IEA Forecasts Moderate Electricity Demand Growth In Africa
Electricity demand in Africa is expected to grow from 2021 onwards by three percent year-on-year as economies recover across the continent, a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted.
GDP is forecast to rebound in 2021, although it will remain below 2019 levels in several countries including South Africa, which accounted for almost 30 percent of electricity demand on the continent in 2020.
Recovery and growth in both the industrial and residential sectors are expected to boost demand.
In South Africa, electricity demand is forecast to remain below 2019 levels to 2022 on account of suppressed demand as certain sectors struggle to operate in the current climate of electricity shortages.
“These shortages are expected to continue until new generation comes online in 2022 at the earliest and more likely in 2023, under the recently concluded Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP),” the IEA said.
Of the other large economies, Egypt, which accounted for 22 percent of Africa’s demand in 2019, was the least affected by Covid-19, with economic growth of 3.6 percent in 2020.
Electricity demand in the North African country fell by about one percent. However, IEA noted that although Egypt’s economy is slightly slowing in 2021, it expects electricity to catch up with 2019 levels and grow by three percent as economic activity increases significantly in 2022.
Electricity demand in Algeria, which accounted for 10 percent of Africa’s demand in 2019, fell in 2020 for the first time since 2009 by three percent.
The decline coincides with a severe contraction of the economy due to the crash in global oil prices.
Given the expected economic recovery and strong growth rates in recent years, “we expected a return to electricity demand growth in 2021 and 2022 by close to seven percent annually on average,” it said.
Morocco’s economy contracted by seven percent in 2020, pushing demand down in 2020 by 1.4 percent year-on-year relative to 2019. Similarly, peak demand fell by 1.5 percent in 2020 relative to 2019.
During the height of lockdown during April 2020, the peak fell by as much as 12 percent relative to the same period in 2019.
“We expect electricity demand in 2021 to slightly exceed 2019 demand due to a strong economic recovery and continue solid growth in 2022 thanks to the industrial, residential and commercial sectors. While North Africa is already close to universal electricity access, at more than 99 percent, as of 2019 only 42 percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa had access to electricity.”
In the coming years, electrification can be a key way to boost growth in the continent’s residential sector, which accounts for almost 30 percent of electricity demand.
This, however, will require generation capacity shortages and electricity affordability to be addressed.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
OPEC Agrees To Boost Oil Output In August On Saudi-UAE Compromise
OPEC and its allies agreed to gradually add more oil supplies to the market, ending a two-week spat between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The unusually public dispute that tested the unity of the cartel was resolved in a classic compromise — with Riyadh meeting Abu Dhabi halfway in its demand for a more generous output limit.
“Consensus building is an art,” Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told reporters after the meeting. The deal is evidence of the strong bonds between members and shows “OPEC+ is here to stay.”
The agreement means the cartel will boost output by 400,000 barrels a day each month from August, continuing until all of its halted output has been revived. The deal will also give the UAE and several other countries higher baselines against which their production cuts are measured, starting in May 2022, according to a statement from the group.
The UAE’s level was increased to 3.5 million barrels day, below the 3.8 million it initially demanded but above the previous baseline of 3.17 million.
Supply Squeeze
The truce between the two long-time allies will ease a looming supply squeeze and reduce the risk of an inflationary oil price spike. It also puts an end to a diplomatic spat that unnerved traders, as the fight between the two long-time allies risked unraveling the broader accord between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies that has underpinned the recovery in crude prices.
The multifaceted agreement means several things for the oil market. It gives consumers a clearer view of how quickly OPEC+ will restore the 5.8 million barrels a day of production it’s still withholding, since making deep cuts last year in the initial stages of the pandemic.
The baseline adjustments won’t alter the pace of the 400,000 barrel-a-day monthly output increases when they take effect next year, Prince Abdulaziz said. The group will continue to meet every month, including a review of the market in December, and could adjust the schedule if required, he said.
“The monthly meetings and the December review tell you that that is all amendable,” said Bill Farren-Price, a director at research firm Enverus. “So oil bulls should read this as positive — OPEC+ supply management continues.”
Internal Tensions
The accord also resolves longstanding grievances that caused tensions within OPEC+ since late 2020. The UAE blocked an agreement earlier this month, arguing that the way its quota was calculated was unfair because it didn’t reflect a costly expansion in the country’s industry.
The spat was particularly bitter, and the tensions go beyond oil diplomacy amid growing economic rivalry between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. Ministers of each country used media interviews to make their case, stirring memories of the 2020 Saudi-Russia price war, and also past threats from the UAE to leave the cartel.
With a successful deal in the bag, both countries emphasized the strength and friendliness of their relationship.
“The UAE is committed to this group and will always work with it,” Energy Minister Suhail Al-Mazrouei told reporters after the meeting. He thanked Saudi Arabia and Russia for keeping OPEC+ together and fostering a constructive dialog that enabled a deal.
Source:Worldoil.com
Trina Solar Opens Distribution Facility In South Africa
Trina Solar Co. Ltd., a world leading PV and smart energy solution provider, has announced that it will launch a distribution facility in South Africa.
This comes as a step that further caters to the company’s overarching expansion strategy to grow ambitiously in the region.
The new facility comes as part of Trina Solar’s commitment to further increase its footprint and presence in Africa to cater to the rapidly growing demand for solar energy in generating power for residential, commercial and industrial needs, in addition to farming and agriculture.
Antonio Jimenez, Managing Director and Vice President for Trina Solar MEA, stated: “With South Africa having the best structured solar market in Sub-Saharan Africa and home to its largest C&I market, we are confident that making our products available locally will enable us to become a provider of preference for our customers. Our new opening will further add to our growing footprint in the African continent, which allows our customer to find the product locally through our network of reseller and distributors.”
“South Africa is a strategic market for solar energy consumption. As we move forward with our growth strategy in the Middle East and Africa, we look forward to becoming a key player in the solar energy market in Africa by focusing on bringing cutting edge technology and innovation to the region with reliable products of the highest quality standards, coupled with unparalleled customer-centric service”, added Jimenez.
South Africa has shown great progress in the development of its solar energy markets recently. On one side, the ongoing tenders of the South African Department of Mineral Resources and for Renewable Energy Independent Power Product Programs will need several GW of solar panels. On the other side, the new announcement that solar power plants below 100MW do no need Generation License is deemed to create a surge in demand.
Trina Solar currently has over 66GW of module shipments worldwide with more than 5GW of accumulative grid connections and is also proudly responsible for setting 20 world records for silicon cell efficiency and solar module power output since 2011.
Trina Solar has also recently won “Top Performer” for outstanding product reliability and performance among global PV module manufacturers, its seventh in a row since the PVEL test was established. Its global orders for 210 modules have exceeded 12GW till this April, demonstrating the unstoppable trend of 600W+ in the future.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria: IBEDC Commits To Uninterrupted Electricity Supply As Muslims Celebrate Eid- Adha
As Nigerians prepare to join Muslims across the globe to celebrate Eid-dhul Adha, Tuesday, the management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Plc has assured customers that there would be uninterrupted supply of electricity during the holiday as much as it is within its control.
The power distributor wished all Muslims around the world and its esteemed customers a peaceful and joyful Eid el-Kabir.
This was contained in a goodwill message signed by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company, Engr. John Ayodele, ahead of the celebration of Eid el- Kabir.
The COO, while reflecting on some of the key lessons of Kabir which are compassion, unity and sacrificial giving, enjoins all to demonstrate these virtues in everyday life.
He urged all Nigerians to, during this holiday season and beyond, imbibe the culture of celebrating cautiously and safely, as this would help reduce any breach of safety protocols that can endanger lives.
“I plead with our customers and all Nigerians to observe and adhere to all the COVID-19 safety protocols of hand washing use of face masks and physical distancing as recommended by Nigerian Centre For Disease Control (NCDC),” he advised.
He said it is also important that other safety precautions such as proper supervision of children to prevent electrical accidents, not cooking or trading under high-tension wires and not engaging quacks to fix faults are strictly observed.
Engr. Ayodele said IBEDC is committed to ensuring that its customers enjoy uninterrupted service during the holiday as much as it is within their control.
He also urged customers to take advantage of their Hassle-free payment platforms- Fetswallet, Quick teller, etransact, Payarena, Jumia and USSD to pay their electricity bills promptly and vend to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
“Our offices are also open during the holidays from 9am- 3pm daily to attend to customers for enquiries, complaints, bill payments/ vending. Customers can also reach us via our customer care line 07001239999 or social media handle – @ibedc.ng.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: I Will Make National Petroleum Authority Financially Viable-CEO
The newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has said that one of his major priorities will be to ensure that the Authority is financially viable.
According to him, the downstream sector is an important component of Ghana’s economic success, but noted that if the right things are not done to ensure efficiency and robustness, the industry may struggle to contribute the expected revenue targets for national development.
Speaking at the opening of a management retreat in Ada, last week, Dr Mustapha Hamid, who expressed concerns about the manner which the banking sector suffered due to wholesale granting of licences, leading to a cleanup by the government, said the same approach will not be adopted to ensure the industry is sound and safe.
According to him, the licences for the establishment of petroleum retail outlets should be given to those that are willing and prepared to do business, contribute the right amount of taxes into state coffers and ensure the nation benefits significantly.
“My vision is to make NPA efficient and viable,” he told participants at the retreat.
He added that third party activities in the industry should not be encouraged, because it undermines the integrity of the sector and the operations of those doing the right things.
Dr Abdul-Hamid also affirmed his commitment to improving efficiency of the NPA’s operations, improving staff morale as well as building the capacity of staff to deliver on his mandate.
According to him, a united front and team work among staff would ensure the objectives are achieved.
Dr Abdul-Hamid also said the authority, under his leadership, would deliver first class service to stakeholders in the petroleum downstream sector.
The retreat is part of the authority’s way to review its mid-year performance and expedite planned strategies to meet its target for the year.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Electricity Demand Rebound Will Require More Fossil Fuel Generation -IEA
Global electricity demand is growing faster than renewable energy capacity can be rolled out and will require more power to be generated from the burning of fossil fuels, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report on Thursday.
After falling by about 1% in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic curbed industrial activity across the world, power consumption is set to grow by close to 5% in 2021 and by 4% in 2022 as economies recover, the IEA said in the mid-2021 edition of its Electricity Market Report.
Nearly half of the increase will have to be met by burning fossil fuels, notably coal, which could push carbon dioxide emissions from the sector to record highs in 2022, the agency said, adding it expects particularly strong demand in the Asia Pacific region, primarily China and India.
Renewables are expanding quickly as the global community addresses the need to reduce carbon pollution, but the IEA’s report shows the process will have to accelerate if cleaner energy is to keep up with overall demand.
Renewable capacity, including hydropower, wind and solar photovoltaics, is on track for 8% growth in 2021 and more than 6% in 2022, while virtually emissions-free nuclear will increase by 1% and 2% respectively.
“Even with this strong growth, renewables will only be able to meet around half the projected increase in global electricity demand over those two years,” the IEA said.
“To shift to a sustainable trajectory, we need to massively step up investment in clean energy technologies – especially renewables and energy efficiency,” it said.
CO2 emissions from burning coal and gas were likely to increase by 3.5% in 2021 and by 2.5% in 2022, it predicted.
Turning to wholesale power prices, the IEA noted a rise of 54% in first half 2021 in advanced economies, compared with the same period in 2020.
Gasoline Demand May Never Fully Recover-IEAFull year average prices last year declined by a quarter from 2019. The IEA also noted that extreme cold, heat and drought have caused disruptions to electricity supply this year, notably the Texas power crisis in February. Source: Reuters
Ghana Drafts Framework To Regulate Electric Vehicles Industry
Ghana is in the process of drafting policy framework that would regulate the emerging electric vehicle industry in the West African nation.
The country’s electricity regulator, Energy Commission, is working on the technical regulations, while the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, which is responsible for tariff setting, is expected to come up with effective tariff to be paid for charging electric vehicles.
The country’s Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh told The Finder newspaper: “The draft, when completed, would be scrutinised after which it would submitted to Cabinet for approval.”
The use of electric vehicles, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh said would offer enormous benefits for Ghanaians not only in terms of health, economic and social circumstances but more importantly environmentally, as the clean energy agenda drastically reduces carbon emissions, thereby clearing the way for significant climate progress.
Dr Opoku Prempeh was optimistic that the emerging electric vehicles would create job avenues for the teeming youth.
In 2019, Ghana’s electricity regulator, Energy Commission, launched the ‘Drive Electric Initiative’ as part of effort to promote the use of electric powered vehicles for the transportation needs of Ghanaians.
The move was in response to global push for electric vehicles as part of energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources to address climate change.
To this end, Ghana’s Southern electricity distribution company, ECG, in November 2020, collaborated with POBAD International, a wholly-owned Ghanaian technology firm, launched the EV charging system with a test run of an EV to officially add Ghana to the register of countries that are introducing the new technology in their transportation industry.
Managing Director of ECG, Kwame Agyeman-Budu, said his outfit had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with POBAD International Ltd to pilot the operations of EV charging system in strategic locations in Accra over the next three months.
Mr.Agyeman-Budu, whose speech was read for him by his Deputy, Ing. Jones Ofori Addo said the pilot would afford ECG the opportunity to carry out a thorough engineering and commercial studies into the effects of the EV charging system on EC’s electricity distribution networks, the energy consumptions rate of the different charging systems and any other issues.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Lift Ban On Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) For Renewable Energy Boom In Ghana
By:Emmanuel Kpogo,
Lifting the ban on renewable energy Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) would be a major hurdle removed, to allow for the explosion of renewable energy projects and initiatives in Ghana, for purposes of de-carbonization, cost-efficient energy supply, and for economic recovery and growth post Covid-19.
It would be recalled that government suspended the issuance of new licenses for Wholesale Electricity supply and Permits for Utility Scale Grid connected solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power plants in 2017. The Energy Commission (EC) provided two main reasons for the decision at the time.
The first was that, the EC had issued about 124 Provisional Wholesale Electricity Supply Licenses for Utility Scale Grid-connected Renewable Energy (RE) projects since the coming into force of the Renewable Energy Act, 2011 (Act 832), out of which only three (3) have been developed, representing approximately a low 2.5 percent development rate. Unfortunately, the notice from EC failed to provide further details on the over 97 percent licensed projects that have not been developed, operationalize or which phase of development any of these projects were.
The second reason for the suspension of issuance of new PPAs had to do with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) having signed numerous PPAs, in excess of 2,000MW. According to various reports by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Ghana pays over US$500 million a year for unused electricity. Government laments the tariffs agreed under the PPAs (mostly thermal) were not competitive and have contributed significantly to the build-up of debt in the energy sector, and over-supply of power.
Based on these two reasons, ECG was directed by the Ministry of Energy (MoE) to suspend the signing of new PPAs for renewable and conventional/thermal power plants since the beginning of 2017.
The Concerns
The reasons as put forward by government to suspend the issuance of additional power purchase agreements (PPAs) raises many concerns. A mere suspension of issuance of new licenses cannot be said to be a sustainable solution, as it will not force the existing licensed companies to develop and operationalize their projects. A comprehensive review of licenses and projects on case-by-case basis is commendable, for purposes of recalling redundant licenses and issuing new licenses to companies with resources and capacity to develop projects within the shortest possible period.
A recent report by Ackah et al. (2021) on the Ghana’s PPAs identified 32 of such agreements in force, for the provision of electricity generation. Out of these 32, the number of known PPAs operating or near-operational projects is 14 with a total installed power generation capacity of 2,825 megawatts (MW). Of these, two (2) are solar, three (3) are Emergency Power Producers (EPPs) and the remaining nine (9) are gas or gas/hybrid Independent Power Projects (IPPs). The remaining 18 PPAs with a further installed capacity of 4,107 MW have been signed but are not yet under construction. Of these, eleven (11) are solar, five (5) gas, one (1) biomass, and one (1) sea wave power, according to the report.
The idea that Ghana pays over US$500 million a year for unused electricity, rather makes a strong case for the ban to be lifted for renewable energy power agreements since renewables currently provides comparatively cheaper tariffs with technologies which promises to make renewable energy even cheaper going forward. The last decade has seen efficient renewable energy technologies consistently reducing the cost of renewable power. Investment into renewables in the last decade has also increased exponentially in response to the Paris Climate Accord and the United Nation (UN) sustainable development goals. The “green” revolution is on, with major economies and energy companies taking actions to embrace and take advantage of renewables.
Why Lifting Of Ban Is Crucial
“Green energy” as it has come to be called is presently enjoying unparalleled political and business momentum around the globe, with the number of policies and projects around the world expanding rapidly. As a result, Ghana must as a matter of urgency remove all hurdles, and position itself to explore fully the country’s untapped potential in renewable energy.
Five (5) key factors makes sense for the lifting of ban on renewable energy PPAs:
1. The need to diversify from fossil fuels as part of the global shift, to provide cost-effective and sustainable energy supply for millions of Ghanaian population. The lifting of the ban is a panacea to the daunting electricity supply challenges the country have had to grapple with over the past few years.
2. To meet the extended deadline of 2030 for the 10 percent share goal of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix. Whereas the global average for renewables in the energy mix stands roughly at 12 percent, Ghana is far lagging behind, with a little over 1 percent share in the current power mix. It must be noted that the initial deadline for achieving the 10 percent share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix was 2020.
3. To meet Government’s policy of achieving 100 percent electricity coverage by 2025 by filling the deficit gap via mini-grid powered by renewable energy such as solar, wind and waste-to-energy. Aboagye et al. (2021) posits that, if government can ensure access to modern energy access for all in affordable, reliable and sustainable manner by 2030 as enshrined in the seventh Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), it is imperative to give much impetus to renewable energy generation and applications for socio-economic development in Ghana.
4. The need for a guaranteed uninterrupted power supply for industries, in the in view of government’s “One District, One Factory policy”, and the African Continental Free Trade Area that is forecasted to boost industrialization, exports, and gross domestic product (GDP) of local economies. According to Konfidant, a research and advisory firm, one of the five key competitive areas that Ghana falls short of, compared to selected African countries is the cost of power― a key determinant for a country’s ability to attract manufacturing companies, and produce at a relatively cheaper rate.
5. The global trend towards “Green” economy to address climate change concerns, and the need to prepare adequately for renewable energy investment boom in the country, makes another strong case for lifting of the ban. The Ghana “Renewable Energy Master Plan” can be fully operationalized only if the ban on renewable energy PPAs are lifted to drive the green revolution.
Why Renewables?
The deployment of renewable energy is linked to fighting climate change, creating sustainable “green” jobs, while serving as a catalyst for the needed infrastructure development and economic growth.
Additionally, renewable energy is offering very competitive prices for electricity, particularly solar and wind. Compared to the country’s thermal power plants that emits carbon dioxide and offers on average a cost of 11 cents per Kilowatt-hour, both wind and solar power can offer something below 7 cent per Kilowatt-hour. This presents a huge relief and opportunities for industries and commercial entities that are struggling to cope with high electricity cost in the country.
The excess low-priced green electricity offered to consumers can also be used to produce fuel in the form of “Green” Hydrogen, through electrolysis where a strong electrical current is passed through water to splits the molecule into its two constituent elements― oxygen and hydrogen. Hydrogen is definitely the fuel of the future, and gradually seeking to replace a significant size of current fossil fuels needs.
Government of Ghana is therefore presented with a huge opportunity in stimulating capital spending on new infrastructure, which establishes Hydrogen as one of the new energy sectors, that is expected to play a vital role in the ecological transition, and positioned to play a significant role in meeting present and future transportation and industrial needs.
Based on these and many other benefits, it is imperative that government lifts the ban on PPAs for renewables. It is noteworthy that, whenever renewable energy is talk about, it is done within the contest of climate change, costs, and sustainable energy supply based on the right energy mix. The push for a national discourse on Ghana’s energy mix must continue unabated, taking into consideration the country’s resources in wind, solar, water and fossil fuels.
Beyond lifting the ban on renewable Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to help deepen the deployment of renewables in the country, it is recommended that government;
1. Establishes a Renewable Energy Authority to promote and develop the renewable energy sub-sector. It is to facilitate the formulation of policies and regulations, while creating the enabling environment to attract investors from the private sector, among others.
2. Develops a Hydrogen policy, indicating key strategies and relevant Road Maps for the development of the “energy carrier” in the country. A strong policy signal will trigger huge investment and business activities relating to hydrogen in the country. The right policy would cause a Hydrogen economy to emerge through the private sector, and free government from spending on the needed infrastructure.
It must be reiterated that the wholesale ban of PPAs that is well into its fifth year is not doing the country any good. It is important to note that, prolonging the ban without review of the licenses and projects could deter investors and stifle growth in the energy space.
A proactive and impactful approach to the issues would be to review all licenses issued to determine redundant licenses that cannot be operationalized under the current circumstances. A more transparent and competitive process must be used to issue new licenses, for development and operationalization of renewable energy projects.
Written by Emmanuel Kpogo, Institute for Energy Security ©2021
Emmanuel is an IES Professional Member working in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry, with research interest in sustainable energy supply. He is a Chartered Supply Chain, Procurement and Logistics professional, specialized in Contract Management, Oil and Gas Operations, Strategy and Business Process improvement.
Nigeria: There Is No Plan To Privatise TCN-Malo
Nigeria will not privatise the country’s transmission company, TCN, a Director at the Energy Department of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Yunana Malo has said.
Speaking at a media briefing last Monday in Abuja, Mr Malo explained that what is rather going to happen is that the bureau would put TCN on concession in order to get maximum value.
He said the transmission was the weak link in the power reform, as the generation, which was privatised, had since attracted a lot of investments, making it more efficient.
He said the generation capacity had improved, adding that 60 percent of the distribution segment had also been partially privatised and was beginning to pick up through the reforms of the Federal Government.
“The seemingly weak link in the transmission component, it is still 100 percent owned by the FG.
“The idea is to think outside the box and bring in solutions that will make the transmission component service the value chain, and make it more efficient.
Ghana: PURC To Compensate Electricity Consumers After Investigating Erratic Power Supply“Government is not thinking of privatising; it is thinking of ways and means that the private capital can be brought into the transmission component without giving out the ownership of Transmission Company,” Vanguard quoted Mr Malo as saying during the press briefing. Mr. Malo explained that the bureau would concession the transmission segment, “so that we can have somebody building the high tension lines, covering areas that have not been reached or to maintain the existing ones to get maximum value, to move from the radial system we have today into a mesh. “So the idea is not to privatise but to reform and make it efficient, bringing in private sector operational modalities within the transmission company.” Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Chile Government Plans Closure Of Four Coal-Fired Power Plants
Chile’s government has announced plans to close four coal-fired power plants operated by an AES Corp unit before 2025 as the South American country seeks to accelerate decarbonization.
The world’s largest copper producer has been working on decarbonizing its energy network with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Juan Carlos Jobet, the energy minister, said since agreements signed in 2019 when Chile was the host of the COP25 United Nations climate summit, officials had sought ways to speed up the timeframe.
“At that point, the plan was for the decommissioning of eight power plants by 2025,” he said in a statement.
“As it is now, by that date we will have decomissioned 18, representing 65% of Chile’s coal-fired units.”
The latest closure announcements involve coal-fired plants in the seaside community of Puchuncavi in Chile’s central zone and 80% of coal-fired energy generation in Mejillones, a city in the North, by 2025. The previous closure target was 2040.
Ghana: Nuclear Power Plant Is Needed For Reliable Electricity-Energynewsafrica.com Managing EditorThe two places are part of heavily industrialized areas known as “sacrifice zones.” These were part of an economic development drive and have suffered environmental damage and health effects. The plants to be closed are all run by U.S.-headquartered energy giant AES ‘ local subsidiary, AES Andes. To replace coal-fired power, Chile is looking to clean technology, mainly solar and wind power, aiming for 40% of its power supplied from such sources by 2030. It is also seeking to become one of the world’s biggest producers of green hydrogen, an alternative fuel source for future use in industries including steel-making, cement, fertilisers, shipping and aviation.
Africa Cannot Depend On Solar And Wind Energy To Industrialise-Wisdom Togobo
A former Director for Renewable and Alternative Energies at Ghana’s Ministry of Energy, Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo says Africa’s industrialisation drive would only be realised if the continent’s electricity generation is anchored on hydro, nuclear, natural gas or coal power as cheap baseload.
According to him, industries need regular and reliable supply of electricity for continuous production, stressing wind and solar power plants do not provide 24 hours of electricity as compared to hydro, natural gas or nuclear power.
He suggested that what Africa can do is either use hydro or nuclear power as baseload for her electricity and introduce other renewable energy sources such as wind and solar along the way.
He said it would not be prudent to push for renewable energy sources without having any baseload.
“Industries need reliable power to be able to produce. Solar is not available for 24 hours. You get it for, at most, eight hours. Wind also fluctuates. Sometimes, the wind will blow some hours and will not blow and industries can’t survive with these intermittencies. That is why you need a bigger baseload to support this intermittencies,” he explained.
“Africa cannot industrialise on the backbone of solar and wind without any baseload,” he added.
Making a presentation on behalf of Bui Power Authority (BPA) at a stakeholders’ forum organised by Association of Ghana Industries, in collaboration with Nuclear Power Ghana recently on Ghana’s nuclear efforts, Mr. Ahiataku-Togobo, who is currently Director at the Executive office of Bui Power Authority, observed that most African countries use diesel, light crude and heavy oil as fuel for electricity generating plant with only few of them using natural gas to power their plants.
He said South Africa is the only industrialised country in sub-Saharan Africa due to the availability of cheap coal and nuclear power.
He noted that Malaysia is industrialising at a fast rate due to availability of coal and NLG power.
“Ghana is endowed with abundant natural resources including gold, bauxite, iron ore, cocoa among others that require cheap reliable power to add value,” said Mr. Togobo.
He lamented that even though Ghana currently has excess generation capacity, Valco is unable to pay for the high cost of this excess power.
Mr. Ahiataku-Togobo explained that BPA was in support of Ghana’s nuclear power agenda because the “activity is in line with the BPA’s Amendment Act 1046 to support the development of renewable and clean energy alternative including nuclear power.”
He added that nuclear power emits no carbon dioxide yet has the potential to provide reliable baseload and adequate reserve margin for supporting the uptake of more variable renewable energies such as wind and solar.
He further stated that operational cost of nuclear power is very low and, therefore, most suitable to support industrialisation and value addition as experienced by all the countries with Nuclear power plants.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Cairn Energy Secures French Court Order To Seize 20 Indian Gov’t Properties
Britain’s Cairn Energy Plc has secured a French court order to seize about 20 Indian government properties in France to recover a part of USD 1.7 billion arbitration award, sources said on Thursday.
On June 11, the French court had ordered Cairn Energy’s take-over of Indian government properties, mostly comprising flat; and the legal process got completed on last Wednesday evening.
An arbitration panel had in December ordered the Indian government to return USD 1.2 billion plus interest and penalty to Cairn Energy after reversing a retrospective tax demand.
Ghana: Petroleum Downstream Sector Needs Cleaning Up-AkwaboahWith Indian gov’t not honouring the award, Cairn Energy has moved in multiple jurisdictions overseas to recover the amount due by seizing Indian government assets.
Brazil Plans To Be 5th-Largest Crude Exporter By 2030
Brazil’s expected oil output surge this decade will make it the world’s fifth-largest crude exporter in 2030, Brazilian Mines and Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque said in an interview with The Rio Times.
“In 2030, when we reach a production of 5.3 million barrels of oil per day, Brazil will become the fifth largest exporter in the world,” Albuquerque said, adding that Brazil’s crude and liquids production is set to jump from 3.3 million barrels per day (bpd) now.
Currently, Brazil is out of the top ten of the world’s largest crude oil exporters, a ranking where Saudi Arabia is firmly in the lead.
Brazil’s prolific pre-salt offshore oilfields have been ramping up production in recent years and are the main driver of rising oil production.
Moreover, Brazil is one of the countries not part of the OPEC+ alliance that are expected to continue to contribute to non-OPEC supply this year and in the coming years, according to estimates from OPEC itself.
The main drivers for 2021 supply growth are anticipated to be Canada, Brazil, China, and Norway, OPEC said in its latest Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) in June.
Brazil’s crude oil production in April 2021 rose by 128,000 bpd from March to average 2.97 million bpd. Based on preliminary production data, and fewer outages due to lower maintenance and other unplanned outages, May crude production indicates further month over month growth of more than 50,000 bpd, OPEC has estimated.
In 2020, Brazilian crude oil production rose by 5.7 percent to average 2.9 million bpd, according to data from industry regulator ANP published last month.
The pre-salt basin with 2 million bpd output led the rise in supply.
Thanks to the higher crude oil production, Brazil’s exports hit a record level of 1.4 million bpd in 2020, up by 16.9 percent year over year, ANP said.
Source: Oilprice.com
Ghana: Energy Minister Donates Chairs To Schools In South Manhyia Constituency
The Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has donated assorted chairs to basic schools and one Senior High School (SHS) in the South Manhyia constituency in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of the Republic of Ghana.
The Energy Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for the area, presented 52 hexagonal tables for kindergarten (KG), 300 chairs for another kindergarten (KG), 510 mono desks for Junior Higher School (JHS), 300 dual desks for primary schools and 400 foreign desks to the Serwaa Nyarko Girls’ SHS.
In a Facebook post sighted by energynewsafrica.com, Dr. Opoku Prempeh said: “This presentation came on the back of requests from the schools through the Metro Director of Ghana Education Service(GES).”
The Minister urged the heads of the beneficiary schools to ensure proper care of the items to promote effective teaching and learning.
He also used the opportunity to encourage all the schools in his constituency not to relent on their efforts but continue to be the best in the region and strive to be the best nationwide.
The presentation was witnessed by Mr David Oppong, GES Metro Director, Mr Martin Addis Fordjour, Head of Supervision GES, Kumasi, Mr Albert Asante Twum, Mr Peter Gyemfi, Head of Supply and Logistics, Nana Yeboah Asiamah- PRO, GES, Kumasi Metro, and all the heads of basic schools in the constituency.
The Assembly Members from the six electoral areas in the South Manhyia constituency, officials from the Manhyia sub-metro, and executives of the ruling New Patriotic Party in the constituency were also present.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
He also used the opportunity to encourage all the schools in his constituency not to relent on their efforts but continue to be the best in the region and strive to be the best nationwide.
The presentation was witnessed by Mr David Oppong, GES Metro Director, Mr Martin Addis Fordjour, Head of Supervision GES, Kumasi, Mr Albert Asante Twum, Mr Peter Gyemfi, Head of Supply and Logistics, Nana Yeboah Asiamah- PRO, GES, Kumasi Metro, and all the heads of basic schools in the constituency.
The Assembly Members from the six electoral areas in the South Manhyia constituency, officials from the Manhyia sub-metro, and executives of the ruling New Patriotic Party in the constituency were also present.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com