gas-based thermal power rather than oil, whose capacity is expected to remain almost unchanged. The increase in gas capacity provides a potential opportunity to industry stakeholders which include gas turbine manufacturers, ancillary equipment suppliers, developers, operators, and EPC contractors.”
Sarmah concludes: “Since 1971, the UAE has relied on its large oil and natural gas resources to support its economy. Rapid economic and demographic growth over the past decade has pushed the UAE’s electricity grid to its limits. The UAE is planning to add nuclear, renewable, and coal–fired electricity generating capacity to accommodate rising demand.
Despite the UAE’s vast resource potential for renewables (particularly solar), only small progress has been made in the direction of harnessing renewable energy resources.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Kenya’s power utility company, Kenya Power, has announced a plan to invest up to KShs.258 million in the next three years to drive the uptake of electric vehicles in the East African nation.
This investment will include the cost of setting up charging stations at various locations across the country and the purchase of electric vehicles and motorbikes to aid company operations.
In a statement issued on Monday, April 22, 2024, the company revealed that it had launched an electric vehicle (EV) charging station located at Stima Plaza at a cost of KShs.6.5 million as part of the planned investments in e-mobility.
“The charging station comprises two chargers; a 50kW DC (one hour charging time) and a 22kW AC (two hours charging time) charger.
“It is the second EV charging station that is owned by Kenya Power after a similar one that is located at the Ruaraka Depot which hosts the company’s transport section,’’ the statement explained.
In addition to the EV charging station located at Stima Plaza, Kenya Power will install nine other charging stations by the end of July 2024 at the company’s various offices across the country including; Donholm, Nakuru, Mombasa, Mtito Andei, Kisumu, Eldoret, Roysambu, Electricity House Nairobi and Ragati.
Commenting on the initiative, the Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Power, Eng Joseph Siror said, “The future of transport is electricity and as a company, we are very excited to be leading the conversations around E-mobility.
Alongside our need to charge our electric vehicles, we intend to use our EV charging stations to collect data that will inform the next steps of our support to the growing E-mobility industry.
“We have set aside an annual budget of KShs20 million to set up EV charging stations at all our offices across the country. Beyond the additional charging stations that we intend to put up in the current financial year, we intend to install 10 additional facilities annually in 2025 and 2026,” Dr Siror further said.
Alongside the EV charging station, Kenya Power has also launched two electric heavy-duty vehicles that would be deployed for routine operations.
The vehicles were purchased for KShs18 million.
The company intends to scale the number of electric vehicles in its fleet through the purchase of additional non-electric vehicles (heavy and light duty) and 25 electric motorcycles by the end of December 2024.
In 2021, Kenya Power completed the pilot of 13 electric motorcycles in its fleet in partnership with UNEP, an exercise that offered invaluable lessons on E-mobility.
Before this exercise, the company piloted the use of electric-powered forklifts and pallet stackers at its warehouses for two years between the year 2016 and 2018.
The company is now implementing the E-mobility tariff that was approved by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority during the recent electricity tariff review as part of its initiatives to drive the uptake of electric vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles.
To further accelerate the uptake of E-mobility, the company has championed the annual E-mobility Conference that brings together players in the industry to deliberate on a framework that would promote the growth of the sector.
Source: https:// energynewsafrica.com
The Gambian National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) with funding from the World Bank has laid a foundation stone for a US$66 million electricity project called ECOREAP, which will electrify over 298 communities in the West African nation.
The ceremony was held in Jarra Soma at the OMVG substation on Friday, April 19, 2024.
The Point Newspaper reported that The World Bank Task Team Leader Ms Elise Massan Akitani, speaking at the ceremony stated that there is no development in the dark.
“We have come together with the government to put this project together which is a series of projects and the Gambia is one of the pioneers,” she said.
She thanked the project implementation unit for the additional communities.
“The project will cover almost all parts of the country. We hope that by the end of the year, all the identified communities will receive the energy as promised.”
The Managing Director of NAWEC, Gallo Saidy, described the project as something that would set a legacy for NAWEC for the next generation.
He urged for both timely and quality implementation of the project to make it long lasting.
He called for collective collaboration of all and sundry for the development of The Gambia.
The Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Rohey John Manjang, revealed that the project was supposed to be completed in December 2023, but has been extended to October 31st 2024.
She thus called on the contractor not to kill the hopes of Gambians.
“We hope this is the last extension, and the work be completed before October 31st because the people have been waiting for far too long,” she stressed.
ECOWAS Director of Energy and Mines, Mr. Bayaornibe Dabire, said in line with the ECOWAS vision 2050, it is the ECOWAS of the people; shared prosperity for all.
“This means we have to do our best to contribute to socioecomic development of the regions and in line with this socioeconomic development we should know that electricity is very important for economic development.”
He highlighted that electricity access is a huge challenge in the ECOWAS region since 56% among the region do not have access to energy.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Gambian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Neo Themis, a Morocco-based leading renewable energy project developer in sub-Saharan Africa to develop a 10.5 solar project in rural areas of the West African nation.
The project is in line with the government and the Ministry’s goal of universal energy access to all The Gambians by 2025.
The MoU was signed last week at the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.
The project is expected to connect over 22,600 people to the grid.
It also aims to mitigate approximately 39,600 metric tons per year of CO2 emissions, contributing significantly to global efforts in combating climate change.
Hon. Nani Juwara (middle) Minister for Petroleum and Energy (MoPE)
Speaking at the signing ceremony, attended by government officials and the management team of Themis, the Minister for Petroleum and Energy, Hon. Nani Juwara expressed his confidence in Neo Themis’ abilities to deliver, and emphasised the pivotal role of renewable energy in achieving The Gambian 2030 vision and ensuring universal clean and affordable energy access for all The Gambians.
Mrs Tas Anvaripour, CEO of Neo Themis, thanked the Minister and all teams involved for their continuous support in achieving this milestone in the country’s renewable energy journey.
“Neo Themis is honored to partner with The Gambian Government on this innovative and pioneer project for the country. The MoU is committing Neo Themis to bring its expertise and fast-track the project implementation to make it a visible success.
“This partnership underscores the confidence placed in Themis’ effectiveness in implementing strategic energy infrastructure solutions in Africa. Themis is proud to be at the forefront of sustainable development in The Gambia and looks forward to delivering tangible, lasting benefits to the country,” she said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, inaugurate a 15MW peak solar plant at Kaleo in the Upper West Region.
It is the second phase (II) of the first phase of the 13MW peak solar project executed by the Volta River Authority, which was inaugurated in August 2022 by President Akufo-Addo.
This second phase brings the total capacity of solar projects executed in the area to 28MW.
The project was funded by the German Development Bank (KFW).
The project adds to the company’s 6.5MW peak solar power plant at Lawra, 2.5MW peak at Navrongo, and 80kW rooftop solar at its headquarters in Accra.
Since 1961 when the nation started commercial production of electricity, almost all the generation assets, except the Bui Hydropower plant, have been located in the middle and southern parts of the country.
The Volta River Authority has been one of Ghana’s main vehicles for improving access to electricity and related developments, particularly in the northern parts of the country.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, says the implementation of the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM) policy will improve safety in the distribution of LPG and bring it closer to the people.
Besides, he said the policy would remove barriers in the distribution of LPG and make it more efficient and less costly in the delivery of LPG to homes.
Dr Abdul-Hamid made the remarks in a speech read on his behalf by Dr Joseph Wilson, Director of Research Monitoring and Evaluation of the NPA, at a consumer sensitisation programme on the (CRM) at the Catholic Social Center in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, Wednesday.
Chaired by the Upper East Regional Chairman of GPRTU, Mr Fatau Atinga, the programme brought together key stakeholders and experts to share valuable insights.
The Director of Gas at the NPA, Mrs Akua Ntiwaa Kwakye, who gave the welcome address, set the tone for the event and highlighted the significance of the LPG industry in Ghana.
In a presentation on CRM, the Head of Gas and Commercial Regulation Department of the NPA, Mr Obed Kraine, gave comprehensive insights into CRM and shed more light on the policy and how it is going to be run.
Participants inquired about the assurance of receiving the exact amount of gas they pay for when exchanging their cylinders.
Mr Kraine said: ‘The CRM policy includes robust measures to ensure transparency and accuracy in the exchange process. Cylinder exchange points will have mechanisms in place to verify the weight of the cylinders, preventing any discrepancies and ensuring that consumers receive the full value of their purchase.”
Again, concerns were raised about potential unemployment due to the implementation of CRM but Mr Kraine debunked that assertion, saying, “It is important to note that the transition to the CRM model aims to create new job opportunities in the LPG value chain.
“Additional personnel will be required for cylinder distribution, maintenance and related services,” he noted.
To further emphasise safety measures, the Ghana National Fire Service conducted a demonstration to showcase the appropriate actions to take in the event of an LPG-related incident.
Participants were provided with crucial safety tips to ensure the safe handling and usage of LPG.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Monday $7 billion in grants to help more than 900,000 low-income households to install residential solar power, the White House said.
President Biden marked the Earth Day by traveling to Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, Virginia, and highlighted the Administration’s progress “in tackling the climate crisis, cutting costs for everyday Americans, and creating good-paying jobs,” the White House said.
The $7 billion in grants will come from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar for All grant competition, a key component of the Inflation Reduction Act’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
The selectees under the competition are expected to deliver residential power to more than 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities, saving households more than $350 million in electricity costs annually, or about $400 per household, according to the White House.
The rooftop solar program will also help avoid more than 30 million metric tons of carbon pollution over the next 25 years.
EPA has received 150 applications, and 60 applicants were selected through a robust multistage review, Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe said in a call with reporters.
U.S. solar installations surged in 2023, as solar accounted for over 50% of new electricity capacity added to the grid, for the first time in history, the annual solar market review of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie showed earlier this year.
However, the biggest residential solar market in the U.S., California, has seen major policy changes in the way the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will compensate rooftop solar customers for the excess energy they generate. This decision moved the state from retail rate “net metering” to a new “net billing” structure that cuts the value of rooftop solar credits by about 75%.
Source: https:// energynewsafrica.com 
Again, concerns were raised about potential unemployment due to the implementation of CRM but Mr Kraine debunked that assertion, saying, “It is important to note that the transition to the CRM model aims to create new job opportunities in the LPG value chain.
“Additional personnel will be required for cylinder distribution, maintenance and related services,” he noted.
To further emphasise safety measures, the Ghana National Fire Service conducted a demonstration to showcase the appropriate actions to take in the event of an LPG-related incident.
Participants were provided with crucial safety tips to ensure the safe handling and usage of LPG.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 