The Energy Commission, the technical regulator for electricity, natural gas and renewable energy, last Thursday, sensitised officers of Prisons Headquarters in Accra, Ghana’s capital, on Efficiency and Conservation of Energy at their offices and homes.
The presentations covered the use of energy-efficient lamps, identifying efficiency labels and appliances, the use of electronic lighting controls and best practices to help save energy.
In a presentation by Mr. Kennedy Amankwah, Deputy Director for Energy Efficiency and Regulations, he took the officers through some dos and don’ts.
He advised them not to leave fridges connected to power open, stating that when fridges are left open, they draw air from outside and convert it to heat, thereby, making the fridge use more power.
He also advised them not to put fridges in cabinets as well as placing them directly under the rays of the sun.
Mr. Samuel Frimpong, from the Public Affairs, Energy Commission, encouraged the officers to iron their dresses in bulk instead of ironing in bits.
Samuel Frimpong addressing the Prisons Officers
He also advised them not to combine ironing with other activities such as watching football.
He advised the officers to conserve energy by switching off gadgets they would not use to save money.
Mr. John Adjei, Manager of Energy Efficiency Regulations, in a presentation on energy audit, urged the officers to avoid leaving their fully-charged mobile phone and laptop chargers in the socket with the power still on.
The Chief Operations Officer at the Prisons Headquarters, DDP Francis Hargbe, in his closing remarks, expressed his profound gratitude to the delegation from the Energy Commission for the gesture and stated that the education on energy conservation and efficiency was timely.
DDP Francis Hargbe
He entreated officers to spread the word to colleagues and loved ones to help secure energy and save costs.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana has blocked Norwegian oil and gas firm, Aker Energy, from using an old FPSO it acquired for US$35 million over ten years ago for the Pecan Field development offshore the West African nation.
The oil firm wanted to charge Ghana US$1.7 billion for ten years.
This means annually, Ghana would pay US$170 million.
The figure was contained in the Plan of Development (PoD) submitted by Aker Energy to Ghana’s Ministry of Energy a few weeks ago.
However, the cost of the FPSO struck the Energy Ministry and rejected it.
According to sources within the Energy Ministry, the sector Minister indicated to Aker Energy’s CEO, Kadijah Amoah, that the country could not afford the expensive FPSO and directed them to rather go to the market and open a tender for FPSO that is more competitive.
Last week, the CEO of Aker Energy, Kadijah Amoah, and some officials were at the ministry to submit their revised PoD.
Checks from the ministry indicated that Aker Energy CEO told the Minister that they had addressed all the issues raised.
According to the source, the Ministry is currently studying the document to confirm if all the issues had been addressed as stated by the CEO.
The price of the FPSO had been the subject of concern by Civil Society Groups working in the extractive sector, anti-corruption and good governance.
In a post sighted on Facebook, Ghana’s Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh wrote: “Yesterday, Officials of Aker Energy were at the Ministry of Energy to submit an updated Plan of Development (PoD) in respect of the Pecan Field as a result of a review of the one submitted on 14th April 2023.
“The Ministry of Energy remains committed to the judicious exploitation of our hydrocarbon resources and will continue to ensure sound investor relations,” his post concluded.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Stichting Clean Energy and Energy Inclusion for Africa (CEI Africa) announced its intention to award three results-based financing (RBF) grants for a total of up to USD 7.3M to Kenyan green mini grid (GMG) developers, Renewvia, Kudura and PowerHive, for the creation of approximately 21,110 green mini grid connections in underserved communities in northern and south-western Kenya.
Renewvia Energy Kenya Ltd (Renewvia) was awarded an RBF grant of up to USD 4.2M to unlock approximately 14,000 new connections, providing electricity access to a network of refugee camps in the area of Kakuma, a town in the far northern region of Turkana County.
The resulting project, an expansion of their existing generation plant and power lines, promises to be the largest solar mini grid for any community in East Africa, serving a total of 19,000 customers from a 2.4 MW solar power plant with 6 MWh of battery storage.
Renewvia has successfully deployed mini grids on islands in Lake Victoria, in the semi-arid northern areas of Kenya, and all over southern Nigeria, serving over 7,500 customers. They have also developed commercial sites in Kakuma, Kenya, for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food Program. KUDURA Power East Africa Ltd (KUDURA), an energy utility company operating renewable mini grids serving rural off-grid communities in East Africa, was awarded an RBF grant of up to USD 2.8M to unlock 5,909 connections, also in Turkana County.
The company is operating 11 GMG sites in Busia County, serving over 4,000 customers across 16 communities and is currently constructing another 21 mini grids in Turkana. The expansion is co-funded by RVE.SOL S.A. (Portugal) and InfraCo Africa (UK).
PowerHive East Africa Limited was awarded an RBF grant of up to USD 300,000 to unlock approximately 1,202 connections in rural south-western Kenya. PowerHive, a technology venture that partners with utilities and independent power producers to provide access to mini grid electricity for rural homes and businesses, has already installed 20 mini grids with a generation capacity of 890 kW.
“I’m very proud of our Kenyan team’s achievements to date,” said KUDURA’s CEO Vivian Vendeirinho. “Despite a regulatory set-back for our planned scale up in Busia County, our team rallied to turn this set[1]back into a massive growth opportunity. With close cooperation of the Turkana County Government, we’ve identified a much larger pipeline of rural consumers with a significant social and commercial need for clean energy.”
“The advent of the CEI Africa Kenya funding window was perfect timing for us. The detailed technical support received from the GreenMax and Persistent teams has resulted in a compelling investment case for our next equity round and will push our mini grid business to profitability ahead of our 5-year plans,” added Vendeirinho.
“We are thrilled to partner with CEI Africa to make further progress towards meeting the massive demand for reliable and affordable energy in Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement,” said Renewvia’s Director of African Project Development Douglas Cox. “We look forward to seeing what the highly innovative refugees and host community members in this area do with our electricity.”
“On behalf of CEI Africa, we are delighted to support expansion of energy access in the remote areas of northern and south-western Kenya,” said GreenMax CEO Clifford J. Aron. “Electricity is a cornerstone of economic development and companies like Renewvia, Kudura and PowerHive are on the front line of electrifying underserved counties in Kenya, thus supporting the government’s target of universal electrification.”
The three RBF grant awards are pursuant to fulfillment of certain conditions precedent agreed to between CEI Africa, Renewvia, Kudura and PowerHive, respectively, which includes, among others, the execution of a Grant Agreement. The RBF grant funding will be disbursed upon completion of new electricity connections.
Petrosol Ghana Limited, one of the indigenous Ghanaian Oil Marketing Companies (OMC), has adjusted its pump prices for both petrol and diesel across its service stations marginally, effective Saturday, June 3, 2023.
This follows the upward movement of the US currency dollar and the rising cost of finished products on the international market.
According to a release on Saturday, both petrol and diesel now sell at Gh¢12.19 per litre at their pumps.
During the first pricing window which ended on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, Petrosol sold both petrol and diesel at Gh¢11.99 per litre.
This means that both petrol and diesel went up by 20 pesewas.
Prices of finished products for petrol had been between US$790.45 and US$828 per metric tonne while diesel prices had been between US$683 and US$691 per metric tonne for the past two weeks.
Crude oil prices had also been between US$70 and US$76 per barrel for the past two weeks.
Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has confiscated 73,000 litres of crude oil and 108,000 litres of diesel from smugglers on the high seas in the western part of the country.
The arrest was made separately by the Ghana Navy and Marine Police between January and April 2023.
The Western Regional Manager of NPA, Mrs. Sandra Aidoo made this known at a media engagement in Takoradi last Thursday.
“We initially confiscated 108,000 litres of diesel on the high seas in January. The smugglers were arrested and are currently standing trial at the law court. The other was in April when 73,000 litres of crude oil was confiscated,” she added.
Mrs. Aidoo said the suspected smugglers of the diesel were being prosecuted in court and indicated that the NPA would determine what happens to the product after the final determination of the case.
“We still have the product at our disposal, and we shall determine what happens to it after the final determination of the case in court.
“For the crude oil, the smugglers bolted, so we have transported the product to Accra, and the public will know what happens to it,” she explained.
Mrs. Aidoo stated that the activities of the smugglers were affecting the quality of fuel distributed at the pumps since some filling station owners purchase the products at cheap prices on the blind side of the Authority.
“These cases are very rampant in the Western Region, and it is affecting our operations. These products are not taxed, and the smugglers sell them directly to the stations. The quality of such products cannot be guaranteed as well, so we should not allow them into the market,” she said.
The media engagement organised by the Communications Department of the NPA was to highlight Authority’s activities in the petroleum downstream industry and respond to industry-related questions from the media.
Mrs Aidoo said the NPA had also, in collaboration with security agencies, closed down and revoked the licences of four filling stations in the region for failing to meet the Authority’s operational requirements.
“As part of our monitoring exercises, four retail outlets that did not meet our score were closed down. They are not operating as I speak because they do not meet our requirements,” she said.
In her presentation, the Legal Manager at the Legal Directorate of NPA, Ms Farida Ali-Musah said the Authority had been granted prosecutorial powers by the Attorney General to prosecute crimes in the oil supply chain in the country.
She said the Executive Instrument (EI) 378, which the Authority obtained in 2020, was to enable the NPA to ensure the successful prosecution of cases in the petroleum downstream industry and stem the tide of crime in the sector.
Ms Ali-Musah mentioned that engaging in an activity in the downstream petroleum industry without NPA certified licence, misapplication of the prescribed petroleum pricing formula and tempering with Bulk Road Vehicle (BRV) tracking and volume monitoring are 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.
Taking his turn, the Head of Planning of NPA, Mr Dominic Aboagye said 80 per cent of the country’s fuel consumption was dependent on importation while 20 per cent was produced locally.
He said the government and the private sector were making efforts, including the construction of a refinery by a private entity to improve local production of fuel products.
Welcoming the media on behalf of the Board and Management of NPA, the Corporate Affairs Director, Mrs Maria Edith Oquaye said last year’s media engagements across the country focused on pricing and quality of petroleum products and indicated that this year’s sensitisation was on the processes in the supply of petroleum products and the requirements for siting filling stations.
For his part, a member of the Governing Board of NPA and Chairman of the Consumer Services sub-committee, Mr. Kwami Sefa Kayi lauded the NPA for the sensitisation drive and stressed that the media engagement was to get journalists well-informed about the operations of NPA and communicate same to the public.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced a nationwide protest on Wednesday, June 7, 2013, to vent their anger against the new President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the withdrawal of fuel subsidies.
The executives of NLC met with Federal Government officials on Friday to discuss the removal of subsidies on fuel and emerging challenges but the meeting ended inconclusively.
There was panic buying of fuel in some filling stations in places like Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt last week after President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of fuel subsidies.
Prices of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) shot up more than 200 per cent, according to the price list released by NNPC Limited, Nigeria’s national oil company.
Although some Nigerians have welcomed the removal of fuel subsidies, NLC wants it to stay.
The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, who criticised the removal of the subsidy, stated that the status quo returned before any formal engagement with the NLC to protect the Nigerian workforce and proffer additional solutions.
The NLC insisted that the Federal Government did not enter into any conversation even on palliative measures for Nigerians, hence, the rejection of the latest announcement.
The union said it had decided to reconvene with its members to determine the next line of action.
Per the price list released by NNPC Limited, the new pump price for premium motor spirit (PMS) ranges from N488 in Lagos State to N557 per litre in Yobe and Borno states, while it is N537 in Abuja and Enugu N520.
ExxonMobil and Chevron could gain access to Algeria’s vast natural gas resources as the U.S. supermajors are in advanced talks for exploration and production deals in the North African country, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, quoting sources with knowledge of the talks and Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab.
Algeria holds huge conventional natural gas reserves, and it is also estimated to have the third–largest shale gas reserves in the world after China and Argentina.
ExxonMobil and Chevron could complete the talks on the deals with Algerian state-held oil and gas firm Sonatrach by the end of this year, the sources told the Journal.
“I am pushing Sonatrach,” Arkab told the WSJ, “because we need to increase our volumes.”
Sonatrach is discussing the terms of agreements with Exxon and Chevron which would include both conventional and shale gas reserves exploration.
Earlier this year, the Journal reported that Chevron had increased efforts to reach an energy exploration agreement with Algeria and was assessing the North African country’s estimated huge shale gas resources.
Most of Algeria’s gas exports are heading to Europe, which is increasingly betting on Africa to import large volumes of pipeline gas and LNG to replace pipeline gas supply from Russia, which was Europe’s top gas supplier before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Italy’s energy major, Eni, has been particularly active in securing more natural gas supply for Europe from Africa and has fast-tracked projects in Africa to meet Europe’s gas demand in the absence of Russian pipeline deliveries.
At the announcement of the 2022 results in February, Descalzi said, “During the year, we were able to finalize agreements and activities to fully replace Russian gas by 2025, leveraging our strong relationships with producing states and fast-track development approach to ramp-up volumes from Algeria, Egypt, Mozambique, Congo and Qatar.”
Source: Oilprice.com
Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon Alban S. K. Bagbin has called for reliable and sustainable funding for Ghana’s Nuclear Energy Programme.
According to him, for a viable programme such as the Nuclear Energy Programme to achieve its intended purpose, serious attention must be given to it by way of financing.
The Speaker made the call at a meeting with the Board of Directors of Nuclear Power Ghana led by its chairman, Prof Benjamin J. B. Nyarko when they called on him in parliament on Tuesday.
The Board was in parliament to brief the Speaker on the progress made on the programme, as well as explore ways to ensure the successful implementation of the nuclear energy programme.
Prof Nyarko highlighted the long-term benefits of including nuclear power in Ghana’s energy mix, stressing that it would drive industrialisation and lead to a reduction in the cost of power for industrial use.
He, however, expressed worry about the limited staff, the lack of agency coordination and low nationwide information, communication and education initiatives which he said were some of the challenges inhibiting the smooth operation of the programme.
“Nuclear implementation demands competencies in specific areas of specialisation. Unfortunately, employment across the key institutions has been limited. Currently, the NPG draws staff from the Volta River Authority (VRA), Bui Power Authority (BPA) and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) and has a staff strength of about 20,” Prof Nyarko noted.
Speaker Bagbin pledged the support of parliament towards the overall success of the programme and called for immediate steps to be taken to protect lands allocated for the programme from being encroached on by others.
Ghana’s effort to exploit the peaceful applications (including power generation) of nuclear science and technology dates to the early 1960s when the first President, Kwame Nkrumah, decided to undertake the Ghana Nuclear Reactor Project (GNRP) by establishing the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.
Unfortunately, the nuclear ambition was truncated due to political instability until 2007 when the government established a Nuclear Power Committee to explore the feasibility of using nuclear energy to meet the country’s growing energy needs.
The programme has since gained momentum, and Ghana is now on track to become the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to operate a nuclear power plant.
The country hopes to construct and operate the first nuclear power plant by 2030.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The U.S. Administration has banned new oil and gas leasing near the Chaco Culture National Historic Park in New Mexico as part of a plan to protect the area and a larger portion of federal land from drilling.
The Chaco Canyon, a major center of ancestral Pueblo culture between 850 and 1250, is a World Heritage site on the list of the UN’s cultural agency, UNESCO. In addition to the Chaco Culture National Historical Park, the World Heritage property includes the Aztec Ruins National Monument and several smaller Chaco sites managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Now the U.S. Department of the Interior bans for 20 years new leasing on federal land within 10 miles of the Chaco Culture National Historic Park. The suspension of leases does not include private, tribal, or state lands.
“Today marks an important step in fulfilling President Biden’s commitments to Indian Country, by protecting Chaco Canyon, a sacred place that holds deep meaning for the Indigenous peoples whose ancestors have called this place home since time immemorial,” Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland, who is a New Mexican and a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe, said in a statement carried by Reuters.
Last month, the Navajo Nation voted to reject any buffer around the Chaco Culture Historical National Park, saying that “If the buffer zone is adopted, the Navajo allottees who rely on the income realized from oil and natural gas royalties will be pushed into greater poverty.”
Oil and gas companies have also opposed the no-leasing area around the park.
New Mexico is the second-largest oil-producing state after Texas, with which it shares the top-producing basin, the Permian. In 2021, New Mexico accounted for 11.1% of U.S. crude oil production, second only to Texas and its share of 42.4%, per Energy Information Administration (EIA) data.
New Mexico saw the highest growth in crude oil production of any U.S. state last year, with output gains of 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) accounting for half of America’s oil production increase, the EIA said in a report last month.
Source: Oilprice.com
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) have released the tariff reckoner to guide consumers following the 18.6 per cent increase in electricity tariff approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).
Your authoritative news portal energynewsafrica.com publishes the two tariff reckoners below.
We encourage consumers to take time to go through to be abreast with how much they will be paying for their consumption of electricity from hence.
Click on the links below for more……JUNE ’23 TARIFF RECKONER (RESIDENTIAL) – NEDCoElectricity Company of Ghana Ltd – Current Tariff (ecg.com.gh)
Major Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in the Republic of Ghana have adjusted their pump prices upward by 15 pesewas, energynewsafrica.com can confirm.
As of Thursday, leading OMCs such as GOIL, Shell and TotalEnergies adjusted their pump prices for both petrol and diesel by 15 pesewas.
By this, a litre of petrol and diesel are currently selling at Gh¢12.45.
Unlike in other parts of Africa where fuel prices are reviewed monthly, in Ghana, fuel prices are reviewed every two weeks.
During the last window which ended on May 31, 2023, the three leading OMCs sold both petrol and diesel at Gh¢12.30 per litre while other players sold petrol and diesel between Gh¢11.50 and Gh¢11.99.
Prices of finished products for petrol had been between US$790.45 and US$828 per metric tonne while diesel prices had been between US$683 and US$691 per metric tonne for the past two weeks.
Crude oil prices had also been between US$70 and $76 per barrel for the past two weeks.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
By: NJ Ayuk
The 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference, or the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27), held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022, featured a slight philosophical shift from where mindsets had been just the year before.
COP26 saw Africa under pressure to accept that its fossil fuel resources should remain underground. During the conference, representatives from wealthier nations made efforts to cast our continent as the recipient of undue climate change impacts deserving of financial compensation and the impetus to accelerate their own green agendas.
This year, the failure to deliver on those compensatory commitments, paired with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the subsequent effect on global energy prices, and a more unified voice of opposition from African leadership, managed to direct discussions toward another direction.
While some of the messaging shared at COP27 regarding Africa remained much the same as the previous year — that the focus should remain on moving away from reliance on coal and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies — the proposals supporting those sentiments showed a noticeable change. The conference more readily acknowledged both the economic benefits of leveraging African natural gas and the role that it could play in easing Africa’s eventual energy transition to renewables.
Commitments We Can Keep
It was also heartwarming to see African policymakers take the proactive step of committing to climate actions that are both feasible and have the potential to improve the lives of millions of Africans.
As noted in our soon-to-be-released outlook report, “The State of African Energy Q1 2023,” two of COP27’s most significant developments were the launch of the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI) and the Africa Just and Affordable Energy Transition Initiative (AJAETI).
With sponsorship from the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Sustainable Energy for All, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, ACMI aims to harness carbon markets and produce 300 million carbon credits (the equivalent of 300 million tonnes of CO2 reduction) per year by 2030 and 1.5 billion credits per year by 2050. In addition to providing support for over 110 million jobs in the same time frame, commitments to this initiative could generate more than USD120 billion in revenue, helping to expand energy access across the continent while protecting our biodiversity.
AJAETI focuses on transition, first to clean cooking and then eventually to green energy from renewable electricity generation. Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7.1, AJAETI hopes to see 300 million Africans gain access to affordable energy and transition to clean cooking fuels and technologies within the next four years. Furthermore, the initiative also hopes to see a 25% increase in electricity from renewables by 2027 with a long-term goal of developing a fully renewables-based power sector by 2063.
Though one might not make the connection initially, the measures that the African Energy Chamber (AEC) endorses, including dramatically increasing Africa’s use of its natural gas resources would actually support and even accelerate progress toward the longer-term goal of eventually transitioning away from fossil fuels.
As examined in our Q1 2023 Outlook Report, estimates for African upstream emissions are expected to reach 795 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent between now and the end of the decade. These emissions would rank Africa in fifth place behind North America, the Middle East, Asia, and Russia and account for only 9.5% of global upstream emissions.
However, half of these extraction-related emissions would result from gas flaring — the act of burning natural gas as a byproduct of oil extraction in place of preservation and distribution. If left unchecked, African gas flaring will account for nearly 20% of global flaring-related emissions. By simply capturing resources that are currently going to waste, Africa can contribute to a sizeable reduction in atmospheric CO2 levels.
Realizing Our Potential
In hard numbers, current estimates for African holdings include 74.365 billion barrels (Bbbls) of recoverable liquids and 82.875 billion barrels of oil equivalent (Bboe) of recoverable natural gas resources. At present, only half of these liquids and just a third of the natural gas resources connect to producing facilities. With the production rates of these tapped resources in terminal decline, Africa must secure the necessary investments to ramp up infrastructure development if we are to achieve any outcome greater than mere stabilization.
Getting back to hard numbers, the realistic dollar values at play here are an initial USD65 billion invested in greenfield projects over the next two years, followed by further investments totaling USD225 billion by 2030. To fully achieve the goals we have set for Africa, continued investment over the subsequent decade would bring this figure up to USD485 billion. However, current commercial forecasts project that investments between 2031-2040 will amount to only USD55 billion. As stated in our Q1 2023 Outlook Report, this disparity could represent “a potential deathblow to Africa’s oil and gas aspirations” and severely impact the future of numerous fossil-fuel export-dependent economies across the continent.
Considering that Africa expects to still rely on coal for 9% of its power mix even beyond 2040, this diminished investment rate would also cripple the hope of expanding access to electricity and reversing African energy poverty by using natural gas as a transition fuel.
A Clear Path Forward
As more developed nations transition away from fossil fuels, the international oil and gas industry must recognize Africa’s potential as a future global energy supplier. While it is reassuring to witness what might be the early stages of a sea change in environmental policy, as evidenced by the sentiment at COP27, the AEC will continue to advocate passionately for energy development in Africa. Though Western powers and even some climate activists have finally acknowledged that oil and gas will continue to play a necessary role well into the future, we have much more work to do. For Africa to realize its goal of offering universal access to electricity and clean cooking, the industrialized world must also recognize Africa as the next energy frontier.
African resources offer a two-way path toward a greener and more prosperous future. Through international partnerships and infrastructure development, investment in Africa will support the remaining fossil-fuel needs of the rest of the world while providing for its own, and an infusion of capital to our continent will diversify our economy, produce millions of new jobs, and, in turn, provide the funding for our own eventual transition to a renewables-based energy network.
Source: NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber
By: Adetayo Adegbemle
I have read a number of write-ups, trying to set agenda for the new administration led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but many of them have fallen short of addressing the major issues facing the power sector. While it must be said clearly that President Muhammadu Buhari has built on the progress of the power sector, there is also the need to build and consolidate on the successes and review a couple of decisions here and there.
There is the continued call for a truly independent regulatory commission, devoid of political interference, and one of the best ways to achieve this is to bring in individuals who have shown commitment to the growth of the power sector in one capacity or the other. The era of making political appointments and then expecting a quick delivery of key performance indicators should be dispelled.
Proper interviews and presentations on what challenges facing the power sector should be done, and the best candidate be given the political powers to turn around the fate of the sector. Once this can be achieved with NERC, it will send a clear message and tone.
One of the structures to be clearly made away with is the Presidential Power Initiative, which at best, should function as a desk in the ministry of power, which should handle such bilateral relationships with companies like Siemens.
Keeping an “agency” like the PPI increases our overhead unnecessarily, duplicating tasks and command chains, and asking questions of the professionals in the ministry of power.
With the success recorded by the Muhammadu Buhari administration in deepening our fuel/energy mix, we should be having more generating capacity coming mainstream, our focus should therefore be on how to align the new wheeling capacity being achieved by the Transmission Company of Nigeria and their numerous projects, with the off-takers in the DisCos.
The focus should also be on harnessing the over N50 billion naira the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria spends on alternative energy into the national grid.
All the funds being expended on TCN projects would come to naught if electricity distribution companies (DisCos) are not able to utilise these capacities.
Market liquidity has become a perennial problem for the power sector, but our policymakers are not considering the root cause, and in dealing with the issue, how to solve this effectively. The truth remains that unless the issue of metering is resolved, we would continue to experience stunted growth in the power sector.
This metering covers every interface in the power sector. That is from the generation interface with the transmission, from the transmission interface with the distributors, and ultimately to the distributors’ interface with the final consumers.
In solving this problem, I have been advocating for the establishment of the local metering ecosystem and local metering standards. This will ultimately lead to deepening our local meter manufacturing capacities, removing the foreign exchange components in meter pricing, increasing/creating employment, and ultimately solving our local metering problems.
Beyond encouraging the local meter manufacturing ecosystem, we need to also establish local transformer manufacturing and repair units. We need to develop this local capacity.
Resolving our huge local metering challenge will automatically also a more accurate figure of the number of connections that we have to the national grid, thereby helping with more accurate data for national planning.
Not knowing what our demand looks like will make us continue to make abstract plans that will continue to fail. I have heard many commentators saying that a nation of over 200 million people should have access to over 100,000MW of electricity but we cannot, and should not continue to extrapolate with scientific data to make sensible decisions.
Yes, this can be achieved in four years if we have the political will to proceed, and if in making appointments, factors like what their earlier contributions have been.
I will continue to hammer on national interest first as the basis to make appointments and forming policies. Without this, the power sector will continue in its doldrums and the potential to be great unachieved.
Adegbemle is a public opinion commentator/analyst, researcher, and convener of PowerUpNigeria, an Electric Power Consumer Right Advocacy Group. He tweets @gbemle and @PowerUpNg
Genser Energy, a leading energy company in Ghana, has made significant strides towards enhancing its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives by implementing a comprehensive plan aimed at providing sustainable and tailored solutions to communities within its operational areas.
The company’s commitment to fostering strong relationships with local authorities and community members has set a new benchmark for effective community engagement.
Recognizing the importance of establishing solid partnerships with key stakeholders, Genser Energy prioritizes engagement with local authorities, including unit committees, assembly members, traditional authorities (Odikros), religious leaders, youth groups, and opinion leaders.
This initial groundwork lays the foundation for Genser’s Sustainability Department to conduct in-depth research by immersing themselves in the local communities and gaining a firsthand understanding of their needs before developing suitable solutions.
Michael Smith, Genser Energy Communication Relations Superintendent, highlighted the company’s approach, stating, “The community relations team immerses themselves in these communities to gather relevant information about local government authorities, traditional leadership, community lifestyle, culture, and customs. This enables us to establish preliminary contacts with key stakeholders and ensure effective community entry and sensitization.”
Once Genser Energy enters a community, it conducts a comprehensive socioeconomic survey, gathering essential data on household composition, education background, housing conditions, water & sanitation availability, healthcare access, and other critical aspects. This information forms the basis of an up-to-date database that assists in designing comprehensive CSR programs tailored to each community’s unique needs.
Issah Mohammed, Genser Energy Sustainability Manager emphasized Genser Energy’s commitment to incorporating the perspectives of the community members, including traditional authorities, youth groups, vulnerable groups such as women, children, the physically challenged, and the elderly, in the development of their CSR programs. By engaging the community in this manner, Genser Energy ensures the full support and participation of all stakeholders throughout the project implementation process.
Addressing prevalent community issues, Mohammed added, “Many of these communities face challenges related to water and health facility renovations, among others. We have short, medium, and long-term needs assessment CSR plans in place.”
In line with their community-centric approach, Genser Energy has actively engaged with more than 150 communities in preparation for the construction of gas pipelines.
These pipelines will connect the Ejisu Plant Metering Station in the Ashanti Region, serving the 250-Megawatt (MW) Africa and Middle East Resource Investment (AMERI) Thermal Power Plant. Notably, Genser Energy’s involvement in these communities extends beyond job creation, with a comprehensive plan that addresses the unique needs of each community.
To ensure ongoing dialogue and involvement, Genser Energy has established a continuous engagement management framework, employing strategic measures to work collaboratively with project-affected persons (PAPs) throughout the project’s lifecycle. This framework includes the appointment of Community Liaison Representatives (CLRs) by PAPs in each community. These representatives provide vital information regarding the pipeline’s right-of-way, community concerns, and community management, facilitating informed planning and decision-making.
To further strengthen stakeholder engagement at the community level, Genser Energy has formed grievance management committees and employment committees at various pipeline sections. These committees address pressing concerns that may not be immediately apparent to the company and help streamline the employment and recruitment process within the communities.
Over the years, Genser Energy has actively contributed to the development of the communities along its gas pipeline routes. The company has undertaken initiatives such as providing school desks and constructing mechanized boreholes in the Amansie South and Sefwi districts of the Ashanti and Western North Regions, respectively. These efforts demonstrate Genser Energy’s commitment to sustainable development and improving the lives of community members.
In collaboration with the American Chamber of Commerce Ghana (AmCham) and the Ghana Union Assurance (GUA), Genser Energy has also committed over GHS1.8 million to construct a covered market in Appiatse. The market project aims to support the community, which was severely impacted by a tragic explosion earlier this year. The all-inclusive market will be equipped with improved amenities such as water, electricity, and a creche, contributing to the rebuilding and restoration of the vibrant community.
In addition to its community-centric initiatives, Genser Energy has also made noteworthy contributions to the sports sector. Last year, the company donated a SEWA 504 tractor with a mower worth GHS200,000 to the Takoradi Sports Club, enabling the continued upkeep of the facility and encouraging future community activities. Genser Energy also co-sponsored the 2022 Gold Fields Professional Golfers Association (PGA) tournament, demonstrating its support for professional golfers and promoting sporting events within the region.
Genser Energy’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and community engagement stands as a testament to its dedication to sustainable development and the well-being of the communities it serves. Through its inclusive approach and tailored CSR programs, the company continues to make a positive impact on Ghanaian communities, fostering lasting relationships and driving socio-economic progress.
Source: Genser Energy
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JUNE ’23 TARIFF RECKONER (RESIDENTIAL) – NEDCo
Electricity Company of Ghana Ltd – Current Tariff (ecg.com.gh)
