Access Bank PLC, in collaboration with Asolar, has launched a green energy solution to tackle power supply challenges faced by the small and medium enterprises across Nigeria.
The products, which included solar-powered TV sets, Air Conditioners, PoS machines, among many others, was launched on Tuesday at the Access Bank Branch in Garki, Abuja.
Speaking during the unveiling ceremony tagged: ‘Light up your community’, the Access Bank deputy managing director, Victor Etuokwu, said the inconsistent power supply has become a major obstacle to businesses and livelihoods in the country.
Mr. Etuokwu who represented the bank’s director regional services, Neka Adogu, said the initiative was aimed at promoting financial inclusion in rural areas.
He said: “This inconsistent power supply poses a substantial challenge for small and medium enterprises [SMEs] as well as initiatives aimed at promoting financial inclusion in rural areas, which is considered a yardstick for economic growth in Nigeria.
“Currently, in Nigeria, owners of SMEs spend huge sums in procuring generating sets, purchasing fuel, and the maintenance of generators to operate their business successfully.
“Furthermore, in the broader context of financial inclusion, the absence of power accessibility becomes a critical barrier.
“Dependable electricity is a fundamental prerequisite for implementing modern financial services like digital banking and payment systems, particularly in underserved rural areas.
“This disparity in power access widens the financial gap, impeding initiatives aimed at providing banking and financial services to those who are most in need.
“Through this partnership, we embark on a transformative journey to introduce cost-effective and dependable solar-powered solutions tailored specifically for small and medium businesses.
“By harnessing the potential of solar energy, we aim to untether these businesses from the shackles of unreliable power sources and offer promising alternatives to traditional generators reliant on expensive and polluting fossil fuels.
“By providing access to affordable solar-powered solutions, we endeavour to significantly reduce operational costs, enhance productivity, and catalyse growth for these enterprises.
“Access Bank PLC’s collaboration with ASOLAR is not merely transforming power solutions; it is utilising our Access CLOSA Agent Network platform as the digital payment provider,” he said.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Asolar, Hakeem Shagaya, said the company was committed to ensuring every citizen has access to reliable and sustainable energy.
While appreciating the management of the bank for the collaboration, Mr. Shagaya noted that the initiative is in line with the sustainable development goals on clean and renewable energy.
“As we embark on this journey towards Access Green Energy, let us not overlook the profound impact on our environment. This initiative is not just about illuminating homes; it is about lighting the way for a greener and cleaner tomorrow.
“The Solar Home Systems represent a commitment to environmental stewardship, reducing carbon footprints, and actively contributing to the global fight against climate change.
“The positive environmental impact extends beyond emissions reduction, encompassing the preservation of ecosystems, the promotion of biodiversity and the creation of a more sustainable and resilient planet for future generations.
Earlier, Chizoba Iheme, Group Head, Financial Inclusion, Access Bank Plc, disclosed that the bank has over 300,000 Access agents across the country to facilitate the distribution.
American oil and gas firm, Kosmos Energy has expressed commitment to collaborate with Senegal’s government and National Oil Company, Petrosen to develop an offshore Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility for the country’s flagship Yakaar-Teranga gas project.
The development concept will focus on the delivery of cost-competitive gas to Senegal’s domestic market combined with exports to international markets.
Serving as one of the world’s largest gas discoveries in recent years and holding an estimated 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in place, the LNG facility is poised to produce approximately 550 million cubic feet of gas per day.
Domestic gas will be transported via a pipeline while export volumes will be liquefied on a Floating LNG vessel.
“The project is expected to deliver LNG export volumes to global markets, further establishing Senegal as an important and reliable supplier of energy to the world,” Kosmos Energy Chairman and CEO, Andrew G. Inglis said.
The concept for the facility development project is currently being optimized to meet domestic and international LNG requirements. Once the concept optimization has finished, the project will move into the Front-End Engineering Design phase.
“Yakaar-Teranga is a strategic project and a key asset for the government’s ‘Gas-to-Power’ and ‘Gas-to-Industry’ initiatives, which aim to provide affordable, abundant, and cleaner energy as part of the country’s ‘Plan
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. has emerged as the 2023 Best Innovative Company of the Year at the just ended 41st Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) Annual International Conference & Exhibition held at the Eko Hotel, in Lagos, on Thursday.
The award, which was in recognition of the outstanding performance of NNPC Ltd., was presented to the Company at the closing ceremony of the Association’s 2023 Conference & Exhibition.
Speaking shortly after receiving the award, on behalf of NNPC Ltd., Martina Atuchi, Executive Director, Business Services, NNPC EnSERV, said that the award would further spur the company to achieve more in its quest to deliver value to Nigerians and other stakeholders.
She further thanked NAPE for providing a veritable platform on which leading players within the nation’s energy landscape converge annually to exchange ideas, share insights, and discuss the future of the energy Industry.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), on Friday, received ‘Innovation Project of the Year Award’ at the 7th edition of the Ghana Energy Awards held at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.
The event, which celebrates excellence and innovation in the energy sector, recognized PURC for its outstanding achievements and contributions to the industry.
It brought together Industry Professionals, Government Officials, and key stakeholders from the energy sector.
It was under the theme: ‘Ghana’s Energy Transition Framework: Sector Institutions as Building Blocks for the 2030-2040 Targets.’
The Guest of Honour, H.E President Nana Akufo- Addo, praised the institutions and personalities who emerged winners during the event for their beautiful contributions towards advancing the country’s energy sector, which is a significant catalyst for economic progression.
The ‘Innovation Project of the Year’ further highlights PURC’s dedication to embracing cutting-edge technologies and implementing innovative solutions.
This recognition showcases the Commission’s ability to adapt to the ever-evolving energy landscape and find creative ways to address challenges.
Given this prestigious award, PURC remains dedicated to ensuring fair and efficient regulation of public utilities. With a renewed sense of purpose, the Commission will continue to drive the energy sector forward, fostering sustainability, reliability, and affordability for all consumers.
As the energy industry continues to evolve, PURC stands poised to lead the way, spearheading transformative initiatives and setting new benchmarks for excellence.
This recognition at the Energy Awards is a testament to PURC’s exceptional achievements in the energy sector.
Source: httts://energynewsafrica.com
The Gambia is currently embarking on a journey to embrace renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power, as well as exploring prospects for green hydrogen production.
Aligned with the vision laid out by its National Development Plan (NDP), the country aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its mix from 2% to 40% by 2025.
Its comprehensive strategy holds the promise of a cleaner and more sustainable energy future, while harmonizing with the shared goal of the MSGBC region to eradicate energy poverty.
The Gambia boasts immense solar power potential, with approximately 3,000 hours of annual sunshine per year and a minimum daily solar production capacity of 4 KWh of solar power radiation per m2.
When it comes to wind power, The Gambia benefits from favorable conditions, with wind speeds ranging from 3.4 meters per second (m/s) to 4.2 m/s at a height of 30 m, particularly in locations like Kanuma and Jambanjelly near the coast, where free winds flow in from the sea. However, the current utilization of renewable resources in the country remains underdeveloped.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), The Gambia only had 2 MW of installed solar photovoltaic capacity at the close of 2022. Similarly, in the realm of wind energy, only small-scale projects initiated by private investors and non-governmental organizations are currently in operation.
As a result, the government has been proactively pursuing the development of renewable resources, establishing The Gambia Renewable Energy Center that facilitates research and development in the sector and collaboration with various stakeholders.
The West African country has subsequently attracted substantial investments from international lenders, including the European Investment Bank and World Bank.
Through The Gambia Electricity Restoration and Modernization Project, both institutions are financing a 23 MW solar project in Jambur within the West Coast Region, to be constructed by national utility NAWEC.
The project aims to increase installed renewable generation capacity and transmission network efficiency, facilitating increased electricity access and aligning with the NDP and The Gambia Electricity Sector Roadmap.
Meanwhile, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is actively engaged in renewable energy development through The Renewable Energy Potentials in The Gambia Project, initiated in 2021, which aims to provide training in renewable energy technologies to over 200 Gambians.
In recent months, The Gambia has also directed its focus to green hydrogen production, driven by ample solar and wind resources, as well as its coastal location that enables easy access to water for electrolysis.
In September 2023, Swiss renewable energy firm NEK Umwelttechnik AG inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Gambian government to develop a 200 MW onshore and 350 MW offshore wind farm, with the potential to fuel future green hydrogen production.
With commissioning anticipated by 2027, the wind projects would represent the first clean, sustainable and domestic source of power for the country.
One month later, the government signed another MoU with H2 Gambia Limited, a subsidiary of the UK-based HydroGenesis Group, at African Energy Week 2023 in Cape Town to further explore the commercial prospects for hydrogen production.
Renewable energy and green hydrogen present a dual solution to The Gambia’s energy deficit.
In addition to low electrification rates, the country faces high electricity tariffs, averaging $0.23 per kWh in 2023.
As a result, new installed renewable capacity could decrease costs to as low as $0.033 per kWh for onshore wind, $0.049 per kWh for utility-scale solar photovoltaic, and $0.081 per kWh for offshore wind, according to IRENA.
Reduced costs will ensure more affordable access for Gambians, especially in rural areas that are well suited to decentralized and off-grid solutions. Meanwhile, surplus power has the potential to be exported to the West African Power Pool, benefiting neighboring MSGBC countries like Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry.
The Gambia’s green energy revolution, its commercial potential for green hydrogen production and more will be explored at the upcoming MSGBC Oil,Gas & Power 2023 conference and exhibition.
The two-day event will take place in Nouakchott on November 21-22, under the esteemed patronage of Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani and the participation of Abdoulie Jobe, Minister of Petroleum and Energy of the Republic of The Gambia.
Source:Energycapitalpower
Angola’s request for bids from oil and gas investors for 12 oil blocks in the Lower Congo and Kwanza basins attracted 53 bids as the close of bid on November 15, 2023, energynewsafrica.com can report.
Out of the total 53 bids received by Angola’s national concessionaire, the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG), 22 bids were submitted for four blocks in the Congo Basin.
The 22 bids were submitted for CON 2, CON 3, CON 7 and CON 8 blocks.
Block CON 8 alone received ten bids, four of which were for operatorship of the block.
Interestingly, 31 bids were submitted for blocks in the Kwanza Basin namely, KON 7, KON 10, KON 13, KON 15 and KON 19 blocks.
Of the bids submitted, 22 were for operatorship.
Blocks KON 1, KON 3 and KON 14 received no interest.
“With this tender, we mark another safe step in the process of exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the onshore areas of the Lower Congo and Kwanza basins, attracting companies with proven experience and accumulated knowledge…in basins with recognized geological complexity,” remarked José Barroso, Angola’s Secretary of State for Oil and Gas.
ANPG will evaluate the bids received, a process which is anticipated to be finalized by 31 December 2023. The results of the onshore tender are expected to be announced by mid-January 2024, following which negotiation with companies will commence.
ANPG expects negotiations to be complete by March 2024.
Paulino Jerónimo, President of the Board of Directors of the ANPG underscored that the onshore round is the “fourth time since the creation of the ANPG in February 2019 that we have opened the doors to [collectively] follow one of the determining stages that will lead to the concession of oil blocks.”
The Chief Executive Officer of J.K Horgle Transport and Company Ltd, a petroleum haulage transportation company in the Republic of Ghana on Friday received a Transformational Business Excellence in Oil and Gas Downstream Award at the 7th Edition of Ghana Energy Awards held at the Labadi Beach in Accra.
Mr. Joseph Kwaku Horgle, who is a giant in the petroleum downstream in Ghana, was recognized for his vision, resilience and entrepreneurial skills for growing a small petroleum company to become an international company.
This is one of the many awards being received by Mr. JK Horgle.
From a humble beginning with about three heavy-duty trucks in the 1970s, Mr. Horgle has grown his petroleum haulage business and currently boasts over 500 heavy-duty trucks.
Started in the early 70s and incorporated in 2001, JK Horgle Transport and Company Limited has grown from a National to an international business carting Petroleum and Allied Products across West Africa for a multinationals and local Oil Marketing Companies.
Currently, the company directly employs over 600 staff with heavy investment in well trained and experienced drivers and support staff.
This year’s Ghana Energy Awards was on the theme: ‘Ghana’s Energy Transition Framework: Sector Institutions As Building Blocks For The 2030-2040 Targets’.
President of Ghana H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was the Special Guest and it was attended by hosts of industrial professionals, policy makers and civil society groups in the energy sector.
Commenting on the award Elinam Horgli, Deputy Managing Director of JK Horgle Transport & Company Limited said the award was well deserved stating that the CEO has over forty years experience in the petroleum downstream industry.
She said Mr. Horgle understands the industry very well and he is able to predict the consequences or implications of decisions in the industry.
According the petroleum downstream industry employs close to 10,000 people noting that these people also have depends and cautioned policy makers against decisions that can affect the industry.
Mr. Joseph Kwaku Horgle, Chief Executive Officer of JK Horgle Transport & Company Limited.
Elinam Horgli urged the regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to ensure that the downstream industry continues to remain a preserve for Ghanaians saying due to the local content law governing the industry some Ghanaian companies have been able to grow to become giants.
Source:httts://energynewsafrica.com
South Africa’s Minister for Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, says the transmission financing project is currently at an advanced stage and will be presented in the next cabinet sitting.
He said the transmission financing seeks to source additional funding beyond Eskom’s balance sheet and the treasury.
According to him, this is important because for the transmission division to be accelerated, it would need about R390 billion.
“We know that for us to be able to accelerate the rollout, the expansion, and the strengthening of transmission, we need anything upwards of R390 billion.
Like I said, the financing facility that has been made available within the context of the jet IP will be part of the totality of the resources that are available to help us address the requirements on the transmission, and of course we’ll expand the flow of those sources to go beyond what the international partner groups are offering,” he said as quoted by Sabcnews.com
Minister Ramokgopa said power cuts have been ramped up in order to replenish emergency generation reserves, which have been depleted faster than expected due to further breakdowns of some generating units.
Eskom says that Stage 3 load shedding is expected until 5 a.m. tomorrow morning.
He says at least five units are expected to return to service tonight.
“From November 13 to November 17, the capacity was still significantly lower.
On account of unplanned capacity loss, the rate of failure of these units have been a bit more acute.
We do expect that units will fail from time to time, but we will ensure that we are able to address that. If we had not experienced that, we would not see the kind of intensity of load shedding that we are experiencing”, he said.
Source:sabcnews.com
Senegalese National Electricity Company (SENELEC) has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Infinity Power.
The contract covers the installation of an electricity storage system for the Taïba N’Diaye wind farm in the Thiès region of western Senegal.
In Senegal, the project to build an electricity storage system for the Taïba N’Diaye wind farm is taking shape.
The project’s developer, Infinity Power, which continues to operate the wind farm after taking over Lekela Power, has just signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Senegal’s national electricity company (SENELEC).
The 20-year capacity change agreement paves the way for the construction of the storage system at the Tobène substation in the Thiès region.
The system will be capable of storing 40 MW of electricity, which will “enable the electricity grid to harness all available wind energy and provide ancillary services such as frequency regulation, reactive power support, and energy charging and discharging”, says Infinity Power.
The storage batteries, with a combined capacity of 175 MWh, will be housed in 45 40-foot (21m) shipping containers.
According to Infinity Power, installation of the system will begin in 2024 at the Tobène substation, with commissioning scheduled for 2025. According to Infinity, the storage system will reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by around 37,000 tonnes a year.
The Taïba N’Diaye wind farm consists of 46 turbines supplied and installed by Danish company Vestas Wind Systems.
The facility has a capacity of 158.7 MW, making it the largest wind farm in West Africa. This capacity represents 15% of Senegal’s installed electricity capacity of 1,555 MW, according to Power Africa.
The wind farm feeds its output into the SENELEC grid. The park is capable of supplying power to 2 million people in Senegal, while avoiding emissions of 300,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year.
Source:Africa-energy-portal
Thirteen ex-executives of Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have been remanded into prison custody by an Abuja High in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on charges of assault.
The ex-executives allegedly assaulted the national president of NUPENG, Williams Akporeha, and two others.
The accused persons were remanded into prison by the presiding judge Justice Yusuf Halilu on a five-count criminal charge on Friday, November 17, 2023.
They were put on trial by the Inspector General of Police for allegedly beating up Akporeha and Wale Afolabi, respectively, NUPENG’s president and general secretary, and the newly elected national chairman of PTD, Augustine Egbon.
Those arraigned include former national chairman of PTD, Lucky Osesua, his deputy, Dayyabu Yusuf Garga, Humble Obinna, Akinolu Olabisi, Godwin Nwaka, and Tiamiu Sikiru.
The rest are Abdulmimin Shaibu, John Amajuoyi, Zaira Aregbo, Patrick Erhivwor, Stephen Ogheneruemu, Gift Ukponku, and Sunday Ezeocha.
According to the case (marked FCT/HC/CR/042/2023), the defendants, on November 1, 2023, laid siege at the PTD office at No. 50 Moses Majekodunmi Crescent, Utako District, against Akporeha, Afolabi, Solomon Kilanko, and Augustine Egbon and committed an offence punishable under Section 114 of the Penal Code Act, 2004.
They were accused of acting in a manner likely to cause the deaths of Akporeha and Egbon, an offence punishable under Section 229 of the Penal Code Act, 2004.
They were also accused of voluntarily causing grievous bodily harm to their victims.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges, after which the prosecution counsel, Frank Longe, applied for a date to begin their trial.
Lead counsel to the accused persons, Chris Oshomogie, SAN, orally applied for the bail of his clients, claiming that the offences they allegedly committed are bailable.
However, the court rejected the oral bail application, ordered him to file a final application and adjourned until November 21 for trial.
Justice Yusuf ordered that the 13 defendants be moved to Kuje prison in Abuja on remand pending the determination of their request for bail.
The Court adjourned till November 21, for commencement of trial.
The Managing Director of Bulk Energy Storage and Transportation (BEST) Company Limited, formerly BOST, Edwin Alfred Provencal, was on Friday night crowned as the 2023 Energy Personality of the Year at the 7th edition of Ghana Energy Awards held at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, the capital of Ghana.
He faced stiff competition from Dr. Ben K.D Asante , CEO of Ghana National Gas Company; Dr Ismael Ackah Ph.D, Executive Secretary of Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Joseph Kweku Horgle, Chief Executive Officer of JK Horgle Transport & Company; Michael Bozumbil, Chief Executive Officer of Petrosol Ghana , Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, Chief Executive Officer of Bui Power Authority and Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Chief Executive Officer of National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
Last year Mr. Provencal was crowned the petroleum sector CEO of the year 2022 at the 6th Edition of Ghana Energy Awards.
BOST is a state-owned petroleum strategic stock company mandated to keep strategic stocks for the West African nation.
Mr. Provencal was appointed Managing Director of BOST in August 2019 by President Akufo-Addo after the late George Mensah Oakley was relieved of his position as MD of the company.
At the time he assumed office, BOST’s assets, such as pipeline infrastructure, storage tanks, barges, tugboats and other vital installations had been abandoned for years without repairs.
Besides, BOST was saddled with huge legacy debts which dated back under the previous government.
However, the sordid state of the company had changed with the company seeing massive improvements.
From a loss-making company, BOST has seen a turnaround with the company posting Gh¢31 million profit in 2020, Gh¢161 million profit in 2021 and a net profit of Gh¢342 million in 2022.
President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo presented the award to Mr. Edwin Provencal.
The award came along with a beautiful, designed stool bearing the inscription Energy Personality of the Year.
Apart his award, BOST was also adjudged Energy Company of the year.
Commenting on the award, Mr. Provencal praised the board and management team of the company for their wonderful contributions towards turning around the fortunes of the company.
He assured that there is no turning back stating that State Owned Enterprises have what it takes to be profitable as evidenced by the performance of BOST over the last couple of years.
“Immensely proud and humbled by the honors received at the Ghana Energy Awards last night. I was awarded Energy Personality of the Year, with BOST winning Petroleum Company of the Year. Thanks to H.E. President Akufo-Addo for the recognition, and to my team at BOST for their exceptional work.
“Congratulations to all the awardees for their inspiring achievements. Grateful to the Ghana Energy Awards for this esteemed acknowledgment, driving our commitment to excellence in the energy sector,” Mr Provencal wrote on his Facebook page.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s downstream petroleum regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA) says it is collaborating with Ghana Standards Authority to review the national standards on gasoline in order to reduce the maximum allowable manganese level in regular gasoline from 18mg/l to 6mg/l and premium gasoline grade from 18mg// to 2mg/l.
Meanwhile, the Authority has directed all importers of fuel to comply with the proposed manganese standards of 6mg/l for regular gasoline and 2mg/l for premium grade.
This was contained in a statement issued by the regulator after their investigation into complaints by some fuel consumers that the performance of their vehicle had reduced due to fuel, they purchased at some retail stations.
“The National Petroleum Authority has received complaints from some petroleum product consumers about the reduced performance of their vehicles which they attribute to fuel that they have purchased at some retail stations in Ghana.
The NPA said its investigation established that all fuel consumed in the country meets the national standards for fuel specification by the Ghana Standards Authority.
The statement explained that the Ghana motor gasoline standard (GS140:2022) allows for some level of trace metals such as manganese up to 18 milligram sperrylite(mg/l).
The statement said hitherto, fuels that were imported into the country had much lower levels of manganese.
However, in recent times, the fuels that have been imported have contained levels of manganese closer to the maximum allowable limit.
It noted that some car manufacturers, including particularly turbo engine vehicles, recommend the use of gasoline that does not contain harmful manganese -based fuel additives citing the Honda CRV 2017 Manual as an example.
Meanwhile, consumer advocacy group COPEC in a press statement dated November 16, 2023, issued by its Executive Secretary, Duncan Amoah who expressed concern about the development urged the regulator to address the issue as soon as possible.
“We are by this demanding of the NPA to expedite their efforts in addressing the issue and ensure whatever the probable cause(s) of this menace is promptly nipped in the bud latest by or before the end of this week.”
“Failing of which will lead to a suit on the Authority for reneging on their core mandate of ensuring every litre of petroleum products being sold at the various pumps meet the minimum standards,” COPEC added.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
South Africa’s Minister for Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa on Thursday had his back against the wall as Parliamentarians demanded to know his role in the energy sphere and what expertise he had brought to the table as eight months after his appointment, the country still faced debilitating load shedding, which he said was estimated at about R1 billion a day.
Appearing for the first time before the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, Ramokgopa alluded that the country’s grid faced numerous challenges as it had not been designed to take on the baseload that was now required to supply electricity throughout the country.
“The biggest limitation of supply is that the grid was not designed to meet the current needs. The density of the grid is in the Highveld of Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces which traditionally have generation capacity like close by and take up 72% of the load,” he said.
Ramokgopa said the biggest challenge faced from generation capacity was the high partial load losses, currently at about 14.500 kilowatts to a lower number as previous peaks of losses at about 17000 kW had resulted in higher stages of load shedding, including Stage 6.
He alluded to the insurmountable challenge faced by Eskom in building up a further 14 218 kilometres of the grid, which needed to be ramped up 315% at a cost of more than R390bn that the country could not afford over the next 10 years.
“To put it into context, in the last 10 years, Eskom has developed only 4300 kilometres of transmission but to accelerate it, they will need to install over 14 000KKM at a cost upwards of R390 million,” he said.
He said the total cost of the Energy Availability Plan had not been quantified as yet.
“According to a modelling by the South African Reserve Bank, 1600 MW of unmet demand for electricity translates to a 5% loss of GDP for the economy. So we are aware of the need to better supply electricity to stop the economic loss for the country,” he said.
The country is currently experiencing high levels of outage slips, when Eskom temporarily took power off the grid for repairs or maintenance, which for October amounted to 1783 MW.
“There are instances when we intend to return power at a certain time but if there are delays the outage slips, then affect supply,” he said.
Outlining his five point plan for returning electricity supply to normalcy, Ramokgopa said he was solely responsible for generation while his counterpart, the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, had the mandate to dismember Eskom into the three units, mainly generation, transmission and distribution.
Part of Ramokgopa’s mandate is the fixing of Eskom and improving the availability of existing supply, enabling private sector participation in generation for which the production of 66 kW was currently being off-taken by companies and would likely be all established by the end of 2024.
“A survey of project developers conducted by Eskom, the South African Wind Energy Association and the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association shows that 66 kw of wind and solar projects are in the development phase across the country.”
He dispelled doubts about South Africa’s baseload, consisting of coal, gas and nuclear being replaced by the renewable energy mix, as per the Just Energy Transition programme, pointing out that the take-off of renewable energy counted on the existence of the current baseload.
“Coal is part of the energy plan, the success of renewables is based on the existence of the current baseload,” Ramokgopa said.
He said he was engaged with the acceleration of procurement of new capacity from a mix of renewables, gas and battery storage.
“We are currently in talks with Mozambique and Namibia for the supply of at least 600MW, 100 MW from Mozambique’s hydro generation will be secured immediately while the rest will be procured from these countries over the next six months,“he said.
Parliamentarians were informed that Eskom had secured a generation unit to replace the damaged Medupi unit 4 which had been slated to be fully functional by the middle of 2025, but with the acquisition of a second-hand generator with at least 15 years of life left in it, the unit would be running by June next year.
He said Eskom was looking at the acquisition of technology to remotely control geysers amongst Eskom’s customers, which would enable the switching off of the implements which would help in avoiding load shedding.
“Geysers and water heating consumes the greatest amount of electricity which drives the peak demand, that is between 30% and 50% of household consumption. For every 10 insurance claims, one electric geyser is replaced with a solar water heater that has an upfront cost equal to 10% of the insurance claims. The current take-up of rooftop solar is estimated at less than 5%. For every 1 000 households that install a medium-sized system, 5MW of power is taken off the grid. To reduce one stage of load shedding or 1000MW, 200,000 households need to implement a similar system,” he said.
Source:Business Report
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the company responsible for power distribution in southern Ghana, has recorded over Gh¢6 billion (an equivalent of US$502 million) in losses in nine months in 2023, energynewsafrica.com can report.
This comprises technical, commercial and collection losses.
The technical loss component is Gh¢1,279,369,021.42, while that of the commercial loss is pegged at Gh¢2,758,872,791.21.
This resulted in a total system loss of about Gh¢4,038,241,812.63.
Aside from this, the power distributor also recorded a collection loss of Gh¢2,050,373,143.47 as of September 2023, thus, bringing the overall losses to Gh¢6,088,614,956.1.
In 2022, ECG recorded a technical loss of Gh¢747,097,256.14 and a commercial loss of Gh¢1,852,597,985.96.
However, in just nine months into 2023, the power distributor has recorded a technical loss of Gh¢1,279,369,021.42 while commercial loss has also hit Gh¢2,758,872,791.21.
In 2022, the total system losses were about Gh¢2,599,695,242.10.
However, as of September 2023, the system has witnessed a substantial increase to around Gh¢4,038,241,812.63.
Interestingly, on a positive note, collection losses exhibited a decrease, totalling Gh¢2,050,373,143.47 in the nine months of 2023, compared to Gh¢2,448,770,084.34 in 2022.
These figures were contained in a presentation by the Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh last Thursday during the Meet-The -Press Series at the Ministry of Information.
Technical losses stemmed from the distribution network due to the cables, overhead lines, transformers and other substation equipment used to transfer electricity.
Commercial losses, on the other hand, encapsulated income shortfalls attributable to non-payment, delinquency, bad debts from ECG customers and power theft.
Touching on the measures being adopted to address the situation, Minister Opoku Prempeh said there is ongoing validation of downstream assets of ECG to ensure full capture and billing of all consumers connected to the ECG network.
He explained that an estimated two million consumers, who have not been captured, are expected to be regularised into ECG’s billing system.
He further said there is an ongoing installation of 800,000-meter management system-compliant smart prepayment meters to address shortages and improve energy accounting, billing and vending of electricity.
According to the Minister, ECG’s nationwide revenue mobilisation initiative has more than doubled the company’s monthly collections from Gh¢480 million to Gh¢1.1 billion, representing an increase of 130 per cent.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
President of Ghana H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was the Special Guest and it was attended by hosts of industrial professionals, policy makers and civil society groups in the energy sector.
Commenting on the award Elinam Horgli, Deputy Managing Director of JK Horgle Transport & Company Limited said the award was well deserved stating that the CEO has over forty years experience in the petroleum downstream industry.
She said Mr. Horgle understands the industry very well and he is able to predict the consequences or implications of decisions in the industry.
According the petroleum downstream industry employs close to 10,000 people noting that these people also have depends and cautioned policy makers against decisions that can affect the industry.
Mr. Provencal was appointed Managing Director of BOST in August 2019 by President Akufo-Addo after the late George Mensah Oakley was relieved of his position as MD of the company.
At the time he assumed office, BOST’s assets, such as pipeline infrastructure, storage tanks, barges, tugboats and other vital installations had been abandoned for years without repairs.
Besides, BOST was saddled with huge legacy debts which dated back under the previous government.
However, the sordid state of the company had changed with the company seeing massive improvements.
From a loss-making company, BOST has seen a turnaround with the company posting Gh¢31 million profit in 2020, Gh¢161 million profit in 2021 and a net profit of Gh¢342 million in 2022.
President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo presented the award to Mr. Edwin Provencal.
The award came along with a beautiful, designed stool bearing the inscription Energy Personality of the Year.
Apart his award, BOST was also adjudged Energy Company of the year.
Commenting on the award, Mr. Provencal praised the board and management team of the company for their wonderful contributions towards turning around the fortunes of the company.
He assured that there is no turning back stating that State Owned Enterprises have what it takes to be profitable as evidenced by the performance of BOST over the last couple of years.
“Immensely proud and humbled by the honors received at the Ghana Energy Awards last night. I was awarded Energy Personality of the Year, with BOST winning Petroleum Company of the Year. Thanks to H.E. President Akufo-Addo for the recognition, and to my team at BOST for their exceptional work.
“Congratulations to all the awardees for their inspiring achievements. Grateful to the Ghana Energy Awards for this esteemed acknowledgment, driving our commitment to excellence in the energy sector,” Mr Provencal wrote on his Facebook page.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
He explained that an estimated two million consumers, who have not been captured, are expected to be regularised into ECG’s billing system.
He further said there is an ongoing installation of 800,000-meter management system-compliant smart prepayment meters to address shortages and improve energy accounting, billing and vending of electricity.
According to the Minister, ECG’s nationwide revenue mobilisation initiative has more than doubled the company’s monthly collections from Gh¢480 million to Gh¢1.1 billion, representing an increase of 130 per cent.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com