Pakistan: Massive Power Outage Leaves Over 220 Million People In Darkness
Millions of Pakistanis have been left without electricity since Monday morning and currently sleeping in darkness following the breakdown of the country’s grid system.
The nationwide power blackout has left about 220 million people, including those in major cities like the capital Islamabad and financial hub Karachi, without electricity.
Senior officials reportedly blamed the aging grid infrastructure for the frequent power outages.
In some parts of Islamabad, the capital, and the neighboring city of Rawalpindi, power was restored after eight hours, officials said.
Local officials said the outage began in southern Sindh Province after an unusual fluctuation in the voltage.
That led to a cascading failure at power plants throughout the country.
Addressing a press conference, Pakistani Power Minister Khurrum Dastgir said that a “frequency variation” was reported in southern Pakistan on Monday morning, which resulted in the power outage.
He, however, downplayed the issue, saying it was “not a major crisis,” even as the people’s concerns deepened as time passed by.
Dastgir assured that power would be restored across the country by Monday night.
The power breakdown caused a major disruption in daily activity.
Internet and mobile phone services blinkered offline in intermittent outages across the country.
Emergency generators helped some hospitals, government offices, schools, and airports continued to operate.
“There was complete chaos in the hospital because of the power outage,” said Akram Shah, a 45-year-old textile worker who was accompanying his sick mother at the state-run Abbasi Shaheed Hospital in Karachi, according to report by New York Times.
“Doctors asked most of the patients, who were at hospitals for surgeries, and tests, to come again tomorrow,” he added.
People in several cities complained that they were facing water shortages as water pumps, which run on electricity, were not working.
“We did not have water to wash the dishes, as water could not be pumped from the underground water tank to the overhead tank,” said Shafiqa Ali, a nurse, 45, who works in a private clinic in Karachi. “We could not book cars from the ride-hailing apps to send our children to schools.”
Many shopkeepers used small generators to keep their lights on. But some people complained that they could not withdraw money from A.T.M.s because they had stopped working.
Most people in the country use backup power devices in case of outages, but the small batteries of these devices often die when the outages last many hours.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered a high-level inquiry to determine the exact
.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Kuwait Cabinet Resigns Over Oil Wealth Spending
Kuwait’s new Cabinet has resigned amid protests over a planned spending spree of the country’s oil wealth by the Assembly, which some fear would drain state coffers to the point of no return.
The Cabinet’s move to resign is meant to hinder the Assembly’s attempts to push through spending bills that would see the government buying back consumer loans and raising salaries and benefits, among other things.
The prime minister submitted the government’s resignation to the crown prince “as a result of what has become of the relationship between the executive and legislative authorities”, according to Kuwait’s KUNA news agency, citing a cabinet statement.
This is the third cabinet formed by Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf al-Ahmed Al-Sabah since he took office in August last year. It is also Kuwait’s sixth government in three years.
The parliament is led by opposition forces, which view ministers as corrupt and accuse them of mismanaging the country’s oil wealth.
Appointed by the ruling family, the government has been at constant odds with the elected assembly, which is pursuing populist measures.
At the same time, the inability to keep a government in place has made it impossible to go through with any much-needed fiscal reforms.
While Kuwait boasts one of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds and has very low debt with a surplus of around $23 billion in store and an economy that was set for almost 8% growth in 2022, according to Bloomberg, it’s falling far behind its peers–Saudi Arabia and the UAE in terms of non-oil economic growth.
According to OPEC’s December Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR), Kuwait’s crude oil production fell sharply, by 35,000 bpd, compared to increases in other venues, including Nigeria, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.
As of 2020, Kuwait has 101.5 billion barrels in oil reserves.
Source: Oilprice.com
Ghana Reaffirms Support For ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority
Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Energy, William Owuraku Aidoo, has reassured the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) of Ghana’s support in its mandate to develop the regional electricity market.
Hon. Owuraku Aidoo gave the reassurance statement while receiving an ERERA delegation led by its Chairman, Mr. Laurent Tossou, on January 13, 2023, at the Ministry of Energy in Accra.
He said Ghana was deeply interested in the regional electricity market which, he described as critical to the energy supply and security in the ECOWAS region and would encourage any progress in market development.
Decrying the current state of electricity trade in the region, the Deputy Minister called on the ECOWAS Member States to embrace the pooling of energy resources and explore the many benefits of the regional market, which among others, would help increase efficiency and lower prices for consumers.
Following ERERA’s request to help facilitate its headquarters, Mr Aidoo said the Ministry of Energy would support the regional regulator in the process of securing its building, including helping to ensure a working environment conducive to its staff.
Speaking earlier, Mr Tossou requested the support of Ghana, as a strategic partner, to help facilitate the launch of the second phase of the regional electricity market.
He also informed the Minister of the next ERERA Regulatory Forum, which is to take place in Niamey, the capital of Niger, in June.
The forum is a platform for exchanges between regulators and all players in the electricity sector in West Africa on current issues concerning energy security and the electricity market in West Africa.
According to Mr. Tossou, the forum would be preceded by a meeting of ECOWAS energy ministers in Niamey.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Increment In Utility Tariffs Needed To Avert Power Crisis—PURC Justifies
The Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC,) Dr. Ishmael Ackah has responded to those criticising the Commission’s decision to increase utility tariffs.
Some individuals and civil society groups have raised concerns about the Commission’s decision to increase electricity and water tariffs by 29.96 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively.
The increment is effective 1st February 2023.
In a statement issued last Monday, the Commission said it took into consideration four key factors before arriving at the approved tariff for electricity.
It said it considered the Ghana Cedi/US Dollar exchange rate, inflation, generation mix and weighted cost of average cost of natural gas.
The statement explained that since the major tariff in August 2022, these key variables underlying the rate setting have changed significantly.
However, responding to the concerns being raised despite the Commission explaining the basis for the hikes in the utility tariffs, Dr Ishmael Ackah, in a post on Linkedln defended the Commission’s decision to hike electricity and water tariffs.
He said: “PURC does not take delight in increasing tariffs for no reason. We need to balance the need to keep the lights on whilst not burdening the consumer. For instance, we used a conservative exchange rate of 10 cedis to a dollar and inflation of 42 per cent. These are to help reduce the rate of increase whilst helping the utilities to stay afloat.
“Please let us guide against misinformation,” Dr. Ackah advised.
Below is the response Dr Ackah shared on LinkedIn:
The Quarterly Adjustment
Personal Note
PURC does not take delight in increasing tariffs for no reason. We need to balance the need to keep the lights on whilst not burdening the consumer. For instance, we used a conservative exchange rate of 10 cedis to a Dollar and inflation of 42 per cent. These are to help reduce the rate of increase whilst helping the utilities to stay afloat.
- 1. Four main factors were used in the tariff adjustment.
- Hydro
- On the legacy hydro, 18(l)(h) of Electricity Regulations, 2008, LL 1937 mandates the Electricity Market Oversight Panel (EMOP) Regulation to determine/approve the allocation based on a formula.
Uganda: Members Of Parliament Want Electricity Vandalism Addressed Before Umeme Exit
Government has been urged to expeditiously address vandalism of electricity transmission networks before the expiry of Umeme’s contract in 2025.
Lawmakers on the Committee of Environment and Natural Resources said the increasing cases of vandalism under the country’s main electricity distribution company’s (Umeme) regime were causing government substantial financial loss that needs to be checked.
“Vandalism on transmission lines and other electrical installations has been on a rapid increase with 175 cases registered between 2021 and 2022,” Hon. Emmanuel Otaala, the committee chairperson revealed.
Otaala added: “For every tower vandalised, the replacement cost is Shs200 million. This causes financial losses since government needs to constantly replace lines, as well as the economy which is dependent on this network for delivery of electricity”.
The chairperson was presenting the committee report on the budget framework paper for water, environment and energy sectors for the Financial Year 2023/2024, before the Budget Committee on Thursday, 19 January 2023.
Buyaga West County MP, Hon. Barnabas Tinkasiimire, said vandalism could be an act of expression of disgruntlement by local communities that were neither compensated nor connected.
“You need to investigate and find out what causes vandalism, in most cases it’s because the local people were not compensated during installation, or because of passing power lines on top of people’s homes when they are darkness,” Tinkasiimire said.
Otaala further informed members that Uganda Electricity Distribution Company (UEDCL) has been mandated to take over the portfolio of Umeme immediately after its exit and asked government to finance UEDCL for a smooth transition.
“This calls for strengthening of UEDCL before the takeover. Government should avail the necessary financing to ensure smooth transition and take over from Umeme,” Otaala said.
The energy sector’s budget projection for the Financial Year 2023/2024 totals to Shs1, 211.7 billion.
Otaala said the sector is expected to improve in the Financial Year 2023/2024 with the US$638 million Electricity Access Scale–Up Project (EASP) which commences in April 2023. The project is expected to make one million connections.
“The project will target households, commercial enterprises, public institutions, mining centres and industrial parks; thereby creating demand of up to 500 MW,” Otaala said.
He further noted that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development was on course with the creation of Uganda National Electricity Company Limited (UNECL). A draft Structure for UNECL has been finalised and submitted to the Ministry of Public Service for onward action, he said.
The Mawogola North County MP, Hon. Shartsi Musherure, asked government to look out for more projects that would increase electricity connectivity, cognisant that the one million connections planned under the EASP project is only a ‘drop in the ocean’.
“We need to connect many more people. Instead of bringing one project that you want us to support, what else is there in the ministry that can help us to connect more?” she asked.
Hon. Gorreth Namugga (NUP, Mawogola County South) urged the committee to exercise its oversight role and check the rampant cases of corruption in the energy sector.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: GRIDCo CEO Wants ERERA To Conclude Regional Transmission Tariff Approval Process
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), the power transmission company in the Republic of Ghana, Ing Ebenezer Kofi Essienyi, has called on Ecowas Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) to speed up the approval process of the ECOWAS Regional Transmission Tariff so that all stakeholders, especially transit countries involved in the regional trade in electricity can be appropriately compensated.
According to him, the absence of an approved transmission tariff has created bottlenecks which impede power trade flows in the region.
Ing. Essienyi appealed while receiving a four-member delegation from ERERA led by its Chairman, Mr Laurent Tossou, who paid him a courtesy call on 16th January 2023, at the GRIDCo headquarters in Tema, Ghana’s industrial city.
Other members of ERERA’s delegation were Regulatory Council Member, Dr Haliru Dikko, the Head of Administration and Finance, Mr. Ofosuhene Apenteng-Takyiako, and Communication Officer, Mr. Uwem Thompson.
Earlier, Mr. Tossou informed GRIDCo’s Chief Executive of the imminent launch of the second phase of the regional electricity market and requested a deeper collaboration with the company, considering its experience and strategic relevance to the development of the market.
Both Heads of Institutions discussed issues of mutual interests relating to the power sector in the region.
These included renewable energy, harmonization of national legal texts, data collection, infrastructural challenges and capacity-building programmes for power sector practitioners.
ERERA is mandated to regulate cross-border trade in electricity in West Africa.
As part of its functions, ERERA is to approve critical documents for the development of the regional power market.
GRIDCo is to develop and promote the national grid to ensure competition in Ghana’s wholesale power market.
Its specific functions include ensuring the transmission of electricity from wholesale suppliers, that is generating companies, to bulk customers; providing fair and non-discriminatory transmission services to all power market participants; as well as acquiring and managing assets, facilities and systems required to transmit electrical energy.
Source: ERERA
Other members of ERERA’s delegation were Regulatory Council Member, Dr Haliru Dikko, the Head of Administration and Finance, Mr. Ofosuhene Apenteng-Takyiako, and Communication Officer, Mr. Uwem Thompson.
Earlier, Mr. Tossou informed GRIDCo’s Chief Executive of the imminent launch of the second phase of the regional electricity market and requested a deeper collaboration with the company, considering its experience and strategic relevance to the development of the market.
Both Heads of Institutions discussed issues of mutual interests relating to the power sector in the region.
These included renewable energy, harmonization of national legal texts, data collection, infrastructural challenges and capacity-building programmes for power sector practitioners.
ERERA is mandated to regulate cross-border trade in electricity in West Africa.
As part of its functions, ERERA is to approve critical documents for the development of the regional power market.
GRIDCo is to develop and promote the national grid to ensure competition in Ghana’s wholesale power market.
Its specific functions include ensuring the transmission of electricity from wholesale suppliers, that is generating companies, to bulk customers; providing fair and non-discriminatory transmission services to all power market participants; as well as acquiring and managing assets, facilities and systems required to transmit electrical energy.
Source: ERERA Ghana: BOST Distributes Educational Materials To 32 Schools In Central Gonja And Savelugu Districts
The Bulk Storage and Transportation Limited Company (BOST) has commenced the distribution of exercise books to 32 basic schools in the Central Gonja and Sevelugu districts in the Savanna and Northern Regions as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to those communities.
According to BOST, these communities are socially impacted by their operations and activities in the country.
BOST currently has one of its busiest depots in Buipe in the Savanna Region and a Booster Station in Savelugu in the Northern Region.
Thus, over years, the company took cognisance of the lack of adequate learning materials in schools around these communities.
BOST, therefore, decided to provide much assistance in this regard to support families by providing their wards with exercise books to aid their academic development.
So far, the company has provided the following schools in the Savanna Region with some learning materials: RC Primary School, RC JHSS, Ansuru-Deen EA Primary School, Ansuru-Deen EA JHSS, Maranatha SDA Primary School, Maranatha SDA JHSS A, Buipe DA Primary School, Buipe Girls Model JHSS, Higher Height Primary School, Higher Height HJSS, English and Arabi Primary School, English And Arabic JHSS, Buipe Academy Primary School, Buipe Academy JHSS, Maranatha SDA JHSS B and Buipe JHSS.
In the coming days, the following schools in the Savelugu District would be provided with exercise books: Bilsitua Ahmadidiya Primary School, Savelugu MA JHSS A, Savelugu JHSS B, Savelugu Experimental Primary School A, Savelugu Experimental Primary School B, Savelugu Experimental JHS.
Eight more schools in the Debre area are also scheduled to receive their share of the exercise books by this weekend.
Other schools in the company’s impacted areas in Bolgatanga in the Upper East, Kumasi in the Ashanti, Accra Plains Depot (APD) in the Greater Accra, Akosombo in the Eastern, and Mami Water in the Volta Regions are all due to receive theirs as the exercise progresses.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
So far, the company has provided the following schools in the Savanna Region with some learning materials: RC Primary School, RC JHSS, Ansuru-Deen EA Primary School, Ansuru-Deen EA JHSS, Maranatha SDA Primary School, Maranatha SDA JHSS A, Buipe DA Primary School, Buipe Girls Model JHSS, Higher Height Primary School, Higher Height HJSS, English and Arabi Primary School, English And Arabic JHSS, Buipe Academy Primary School, Buipe Academy JHSS, Maranatha SDA JHSS B and Buipe JHSS.
In the coming days, the following schools in the Savelugu District would be provided with exercise books: Bilsitua Ahmadidiya Primary School, Savelugu MA JHSS A, Savelugu JHSS B, Savelugu Experimental Primary School A, Savelugu Experimental Primary School B, Savelugu Experimental JHS.
Eight more schools in the Debre area are also scheduled to receive their share of the exercise books by this weekend.
Other schools in the company’s impacted areas in Bolgatanga in the Upper East, Kumasi in the Ashanti, Accra Plains Depot (APD) in the Greater Accra, Akosombo in the Eastern, and Mami Water in the Volta Regions are all due to receive theirs as the exercise progresses.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com Ghana: WAPCo Resumes Gas Transportation From Its Takoradi Facility
The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has safely and completed the valve replacement works at its Takoradi Regulating and Metering (R&M) Station and has resumed gas transportation to customers in Tema.
WAPCo, on January 12, 2023, shut down the Takoradi facility to allow for the replacement of some critical valves at the facility aimed at securing the safety and integrity of the Takoradi Station.
The replacement exercise was projected to last for 10 days.
However, a statement issued by WAPCo on Friday, 20th January 2023, said the project team worked collaboratively with their contractors and stakeholders to ensure that the shutdown activities were safely and seamlessly executed and completed days ahead of schedule.
“The early completion of the works is an outcome of the review and optimization of the execution strategy by WAPCo’s team and the Contractor.
“WAPCo is grateful to the West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA), Ministry of Energy (MoE), the Ghana Grid Company Ltd (GRIDCo), the Volta River Authority (VRA), the Ghana National
Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), the Electricity
Company of Ghana (ECG) and other key stakeholders for their support to minimise the impact of the shutdown on communities as well as the safe and successful execution of this project,” the company said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: PURC Assumptions On Energy Mix Generation For 2023 Tariff Review Is Baseless-IES
The Institute for Energy Security (IES) has received news of tariff review by the Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURC).
The review captured in the PURC statement released on 16th January, has stated the effects of the Cedi depreciation, Inflation rates, Generation mix and the Weighted Average Cost of Gas (WACOG) as the factors which informed the end-user tariff increment by 29.96% for electricity for all consumer groups.
The IES is concerned in particular about the assumption used in establishing the new electricity tariffs beginning 1st February, 2023.
On the four key variables, the IES believe the rates for Cedi/Dollar exchange rate and inflation rates reflects market conditions.
The IES however considers the assumption used by the PURC on the electricity generation mix of 26.11% hydro and 73.89% thermal as baseless.
That assumption amounts to given priority to thermal power generation over hydro, given that water elevations for Bui and Akosombo generating stations (GS) have improved, and capable of producing close to 38% of power in 2023, in IES’ estimation.
Data from Akosombo and Bui indicate elevations at the beginning of 2023 compared to previous years are in a better position to produce more electricity than the thermals.
Bui’s water elevation is expected to help produce more megawatts to meet increasing electricity demand at particularly peak hours, and extended megawatts to support voltage on the grid and help reduce transmission losses, if dispatched conservatively throughout the year.
The Institute agrees with the expectation that bulk of the capacity generation for 2023 would come from thermal sources if natural gas supply is sustained, and planned plant maintenance schedules is strictly adhered to.
However, with improved water-head levels, hydropower generation is estimated to produce close to 38% of 2023 capacity, should hydro-electric have dispatch priority over thermal in the generation mix.
With a year-start Akosombo water level elevation of 83.10 metres (272.66 feet), it is estimated that total energy production from Akosombo GS could fall between 7,500 and 8,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) for 2023, with the Kpong GS producing roughly 990 GWh of electric energy over the period.
Also, Bui GS’ year-start elevation of 178.99 metres above sea level (masl) is enough to possibly produce an estimated 1,056 GWh of electricity in 2023.
Although the IES has anticipated that the average electricity end-user tariff (GH₵/kWh) covering residential, non-residential and special load tariff electricity consumers would see an increase within the year, the expected increase in tariff was anticipated to be marginal should more of hydro-electric power be produce from the generation mix.
IES therefore calls on the PURC to reconsider the energy mix assumption used in the tariff adjustment (to reflect improved water-head levels) as that has an impact on the Weighted Average Cost of Gas, which has been reviewed to $6.0952/MMBtu from $5.9060MMBtu. This, the IES believe will bring down the 29.96% tariff increase for all electricity consumer groups, thus introducing some relief to the already burdened citizens, in the face of the current economic crisis.
Should the PURC decide to maintain the 26.11% hydro-thermal and 73.89% thermal electricity generation mix for 2023 as the basis for the high tariff increment, that position would amount to promoting inefficiency and deliberately burdening the Ghanaian with high electricity cost.
Source: IES
British Gas Will Stop Remote Switches To Prepayment Meter
British Gas has said it will stop switching people onto prepayment meters via their smart meters when they struggle to pay their bills.
It comes amid growing calls to stop the practice, which critics say puts vulnerable people at risk.
Citizens Advice said forcible switching should be banned, adding it had seen a big rise in clients needing crisis support such as emergency grants.
Ministers are also preparing to write to regulator Ofgem about the issue.
The boss of British Gas, Chris O’Shea, said his company would stop remote switching smart meters onto prepayment mode and add extra vulnerability checks.
Britain’s biggest energy company has also promised £10m of extra support for customers in need, which could include non-repayable credit of up to £250 for those struggling the most to top-up their meter.
“We know that some prepayment customers are self-disconnecting and not coming forward for help, so we have reviewed our policies to do more to target support at this group,” he said.
However, the energy supplier has not ruled out forcibly installing prepayment meters in people’s homes.
People using prepayment meters pay for their gas and electricity by topping up their meter, either through accounts or by adding credit to a card in a convenience store or post office.
This is a more expensive method of paying than by direct debit, but is sometimes the only option for people who have struggled to pay and are in debt to an energy supplier.
However, critics say it leaves vulnerable customers at risk of running out of credit and “self-disconnecting” when they cannot afford to top up.
Last year, an estimated 600,000 people have been switched to prepay, according to Citizens Advice, either by their supplier physically installing a meter in their home, or automatically having their smart meter switched to prepay mode.
In a letter to Ofgem, the Department for Businesses is expected to call for greater scrutiny of whether these switches are justified.
Energy suppliers point out that if customers are allowed to build up unaffordable debts, then this money would eventually be recouped from everyone’s energy bills.
Source: BBC
Ghana: PURC Boss To Appear Before Parliament Over Hikes In Electricity And Water Tariffs
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy in Ghana’s Parliament is set to invite the Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission for questioning on their decision to hike electricity and water tariffs.
According to the chairman of the committee, Samuel Atta Akyea, it has become necessary to invite the PURC for questioning as a result of concerns being raised by the public after 29.96 per cent and 8.3 per cent increments in electricity and water tariffs respectively.
“We, as a committee, think about the generality of the people of Ghana. If the PURC should roll out any programme or decision and there is no clarity, the people will not understand why in the circumstances we find ourselves in, we should have an upward review of utilities.
“They should appear before the Committee and explain that…is that all you can do? Are there no alternatives that you can do, having regard to the kind of economic circumstances we find ourselves in? And then when we interrogate the matter, we, representing our people, will be able to tell a good story.
“At the end of the day, the PURC will come out with a decision based on what they perceive as the best option now but until it is interrogated, we are not sure why they are doing what they are doing now. So, I believe that they appearing before the committee will help tremendously and then we will be able to understand what is going on,” Hon Atta Akyea said in an interview with TV3.
The PURC, on Monday, January 16, announced that electricity and water tariffs have been increased by 29.96 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively.
The new tariffs take effect on February 1, 2023.
A statement issued by the Commission said “…The Commission, therefore, decided to increase the average end-user tariff for electricity by 29.96% across the board for all consumer groups. The average end-user tariff for water has also been increased by 8.3%.
“The combined effect of the Cedi/US Dollar exchange rate, inflation and WACOG is what the utility companies are significantly under-recovering and require an upward adjustment of their tariffs to keep the lights on and water flowing.”
It added, “The PURC is equally mindful of the current difficult economic circumstances but notes that the potential for outages would be catastrophic for Ghana and has to be avoided.
“The PURC, therefore, sought to balance prevention of extended power outages and its deleterious implications on jobs and livelihoods with minimizing the impact of rate increases on consumers.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Zambia Signs Deal With UAE To Develop $2 billion Solar Projects
Zambia’s state-owned power utility, Zesco Limited, has signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates renewable energy company, Masdar, to develop solar projects worth US$2 billion.
The two companies will form a joint venture to facilitate investment in Zambia’s renewable energy.
This was disclosed in a statement by the President of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema on Tuesday.
The project would commence immediately, starting with the phased installation of 500 megawatts (MW).
“Once completed, the projects will result in an additional 2,000 megawatts of electricity in the country, within the next few years,” Hichilema said.
President Hichilema added: “The historical significance of this project is that, in the last 58 years of our independence, the country only developed 3,500 megawatts of electricity. This remarkable investment shall bring in the much-needed 2,000 megawatts within a shorter period.”
The President also highlighted the renewed confidence that investors have in the sound leadership of the country, resulting in more players expressing interest to participate in the country’s planned diversified energy mix, which will include solar, wind and hydropower.
Zambia has been rationing electricity supply following a big drop in water levels in Lake Kariba, threatening hydropower generation which contributes more than 75 per cent of the country’s power output.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria: Yola Disco Invests In Network Infrastructure To Improve Service Delivery
Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC), one of the discos in the Republic of Nigeria, continues to make investments in its operations to improve its network to ensure effective service delivery across its operational areas.
These investments cut across the company’s operations, from human capital development to network upgrades and technology.
Yola’s operations cover four Nigerian states namely Adamawa, Jalingo, Borno and Yobe.
As part of its network improvement, the company recently took delivery of power distribution transformers for Adamawa and Taraba regions to enable them to deliver quality supply to customers.
The company, in a statement, said Standard High Tensions (HT) and Low Tension (LT) poles, cables, aluminum conductors and cross arms have been procured and are being deployed across all four States of their operations.
“We appeal to our customers and other relevant stakeholders to partner with us by paying their accurate bills on time for better service delivery,” the company stated.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The company, in a statement, said Standard High Tensions (HT) and Low Tension (LT) poles, cables, aluminum conductors and cross arms have been procured and are being deployed across all four States of their operations.
“We appeal to our customers and other relevant stakeholders to partner with us by paying their accurate bills on time for better service delivery,” the company stated.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com Ghana: Benjamin Nsiah Writes On Gold For Oil Policy
A petroleum downstream Analyst, Benjamin Nsiah, has shared his opinion on the Gold for Oil Policy by the Akufo-Addo administration.
Media reports earlier this week revealed that the amount of 40,000 metric tons of fuel under the policy was received and delivered into the storage tanks of BOST.
This portal brings our readers to the observation by Mr Benjamin Nsiah on the policy.
Observations On Gold For Oil Deal
- If Government imported 40,000Mt of only diesel which is equivalent of 47,337,200 litres, it will last only 6 days because Ghana consumes about 44,785Mt (53,000,000 litres) per week.
- If government imported 40,000Mt of only petrol which is equivalent of 52,980,000 litres, it will last about 7 days because Ghana consumes about 36,995Mt (49,000,000 litres) per week.
- If government imported 20,000 Mt of diesel and 20,000mt of petrol, both products will last only 4 days.
- Now, BOST as an Oil Trader could decide to sell these products in dollars or cedis to BDCs. But in each scenario products will be sold using the commercial dollar rate quoted by the universal banks as their benchmark for price quotation.
- NOTE: BOST will have to reserve these products and sell at prices that will reflect profitability.
- If BOST decides to sell to BDCs at current indicative prices published by the NPA which is likely to lead to losses, BDCs will still use a forward FOREX rate which is higher than prevailing Universal Bank forex rate, reflective of anticipated risks factors.