U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi delayed a trip to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station on Wednesday for security reasons as Moscow and Kyiv reported heavy fighting in southern Ukraine.
Grossi had been expected to visit the plant (ZNPP) in southern Ukraine on Wednesday following talks in Kyiv on Tuesday, but Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said the trip had been pushed back, possibly by days.
“Grossi is in Ukraine. The issue of his visit to the ZNPP should be resolved in the next few days,” Galushchenko was quoted as saying by Interfax Ukraine news agency.
“I cannot assess the situation – there are hostilities going on and the military is assessing the situation.”
Russian news agencies, reporting early on Thursday morning, quoted a senior official in Russia’s nuclear industry as saying Grossi was likely to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant on Thursday.
“We can say with a high degree of certainty that the IAEA delegation headed by Grossi will still take place on Thursday,” Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the general director of Rosenergoatom, which operates Russia’s nuclear stations, told Tass news agency.
There was no word late on Wednesday from Ukrainian officials.
A diplomatic source had earlier said security checks were being made and Grossi’s trip was expected to take place soon. Russian news agency Interfax quoted a Russian-installed local official as saying Grossi would visit on Thursday.
Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in Kyiv on Tuesday that he was “very concerned” that the nuclear plant could be caught up in a Ukrainian counteroffensive to retake Russian-occupied territory.
Source: Reuters
Nigeria’s new President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has appointed Ms. Olubukoka Arowolo Verheijen as a Special Advisor for Energy.
She was appointed alongside seven other advisors.
Before her appointment, Ms. Arowolo was the Managing Director at Latimer Energy.
She is an energy expert with nearly two decades of transactional project development, investment and policy experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
She currently serves as an Advisory Council Member of the US Millennium Challenge Corporation and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Energy for Growth Hub.
She is also the Founder of the BFA Foundation, which funds scholarships for women and other disadvantaged groups to expand their career advancement opportunities in high-growth sectors including the energy sector.
Her past roles include a Deal Lead and member of the Governing Board of an upstream JV at Shell and partner and investment committee chair at an early-stage investment firm with a pan-African portfolio of distributed renewables companies.
Education
Between 2003 and 2005, Ms Verheijen pursued her higher education at the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School, where she obtained a master’s degree in public policy, with a focus on Financial Markets Analysis, Business, and Government Policy.
This academic achievement further solidified her understanding of the intricate dynamics between economics, politics, and policymaking.
Earlier in her educational journey, she attended Long Island University from 1995 to 1999, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science. This foundational education equipped her with a broad understanding of economic principles and political systems, providing a strong basis for her subsequent professional endeavours.
By combining her academic accomplishments with her extensive practical experience in the energy sector, Ms Verheijen possesses a comprehensive skill set that enables her to navigate complex economic and policy landscapes.
Her educational background, coupled with her expertise in the energy industry, positions her as an asset in shaping effective policies and driving sustainable economic growth in the energy sector.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Energy Commission, the technical regulator of electricity, natural gas and renewable energy, in collaboration with the Ministries of Energy and Education, on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, launched the 4th Edition of the Senior High Schools Renewable Energy Challenge.
This year’s SHS Renewable Energy Challenge, which is on the theme: ‘Mechanised Small-Scale Agriculture Using Renewable Energy Technologies’, was born out of the Commission’s mandate under the Renewable Energy Act, 2011 (Act 832), which includes the promotion of the development and utilisation of renewable energy resources.
The Commission is also to recommend and advise relevant stakeholders on the educational curriculum on efficient use of renewable energy sources and evolve programmes for its mainstreaming in the educational curriculum in Ghana.
The Challenge seeks to promote creative thinking and provide mentorship to students in the second-cycle institutions, and also extend to them the platform to exhibit their innovative projects.
In an address on behalf of the Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Mr Seth Mahu, a Deputy Director for Power at the Ministry of Energy, noted that agriculture has been associated with large-scale farming practices that heavily rely on manual labour and conventional machinery.
He, however, said this approach presents limitations in terms of efficiency, productivity and sustainability.
“By shifting our attention towards small-scale agriculture, we can establish a decentralised system that empowers farmers with greater control over their production, promotes local food security and enhances rural development,” he explained.
The participating schools are expected to develop projects in the field of agriculture that incorporate renewable energy technologies.
“This provides an opportunity to explore innovative ways in which renewable energy can be harnessed to revolutionise farming practices and promote sustainability,” the Minister said.
Ing. Oscar Amonoo-Neizer, Executive Secretary of Energy Commission
According to him, students are required to devise a project that demonstrates the utilisation of renewable energy technologies to enhance any of these aspects within agriculture.
Moreover, students have the flexibility to integrate other scientific or technological aspects such as artificial intelligence, alongside their chosen renewable energy technology.
“I urge everyone to foster an environment of encouragement and support for schools, teachers and students, enabling them to unleash their full potential in conceptualising and developing innovative projects and products,” he said.
Dr Opoku Prempeh commended the Energy Commission for their efforts in securing the long-term sustainability of the Challenge, which involves the ongoing development and commercialisation of the students’ projects.
The Director-General of Ghana Education Service Dr. Eric Nkansah said with renewable energy technologies, “we can ensure a brighter future for small-scale farmers.”
She said small-scale agriculture plays a vital role in feeding communities and contributing to local economies.
She, however, said these farmers often face significant challenges such as limited access to electricity and reliance on fossil fuels for irrigating farms.
“This is where renewable energy technologies step in as a game-changer. Renewable energy technologies offer a clean and sustainable alternative to traditional energy sources.
“It is, therefore, very important for us, as a country, to look at ways of improving the agricultural sector to enable our farmers to use renewable energy technologies to efficiently harness the energy from renewable energy technologies to maximize the production and harvest for small-scale agriculture to produce enough feed for feeding the communities,” she concluded.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of Energy Commission, Ing Oscar Amonoo -Neizer said the Challenge has come a long way since its modest inception in 2019 when it was first introduced as a pilot programme involving 29 schools in the Greater Accra Region.
Since then, he said the Challenge has evolved into a national programme, capturing the attention and enthusiasm of both academic and non-academic institutions.
He said the prizes for this year would even be much better than the previous ones.
He expressed the Commission’s gratitude to the partners- German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Ashesi University, Bui Power Authority and Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited for their invaluable support.
The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has reassured Ghanaians that the country will not return to the era of prolonged power outages popularly known in Ghanaian parlance as ‘dumsor’ which was witnessed between 2012 and 2016.
According to him, his administration is fully aware that electricity is the driving force of every economy in the world and, therefore, has committed to keeping the lights on to enable Ghanaians to engage in economic activities.
The President was speaking at the commissioning of 161kV Accra Central Bulk Supply Point constructed by the Ghana Grid Company for US$40 million with funding from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
“I want to reassure all of you that my government will continue to work towards keeping the lights on despite the global dynamics of energy pricing because the alternative is not an option.
“We are not going back to ‘dumsor’. We leave that to President Mahama (former president),” President Nana Akufo-Addo retorted.
The prolonged power outages which were occasioned by generation shortfall between 2012 and 2016 resulted in the collapse of several jobs and threw hundreds of people out of jobs.
According to research findings by the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), the University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana lost about GHS3 billion to the crisis.
The power crisis, according to ISSER, affected 885 small-scale enterprises, thereby, making them lose Ghs250 million, with 55 of them folding up.
The Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who also spoke at the commissioning, extolled the commitment of President Akufo-Addo to making sure that Ghana enjoyed stable and reliable power.
He said President Akufo-Addo promised in 2017 that his administration would ensure that the country did not return to the era of power crisis and he has done just done.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), the operator of the National Interconnected Transmission System in the Republic of Ghana, on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, commissioned its 161kV Accra Central Bulk Supply Point (BSP) to boost power supply in Central Accra and other parts of the capital.
The BSP which is Ghana’s first Gas Insulated System and funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with a US$40 million grant is aimed to address increasing power demand and improve supply reliability to the Central Business District of Accra.
The facility is equipped with a control building,a main transformer platform hosting three 125MVA transformers,a Gas Insulated Switchgear platform with 170kV gas-insulated switchgear and platforms for 161kV cable terminations and indoor 33kV switchgear systems.
Commissioning the project, the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo noted that the sub-station “is a technological innovation applied in areas where spaces are significant and limited, where large capacity switch care and transformers which are compact can be installed.
“The benefits of this Accra bulk supply point, amongst others, are to reduce transmission and distribution losses, ensure high reliability of electricity supply and ensure a high level of personnel safety,” the President remarked.
“Now with the operationalisation of the Accra bulk supply point, power voltages have become stable, protecting valuable equipment, power supply reliability has improved and with this, reducing system losses as required by the regulator, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC),” he added.
President Akufo-Addo registered the appreciation of the government and the people of Ghana to the government and people of the Kingdom of Japan for their kind gesture.
“This project could not have become a reality without the generous grant from the Japanese government and its external agency, the Japanese International Development Agency (JICA), with Japanese technology and technological assistance. This project is an excellent illustration of the strong cooperation between the Republic of Ghana and the Kingdom of Japan which we cherish,” President Akufo-Addo said.
“On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, I extend deep appreciation to the Japanese government and the Japanese consultants, the joint venture of Yachiyo Engineering Company Limited and West Japan Engineering Consultancy Incorporated, the main contractor, the main contractor, the Japanese joint venture of Mitsubishi Corporation, Hitachi Plant Construction Limited Yurtec Corporation for the efforts and continues corporation and contribution to Ghana’s development and growth,” Akufo-Addo added.
The Minister for Energy, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and Board Chairman of GRIDCo, Ambassador Kabal Blay-Amihere, in their brief statements, both took turns to register their appreciation to the Japanese Government for making the project a reality.
They added that overall, the project would relieve the existing substations of overloads and, thereby, allowing for planned maintenance works to be carried out without power supply interruptions to customers, a significant reduction in power losses especially at the medium voltage level, among others.
Country Representative of JICA, Ms Suzuku Momoko, and the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mochizuki Hisanobu, in their statements, also indicated that the Japanese Government is delighted to offer her support to Ghana in the power sector.
It is the vision of the Government of Japan to continue in their efforts aimed at ensuring that Ghana enjoys a constant power supply across the entire land space of the country.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Back in 1998, Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) became the first public utility to confirm attendance at the inaugural Africa Energy Forum (AEF).
A quarter of a century later, the leading electricity generator in East Africa and a leading global geothermal developer will profit from its unwavering loyalty, as Kenya’s capital, Nairobi opens its doors to the event and a delegation of global innovators, decision-makers, financiers, ministers, and future game-changers.
Achieving ‘firsts’ is nothing new to KenGen, having been the very first public utility on the continent to offer shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), to ignite investments into the energy sector in the country as a result, to export skills to the continent and to catalyse new forms of electrification such as with geothermal.
It is through these efforts that Kenya’s energy mix now comprises the highest proportion of renewables in Africa, amounting to close to 92 percent.
KenGen has also been no stranger to sharing its expertise and success stories through the lens of conferences. The organisation hosts an annual Good-to-Great Global Innovation seminar to give a voice to innovators from across their teams, to charge development, and to entice new ideas for the next phase of evolution.
KenGen also hosted its inaugural annual Sustainable Energy Conference last year and plans are underway to hold the second edition later in the year.
The Company’s constant strive for improvement is especially poignant given that it was first incorporated back in 1954 with the mandate to generate electricity through the development, management, and operation of power plants.
Regular restructurings, strategic pivots, and investment boosts have ensured that KenGen has moved with the times throughout its tenure, making it a natural fit for AEF – an event that has similarly sought to stay abreast of current challenges while also keeping ahead of the curve regarding future power requirements.
KenGen Chairman, Julius Migos Ogamba, says: “Since its inception in 1954, KenGen has made considerable inroads in Kenya’s energy sector. With an installed electricity generation market share of 65 percent and an installed capacity of 1,904MW, KenGen is the largest energy producer in East Africa. In Africa, KenGen is currently working with electricity agencies in Ethiopia and Djibouti providing geothermal drilling services.”For his part, Acting Managing Director and CEO, Abraham Serem, affirmed the NSE-listed firm’s strategic direction going forward, saying: “The strategy remains to deliver competitively priced clean energy by creating value for shareholders and while expanding energy sources and revenue streams. The company’s installed generation capacity mix includes hydro 43%, geothermal 42%, thermal 14%, and wind 1%.”KenGen’s full scope spans six operational areas, built of a geothermal area along the Great Rift Valley, with geothermal power plants and wellheads running as baseload energy sources in two of the sites – Olkaria and Eburru. The Western region has an installed capacity of 250MW encompassing four hydro stations, a thermal power plant, and gas turbine units. Meanwhile, the Eastern region is made up of five power plants along the Tana River cascade; compounded by four more in the Upper Tana region, as well as the Ngong wind plants in the outskirts of Nairobi. Today, hydro still remains KenGen’s leading source of energy, consisting of an installed capacity of 826MW.
This volume of generation across a diverse mix of sources epitomises why the company has become such a pioneer on the continent over the years, and why it has so much knowledge to share at events such as AEF. While it has been a concerted effort of the event to make Kenya the first mainland African host of AEF, it has also been an ambition of the country to leverage KenGen’s expertise and to open its doors to the world via such a global forum.“One of the key economic drivers in Kenya is the tourism sector and conference tourism has grown to become a major contributor to the same. The government has therefore placed great importance to ensuring that Kenya is not only a global holiday destination but equally a global business and conference destination,” says Davis Chirchir, Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Republic of Kenya. “Taking place under the important theme of ‘Africa for Africa’, we look forward to welcoming AEF’s many partners and developers from across the world, as well as our colleagues from across Africa’s ministries and public sectors – all of whom are welcome, and we are grateful for their efforts to reduce the energy deficit, both regionally and across the broader continent.”
Merging a shared vision for a prosperous future in Africa, driven by energy innovations, Kenya will reaffirm at AEF its mission to invest significantly in future industries. This especially targets climate-resilient technologies for mining, carbon reduction, and the development of green industries, including green steel and hydrogen.
Mr. Chirchir continues: “We have already formed an inter-governmental Task Force to ensure that the forum’s delegates have an exceptional experience during their time with us in Kenya. This Task Force, which includes the Ministry of Tourism, is also supporting those planning to explore our great nation beyond the borders of Nairobi City, to enjoy the safaris in numerous parts of the country as well as several areas of outstanding national beauty along the coastline.“We extend the warm hand of friendship to all those joining us and look forward to an exceptional week of productive meetings.”Facilitating energy investment in fast-growing economies – EnergyNet has produced investment forums and executive dialogues for Africa and Latin America’s power sectors for the last 25 years – in Europe, the USA, Asia and across Africa and Latin America.
Ghana’s largest power generation companies, Volta River Authority (VRA) and Bui Power Authority (BPA) joined other institutions on Friday to plant trees as part of the Green Ghana initiative aimed at combating the impact of climate.
While VRA observed the Green Ghana Day with a tree planting exercise at the Akwamuman Senior High School in the Eastern Region, Bui Power Authority and some of its key stakeholders planted trees at the Bui Generation Station in the Savannah Region.
Senior High Schools that participated in the VRA’s exercise in the Asuogyaman District were Akwamuman SHS, Adjena Senior High/Technical School, Apeguso SHS, Boso Senior High Technical and Anum Presbyterian SHS.
“The exercise formed part of the Authority’s commitment to promoting sustainable development towards a greener Ghana,” VRA said in a post on Facebook.
In a speech read on behalf of the CEO of BPA, Samuel Kofi Ahiave Dzamesi, the Director for Estates, Mr. Maxwell Wumbilla Salifu, stressed that the importance of forest reserves to all forms of life on earth cannot be underestimated.
He further stated that in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, Ghana is enjoined in Target 15.2 to “promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.”
He continued that BPA was committed to relentlessly establishing forests cover through its flagship ‘Forest Resource Enhancement Programme (FREP)’ to implementing climate mitigating actions through tree planting within all BPA’s operational areas among others with the needed resources to achieve their desired objectives.
He indicated that the FREP initiative commenced in 2012 on a pilot scheme and has, over the years, received a tremendous boost with an expansion from a coverage area of 423.67 acres as of 2021 to 1,423.67 in 2023 under his leadership.
On bushfire management, he paid special tribute to the Ghana National Fire Service deployed to Bui and PAPs Contractors in complementing the OHSE Team’s efforts to achieve this.
The Deputy Director of OHS&E, Mr Chrisentus B. Kuunifaa indicated that the forests are serving as the “lungs of the earth that support our very existence and survival on this planet.”
He, therefore, underscored the critical role forests play in BPA business continuity and operational excellence, in line with the theme for the 2023 Green Ghana Day; ‘OUR FORESTS, OUR HEALTH’.
He catalogued some of the benefits of the established forests which included the provision of clean air, carbon capture, food, medicine, water (hydrological cycle) and support the life of all forms and well-being.
On his part, the Director of the Power Operations Department, Mr Samuel Nimako Boateng reiterated that energy was key to human development such as providing basic needs, increasing productivity and improving effective health care delivery.
He stated that being conscious of the imminent threats of climate change and global warming, BPA would continue to position itself to contribute zero carbon emissions in its operations.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria’s new President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assented to the electricity bill, which was passed in July 2022 seeking to repeal the Electricity and Power Sector Reform Act, 2005, and thus becoming the Electricity Act.
The Act will bring about the de-monopolization of Nigeria’s electricity generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity at the National level and empower states, companies, and individuals to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.
The Electricity Act was first passed in July 2022 under the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
However, the immediate past Nigerian leader failed to assent it into law.
Few days after assumption of office, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has pledged to ensure regular supply of power to Nigerians assented to the Electricity Act 2023 to give Nigerians some hope.
The Electricity Act will replace the Electricity and Power Sector Reform Act of 2005.
It provides a framework to guide the post-privatization phase of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) as well as encourage private sector investments in the sector.
State Electricity Empowerment
The de-monopolization of Nigeria’s electricity generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity at the National level empowers states, companies, and individuals to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.
Under the Act, states can issue licenses to private investors who can operate mini-grids and power plants within the state. However, the Act precludes interstate and transnational electricity distribution.
Powers of NERC
Under the Electricity Act 2023, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) will be able to regulate the electricity sector within Nigeria without prejudice to the powers of the states to make laws and create electricity markets within those states and to regulate those markets.
The Act mandates how NERC can transition regulatory responsibilities from itself to state regulators when they are established. Until a state has passed its electricity market laws, NERC will continue to regulate electricity business exclusively carried out in those states.
For now, Lagos, Edo and Kaduna states already have electricity market laws and can start regulating their market. But for other states without such laws, NERC will regulate.
NERC will still carry out cross-border regulations – generation, and transmission across states will still be regulated by NERC.
The Act grants lawmakers the power to carry out oversight responsibilities and function over the NESI through its respective Committees on Power in the Senate and House of Representatives. This is to be carried out notwithstanding the supervisory powers of any government Ministry over government-owned enterprises or other entities operating in the Nigerian electricity supply industry.
Empowering Renewable Energy
Electricity generation licensees are obligated to meet renewable generation obligations as may be prescribed by NERC. Under the Act, electricity generating companies will be mandated to either generate power from renewable energy sources, purchase power generated from renewable energy or procure any instrument representing renewable energy generation.
The Electricity Act also mandates the imposition of renewable purchase obligations on distribution or supply licensees.
The Act also states that anyone may construct, own or operate an undertaking for generating electricity not exceeding 1 megawatt (MW) in aggregate at a site or an undertaking for distribution of electricity with a capacity not exceeding 100 kilowatts (KW) in aggregate at a site, or such other capacity as NERC may determine from time to time, without a license.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria has accused American multinational oil and gas giant, ExxonMobil of oil theft in Rivers State.
The West African nation’s regulator for midstream and downstream oil and gas industry, NMDPRA, claimed in a letter written by its CEO Engr. Farouk Ahmed to Chief of Defence Staff General Leo Irabor on June 8, 2023, that ExxonMobil was collaborating with the owners of vessel ‘Barumk Gas’ to engage in oil theft and economic sabotage.
According to the NMDPRA, the vessel was detected to have been involved in unapproved lifting of Butane at Bonny River Terminal.
The letter which was titled “Economic sabotage, criminal damage and theft through illegal petroleum lifting operations at Bonny River Terminal,’’ indicated that the lock placed on the facility by its officials was broken by the oil company to enable the illegal act.
“The urgent attention of the Chief of Defence Staff is drawn to the illegal petroleum lifting operations taking place at Bonny River Terminal.
“The vessel Barumk Gas is lifting Butane at Bonny River Terminal without the authorisation or participation of the NMDPRA.
“This unlawful action is being facilitated with the active connivance of ExxonMobil who have illegally destroyed the locks on the sea-line valve whose keys are in the custody of the Authority,” the letter reads.
Ahmed noted that the actions of ExxonMobil and Barumk Gas constitute economic sabotage, criminal damage and theft of Nigeria’s resources.
The letter charged the CDS to “urgently prevent the sailing out of Barumk Gas until investigations into the matter are concluded”.
Meanwhile, ExxonMobil Communications Manager, Oge Udeagha, has absorbed the company of wrongdoing, stating that “all operations of the NNPC/MPN Joint Venture are carried out in full compliance with the law”, according to report by Daily Post Nigeria.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Northern Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (NEDCo) has announced that it will, on Thursday, June 15, 2023, embark on phase 2 of its revenue mobilisation exercise to retrieve monies owed by customers.
According to the company, the exercise will cover all categories of customers in arrears including State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
“Special security arrangements will be put in place to arrest and prosecute anyone who interferes with the exercise.
“Any persons identified to be engaged in illegal connections or reconnections will equally be dealt with by the law,” a statement by the company said.
It added that NEDCo’s Head Office and Area Offices would be closed temporarily to allow for the full engagement of all staff, including top Management in this exercise.
“Our customer service centres, zonal offices and third-party vendors will, however, remain open to address customer concerns including reconnections,” the statement said.
The company served notice that recalcitrant customers who have refused to redeem their indebtedness to the company after they have been served with Demand Notices would be arraigned before the law courts.
“Customers in arrears are entreated to pay their bills immediately to avoid disconnection and payment of reconnection fees.
“Customers who signed payment agreements with NEDCo under the Phase-1 of the exercise should ensure that all installments that have fallen due are settled by June 15, 2023.
“NEDCo urged all to cooperate for the exercise to be successful, stating that they can only serve customers well when they pay their bills.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has been given the prosecutorial powers by the Attorney General to prosecute crimes in the oil and gas supply chain in the country.
The regulator obtained an Executive Instrument (EI) 378, in 2020, to ensure the successful prosecution of cases in the petroleum downstream industry and stem the tide of criminal acts in the sector.
The Legal Manager at the Legal Directorate of NPA, Ms Farida Ali-Musah, revealed this during a media engagement in Cape Coast.
She explained that, hitherto, the NPA relied on the Attorney General and the police for the prosecution of cases.
Ms. Ali-Musah said some of the cases were thrown out of the courts for lack of prosecution.
Besides, she said since the establishment of NPA in 2005 by Act 691, the industry had witnessed great evolution.
Therefore, she said the Authority needed to have the prosecutorial powers to enhance its regulatory mandate.
Ms. Ali-Musah mentioned operating without NPA certified licence, misapplication of the prescribed petroleum pricing formula and tampering with Bulk Road Vehicle (BRV) tracking and volume monitoring as some of the crimes that would be prosecuted.
Others are false statements and withholding of material information, obstruction or interference with investigation and selling unmarked fuel.
Some of the crimes would attract sentences between five and 10 years.
Ms. Ali-Musah said the NPA had started stakeholder consultations to pave the way for the start of the prosecution process.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The National Petroleum Authority has cautioned consumers against keeping gas cylinders indoors, describing it as dangerous.
According to the NPA, in case there is leakage, the naked eye cannot see gas, hence, the need to keep cylinders outside to avert fire outbreaks.
A member of the NPA Governing Board and Chairman of the Consumer Services sub-committee, Mr Kwami Sefa Kayi, who made the call at an LPG awareness and sensitisation lecture at the Takoradi Technical University, noted that some people did not want to keep their cylinders outside because of the fear that they would be stolen.
Kwame Sefa Kayi, Governing Board Member of NPA
“If you have cylinders in any enclosed place, go and bring them out. Don’t complain that it will be stolen,” he advised the public.
Mr Sefa Kayi, who is a veteran broadcaster, gave the assurance that the NPA would do everything to ensure the price of PLG remains competitive and “soft on consumers.”
The lecture, organised by the Corporate Affairs and Gas Directorates of the Authority, was on the theme: ‘Safe Use of LPG Protects Lives and Property’.
The sensitisation exercise on the safe use of LPG and the general operations of NPA involved one-on-one engagements with traders and lecturers in educational institutions in the Western and Central regions.
Other institutions visited included the Sekondi Nursing and Midwifery Training College and the Cape Coast Nursing and Midwifery Training College.
Answering a question on NPA’s complaint procedure, the Consumer Services Manager, Mrs. Eunice Budu Nyarko urged the public to immediately report fuel stations suspected of cheating to the Authority.
She said when complaints are made within 48 hours of the purchase of fuel, prompt investigations are conducted to establish the facts before the product is sold out.
“Consumers should report within 48 hours. If we delay, we may risk the loss of evidence. Consumers should report and then we can act immediately,” she said.
However, Mrs. Budu Nyarko said consumers could still report after 48 hours of the purchase of the fuel.
“We will still investigate but that product you bought might have been sold out. So what the NPA does is keep the station under surveillance, meaning the Authority’s inspectors will be visiting there unannounced for some time.
“The NPA will always protect the interest of stakeholders, consumers and petroleum service providers,” she stressed and announced the customer lines.
In his presentation, Assistant Divisional Fire Officer Mr David Essuman cautioned the public against placing stones and heavy materials on valves of LPG cylinders to supposedly prevent leakage.
He said the heavy materials could not stop the leakage, and indicated that the best thing was for the people to replace the faulty valves.
Welcoming the lecturers and students on behalf of the NPA Chief Executive, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Communications Manager of NPA, Mr Mohammed Abdul-Kudus, noted that Europeans and Americans depended solely on gas for their domestic activities but they hardly recorded fires.
Therefore, he said if gas users in Ghana observed the safety tips, they could reduce gas-related fire outbreaks.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
China has reached its goal to have more non-fossil fuel installed electricity capacity than fossil fuels earlier than planned, with 50.9% of its power capacity coming from non-fossil fuel sources now, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday.
Back in 2021, the Chinese authorities said they would target renewables to outpace fossil fuel-installed capacity by 2025.
China is unmatched in renewable energy spending globally, investing in raising its solar and wind power capacity.
China’s wind and solar power generation has jumped in recent years to nearly equal domestic residential electricity consumption, but the relatively small share of household demand in overall consumption means that China still needs a lot of fossil fuels.
In 2022, China’s wind and solar power output surged by 21% to 1,190 terawatt-hours (TWh), according to data from NEA cited by Bloomberg.
To compare, residential electricity demand last year rose by 14% to 1,340 TWh as people mostly stayed at home due to the zero-Covid policy.
Despite the surge in Chinese wind and solar power installations and generation, the Chinese industry accounts for around 60% of all electricity demand, according to Bloomberg’s estimates.
Residential demand, on the other hand, was just 17% of electricity consumption in 2020.
Last year, as global investment in the low-carbon energy transition totaled $1.1 trillion and equaled the investments in fossil fuel supply, China was the leading country for attracting energy transition investment, accounting for $546 billion or nearly half of the global total, research firm BloombergNEF (BNEF) said earlier this year.
The second-largest low-carbon energy investment was in the United States, which was a distant second at $141 billion, while all such investments in the EU reached $180 billion in 2022.
China also dominated the supply chain and manufacturing investments in clean energy, accounting for 91% of manufacturing investments in 2022.
“From a supply chain diversification point of view, the picture has not changed much. China is investing by far the most in building out its clean energy supply chain, and it remains to be seen if other regions can capture significant market share,” said Antoine Vagneur-Jones, BNEF’s Head of Trade and Supply Chains research.
Source: Oilprice.com
Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company and Globeleq, UK-based renewable energy firm have performed a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of 35-MW geothermal power project in Menengai, Kenya.
Globeleq is one of the three Independent Power Producers (IPPs) that has been awarded rights to build and operate geothermal power plants in Menengai.
The ceremony was attended by the Deputy President (DP) Rigathi Gachagua, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, Department of Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira, H.E. Hon Susak Khika of Nakuru County, British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriott OBE, and the GDC Board Chair Hon. Walter Osebe Nyambati.
The US$108 million Menengai project will be Globeleq’s first geothermal plant.
Menengai is a Greenfield geothermal project and part of the first phase of the wider Menengai complex, which is the second large-scale geothermal field being developed in Kenya after Olkaria.
Steam will be supplied to the project by Geothermal Development Company (GDC).
Speaking at the ceremony, H.E Rigathi Gachagua lauded GDC for its role in helping to develop green energy.
He promised government’s support so that GDC can competently deliver on its mandate.
“We will continue to support GDC to effectively play its role; more importantly, these efforts will help Kenya meet its international obligation on decarbonizing the economy on Africa and global front as we push to exploit the full geothermal potential,’’ he said.
He added that: “the government is keen on lowering the cost of power. Electricity from this power plant will cost only 7 US cents… Affordable power will help spur economic development and reduce the cost of doing business.”
Also commenting, Mr. Davis Chirchir, the Cabinet Secretary for Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, said: “As one of the countries most affected by climate change, we are determined to attain our target of 100 percent transition to green energy; it is clean, reliable, affordable, and sustainable.
“The de-risking concept, underwritten by the Government of Kenya through GDC, is a critical model to accelerate the development of geothermal energy in Kenya and lower the cost of power for investors and households,” he concluded.
GDC has conducted drilling of 43 wells in Menengai, thus taking the upfront risks of developing the geothermal project.
On his part, the Board Chair, Hon. Walter Nyambati noted that “in just 13 years, we have turned Menengai from a jungle into a complex that is promising Kenya’s green future.”
He assured that GDC, with the government and financiers’ support, will excel.
“We’re happy. This ground breaking a future of lowered cost of power and more revenues for GDC. I want to assure the GDC staff that our Company is great; it has potential and what we need is to all, in one accord, support each other and pull forward together,” he said.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of Energy Commission, Ing Oscar Amonoo -Neizer said the Challenge has come a long way since its modest inception in 2019 when it was first introduced as a pilot programme involving 29 schools in the Greater Accra Region.
Since then, he said the Challenge has evolved into a national programme, capturing the attention and enthusiasm of both academic and non-academic institutions.
He said the prizes for this year would even be much better than the previous ones.
He expressed the Commission’s gratitude to the partners- German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Ashesi University, Bui Power Authority and Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited for their invaluable support.
The facility is equipped with a control building,a main transformer platform hosting three 125MVA transformers,a Gas Insulated Switchgear platform with 170kV gas-insulated switchgear and platforms for 161kV cable terminations and indoor 33kV switchgear systems.
Commissioning the project, the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo noted that the sub-station “is a technological innovation applied in areas where spaces are significant and limited, where large capacity switch care and transformers which are compact can be installed.
“The benefits of this Accra bulk supply point, amongst others, are to reduce transmission and distribution losses, ensure high reliability of electricity supply and ensure a high level of personnel safety,” the President remarked.
“Now with the operationalisation of the Accra bulk supply point, power voltages have become stable, protecting valuable equipment, power supply reliability has improved and with this, reducing system losses as required by the regulator, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC),” he added.
President Akufo-Addo registered the appreciation of the government and the people of Ghana to the government and people of the Kingdom of Japan for their kind gesture.
“This project could not have become a reality without the generous grant from the Japanese government and its external agency, the Japanese International Development Agency (JICA), with Japanese technology and technological assistance. This project is an excellent illustration of the strong cooperation between the Republic of Ghana and the Kingdom of Japan which we cherish,” President Akufo-Addo said.
“On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, I extend deep appreciation to the Japanese government and the Japanese consultants, the joint venture of Yachiyo Engineering Company Limited and West Japan Engineering Consultancy Incorporated, the main contractor, the main contractor, the Japanese joint venture of Mitsubishi Corporation, Hitachi Plant Construction Limited Yurtec Corporation for the efforts and continues corporation and contribution to Ghana’s development and growth,” Akufo-Addo added.
The Minister for Energy, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and Board Chairman of GRIDCo, Ambassador Kabal Blay-Amihere, in their brief statements, both took turns to register their appreciation to the Japanese Government for making the project a reality.
They added that overall, the project would relieve the existing substations of overloads and, thereby, allowing for planned maintenance works to be carried out without power supply interruptions to customers, a significant reduction in power losses especially at the medium voltage level, among others.
Country Representative of JICA, Ms Suzuku Momoko, and the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mochizuki Hisanobu, in their statements, also indicated that the Japanese Government is delighted to offer her support to Ghana in the power sector.
It is the vision of the Government of Japan to continue in their efforts aimed at ensuring that Ghana enjoys a constant power supply across the entire land space of the country.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 
He further stated that in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, Ghana is enjoined in Target 15.2 to “promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.”
He continued that BPA was committed to relentlessly establishing forests cover through its flagship ‘Forest Resource Enhancement Programme (FREP)’ to implementing climate mitigating actions through tree planting within all BPA’s operational areas among others with the needed resources to achieve their desired objectives.
He indicated that the FREP initiative commenced in 2012 on a pilot scheme and has, over the years, received a tremendous boost with an expansion from a coverage area of 423.67 acres as of 2021 to 1,423.67 in 2023 under his leadership.
On bushfire management, he paid special tribute to the Ghana National Fire Service deployed to Bui and PAPs Contractors in complementing the OHSE Team’s efforts to achieve this.
The Deputy Director of OHS&E, Mr Chrisentus B. Kuunifaa indicated that the forests are serving as the “lungs of the earth that support our very existence and survival on this planet.”
He, therefore, underscored the critical role forests play in BPA business continuity and operational excellence, in line with the theme for the 2023 Green Ghana Day; ‘OUR FORESTS, OUR HEALTH’.
He catalogued some of the benefits of the established forests which included the provision of clean air, carbon capture, food, medicine, water (hydrological cycle) and support the life of all forms and well-being.
On his part, the Director of the Power Operations Department, Mr Samuel Nimako Boateng reiterated that energy was key to human development such as providing basic needs, increasing productivity and improving effective health care delivery.
He stated that being conscious of the imminent threats of climate change and global warming, BPA would continue to position itself to contribute zero carbon emissions in its operations.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 
