The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the OPEC Fund for International Development, the African Development Bank (AfDB) the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Arab Bank have signed a US$ 114 million financing package with ACWA Power for the construction of the largest private solar plant in Egypt.
The development of the Kom Ombo solar plant will add 200 MW of energy capacity, increasing the share of renewable energy in Egypt’s energy mix and further promoting private-sector participation in the Egyptian power sector.
The package comprises loans of up to US$ 36 million from the EBRD, US$ 18 million from the OPEC Fund, US$ 17.8 million from the AfDB, US$ 23.8 million from the GCF and US$ 18 million from Arab Bank. This is in addition to equity bridge loans of up to US$ 14 million from EBRD and US$ 33.5 million from Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP).
The new Kom Ombo plant will be located less than 20 km from Africa’s biggest solar park, the 1.8 GW Benban complex. Once operational, the new utility-scale plant will serve 130,000 households.
ACWA Power, a Saudi Arabian developer, investor and operator of power generation and desalinated-water plants, submitted the lowest tariff in what was the first solar photovoltaic (PV) tender in Egypt. The provision of solar energy through a public tendering process aims to achieve a competitive tariff and promote the growth of solar energy as an affordable alternative to conventional energy sources.
Private-sector participation in the Kom Ombo project is the result of successful policy dialogue with the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy and the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), as well as a US$ 3.6 million technical assistance programme, co-funded by the EBRD and the GCF, to support the EETC in administering competitive renewable energy tenders. In addition, the project has also benefitted from broader energy-sector reforms supported by the AfDB in recent years to scale up the involvement of the private sector.
EBRD President Odile Renaud Basso said: “We are very happy to team up again with ACWA Power in Egypt, after our successful partnership in Benban, to promote renewable energy in Egypt. Increasing the production of clean energy is an important step to reducing carbon emissions and addressing climate change. This is in line with the EBRD’s strategy to become a majority green bank by 2025. This project also marks the EBRD’s first co-financing project with the AfDB and the OPEC Fund in Egypt and we look forward to future joint investment opportunities for our institutions across Africa.”
OPEC Fund Director-General Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said: “We are pleased to contribute to Egypt’s efforts and strategy to expand its generation capacity in the renewable energy space. We have been at the forefront of advocating for access to affordable clean energy for many years. Kom Ombo will be our third project with ACWA Power and it exemplifies great cooperation between government, development finance and private-sector actors.”
The African Development Bank’s Vice President in charge of Power, Energy, Climate Change and Green Growth Kevin Kariuki said: “The Kom Ombo solar project is a truly remarkable transaction. It not only clearly demonstrates the indisputable competitiveness of solar PV vis-à-vis conventional sources of generation, but it also directly contributes towards the realization of Egypt’s ambitious renewable energy targets, in addition to being an excellent example of what stakeholders driven by a shared objective can achieve”.
Paddy Padmanathan, President and Chief Executive Officer of ACWA Power, said: “ACWA Power is privileged and proud to lead the realisation of the Kom Ombo PV project. The financing package signed today brings us closer to not only the people and the government of Egypt, but also to our finance partners, the EBRD, AfDB, the OPEC Fund, the GCF and Arab Bank and APICORP, reflecting our shared objective of supporting the energy transition to address the threat of climate change. Kom Ombo PV is the fourth project in ACWA Power’s Egyptian portfolio and the conclusion of this financing demonstrates the confidence in the Egyptian government’s ambitious renewable energy plans, being implemented through private-sector participation.”
Yannick Glemarec, Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund, said: “The GCF is proud to support implementation of Egypt’s ambitious renewable energy financing framework. US$ 154.7 million in GCF resources, including US$ 23.8 million for the Kom Ombo plant, catalyses over US$ 850 million in co-financing and unleashes the first wave of private renewable energy projects in Egypt. The GCF looks forward to continuing to support the government of Egypt in delivering on its ambitious climate targets through innovative partnerships with the private sector.”
Nemeh Sabbagh, CEO of Arab Bank, said: “We are proud to capitalize on our long experience in this sector and partner again with EBRD to provide debt financing and related banking services to another renewable energy project in Egypt for our client ACWA Power. Green financing is one of our strategic focus areas and Egypt is a core market for Arab Bank Group, where we have been operating since 1944”.
The Kom Ombo plant will contribute to the Egyptian government’s target to generate 42 per cent of the country’s electricity from renewable energy sources by 2035 while delivering one of the lowest generation tariffs on the continent.
Norwegian oil and gas company, Aker BP, has booked a profit and saw higher income in the first quarter of the year due to higher realised prices and an increase in sold volume compared to the previous quarter.
Aker BP had a total income in the first quarter of 2021 of $1,133 million, a rise when compared
to the fourth quarter of 2020 when the company had a total income of $834 million.
This was driven by higher realised prices and an increase in sold volume compared to the previous quarter.
Sold volume was 223.2 mboepd in the quarter, also above 4Q 2020 which had 213.8 mboepd. Realised prices increased by 36 per cent for liquids and 21 per cent for natural gas.
According to Aker BP’s financial report, production costs related to oil and gas sold in the quarter amounted to $176 million, another rise when compared to the $142 million from the previous quarter. The increase was mainly driven by higher lifted volume.
Exploration expenses were higher by almost $30 million than in the previous quarter and stood at $71 million. This included field evaluation costs of $41 million related to concept studies for NOAKA and other future development projects.
Depreciation was almost $30 million lower than in 4Q 2020 and amounted to $258 million, with the reduction driven by increased reserves and decreased estimates for future abandonment cost on some fields.
“The main reasons for the net impairment charge are the effect of updated cost and production profiles offset by the increase in short-term oil and gas prices”, Aker BP said.
Other operating expenses amounted to $8 million – more than three times less than in the final quarter of 2020.
Operating profit increased considerably in the first quarter of the year. The $591 million for 1Q 2021 was quite an increase when compared with the $278 million from the quarter before.
Profit before taxes amounted to $501 million, larger than the $236 million from 4Q 2020 while net profit for the first quarter of 2021 was $127 million, only $2 million less than in the quarter before.
At the AGM in April 2021, the Aker BP board was authorised to approve the distribution of dividends. Namely, the company disbursed dividends in February of $112.5 million.
On 27 April 2021, the board resolved to pay a quarterly dividend of $112.5 million on or about 11 May 2021. Aker BP’s goal is to pay total dividends in 2021 of $450 million.
A former Managing Director of Enclave Power Ghana, one of the Independent Power Producers in the Republic of Ghana, says it was about time that power utilities stopped engaging in “unnecessary use of jargons” to communicate to Ghanaians problems confronting the power sector which has resulted in widespread outages.
According to him, the use of technical language or jargons by power utilities, sometimes, make Ghanaians to think that they are lying to them.
“I keep telling my friends what has the ordinary Ghanaian got to do with technical problem? The ordinary Ghanaian is interested in electricity so if there is a problem that has to do with reactive power, system stability, inadequate transmission capacity, don’t go and worry them with these jarjons. Don’t go on air and tell them that we don’t have enough capacity… its unnecessary,” he said.
The West African nation has been experiencing intermittent power supply since the beginning of 2021.
The power transmission company, GRIDCo and the country’s Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, have blamed the situation on technical issues including upgrading of GRIDCo’s transmission lines.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with energynewsafrica.com, Ing Norbert Anku, who is a former staff of GRIDCo and VRA, advised the power utilities to try as much as possible to be frank and simple anytime they are communicating with the public.
“I think that if there is a problem with the network, we should just tell Ghanaians that there is a problem and we’re fixing it so give us few days or weeks,” he said.
Ing Norbert Anku also rebuked Ghanaians for always making mockery of power outages instead of demanding efficiency from power utilities.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Minority Parliamentarians in the Republic of Ghana are on the heels of the Akufo-Addo-led government for allegedly mismanaging the West African nation’s power sector, resulting in the current outages being experienced in most parts of the country.
The West African nation has been facing challenges with its transmission system, resulting in intermittent power supply.
John Abdulai Jinapor
The country’s Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has blamed the situation on technical challenges and on many occasions urged Ghanaians to exercise patience as steps are being taken to address them.
At a press conference addressed by the Ranking Member on Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament and former Deputy Minister for Power, John Jinapor, the Minority chided the government for its inconsistent communications on the current power challenges which have led to intermittent power cuts in parts of the country.
“It should be noted that since the beginning of the year, GRIDCo alone has given six different reasons for the major national outages aside the intermittent localised blackouts, with the most ridiculous reason being attributed to trees falling on high tension transmission lines,” Mr Jinapor observed.
“Today, not only are we witnessing unreliable supply of power but the obnoxious double track system has been exported to the power sector under this government,” the MP added.
In view of those observations, he urged the government to come clean on the real cause of the power challenges.
“It is obvious there is something more serious happening within Ghana’s energy sector beyond the unconvincing excuses and blame game by managers of the sector,” Mr Jinapor said.
Excerpts of the Minority’s press statement
The minority in Parliament taking cognisance of the current erratic and unreliable power supply coupled with the lack of sincerity on the part of Government officials and handlers of the power sector, the Minority in furtherance to our commitment towards ensuring reliable and uninterrupted supply of power proposes the following 10 point recommendations for implementation;
1. The Energy sector players must be proactive and inform (Publish a schedule) electricity consumers who will be affected by these outages in advance so that affected customers can take remedial steps to mitigate the effect of such outages.
2. Government must cut down on wasteful expenditure and Inject the much needed capital into the power sector especially GRIDCo to make up for the impaired cash flow of these utilities.
3. Government must desist from political interference in the management of the Energy sector. Consequently, Government must refrain from engaging in political appointments especially within middle management levels when vacancies are declared.
4. Government and its communicators must desist from engaging in the propaganda on excess capacity and come out with a formula for absorbing capacity charges as part of operating cost.
5. Power sector managers must ensure that they pursue Long term planning to ensure fuel security for generating assets at the least cost possible.
6. Government must allow Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to take the responsibility for their fuel supply requirements.
7. Immediate steps must be taken to aggressively address ECG’s spiralling technical and commercial losses currently estimated by its worker unions at 34%
8. The Ministry of Energy must conduct a comprehensive reconciliation of the total indebtedness of all players including government and its SOEs including (GNPC, GNGC, VRA, GRIDCo, CENIT, ECG, NEDCo) in a transparent manner.
9.The Ministry of finance must take steps to utilize the $1 billion sovereign bond borrowed in 2020 to address the financial challenges of the Energy sector.
10. Government must ensure that Energy sector SOEs Publish details of their financial statements including details and ageing of their indebtedness as well as debts owed to them on time.
Finally, Government must come clean on the current power crisis as a matter of urgency and desist from engaging in blame games. Shifting blame and providing conflicting information only goes to exacerbate the crisis which is threatening lives and businesses across the country.
The Petroleum Authority of Uganda will launch in December the first key tenders for the long-awaited oil resources development project in the East African country, which cleared a major hurdle earlier this month after France’s supermajor signed the agreements to develop the project.
The first phase of the key tenders will include tendering work for the construction of a refinery and an oil pipeline to carry the crude from landlocked Uganda to a port in Tanzania for export.
The tenders will also include such for the completion of the oil road network in the region of Lake Albert, where the crude resources have been discovered, Peninah Aheebwa, director technical support services at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, said, as carried by Daily Monitor.
Earlier this month, Total, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), and the presidents of Uganda and Tanzania signed the final agreements required to launch the Lake Albert development project.
The development includes the Tilenga and Kingfisher upstream oil projects in Uganda and the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in Uganda and Tanzania.
The Tilenga project, operated by Total, and the Kingfisher project, operated by CNOOC, are expected to deliver a combined production of 230,000 barrels per day (bpd) at plateau, Total said.
The production will be transported from the oilfields in Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania via the EACOP cross-border pipeline, in which Total and CNOOC will also be shareholders.
Although the final agreement was a major step forward, the companies need to clear additional hurdles in terms of project financing.
The pipeline project has also drawn criticism from environmental groups. The #StopEACOP Alliance and other environmental organizations call on financial institutions to refuse to fund the project.
“The oil companies are trying to dress up the investment decision signing ceremony, but fortunately this climate-destroying project is far from a done deal,” said David Pred, Executive Director of Inclusive Development International.
“Total and CNOOC still need to secure insurance and raise $2.5 billion in debt financing for the EACOP to move forward and they are going to struggle mightily to find enough banks and insurance providers willing to associate themselves with such a reckless project and assume its manifold risks on their books.”
Source:Oilprice.com
Ghana’s largest state power producer, Volta River Authority (VRA), says it has commenced process to convert the Akosombo Township, which host its 1,090 Megawatts Dam, into a smart city by transforming it to become a technology hub of the West African nation.
“We will leverage on the infrastructure and human skill sets that are abundant in the Akosombo area,” the Chief Executive of VRA, Ing Emmanuel Antwi Darkwa said.
According to Wikipedia, a smart city is an urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect data.
Insights gained from that data are used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently. In return, that data is used to improve the operations across the city.
The move forms part of VRA’s digitisation agenda for the next sixty years as the Authority chalks sixty years of existence.
The VRA was established by the Volta River Development Act, Act 46 of the Republic of Ghana on April 26, 1961, under the leadership of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and it has since supported Ghana’s development through hydro power generation, thermal and solar energy projects.
Speaking at the Authority’s 60th Anniversary Ceremony under the theme: ‘Celebrating 60 years in the power business: Our legacy, Our future’, Ing Emmanuel Antwi Darkwa said: “As we look into the future, it is clear to us that the electricity business will be significantly different.”
According to him, “Innovation and digitisation will be the major enablers of the business, so we are preparing ourselves for the advent of Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other technological advancements that will manifest globally.
“While focusing on our long term plans, we also recognise that we are duty bound to ensure that there is adequate, competitively priced electricity to support industrial and social development of the day.
“Consequently, we have embarked on a number of renewable projects to meet the national demand in an environmentally-sustainable manner.”
He mentioned the 60MW Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam project, which has an additional solar component of 50 MW as a case in point.
“Further to that, we are also constructing the 19.6MW Kaleo/Lawra solar plants, while our wind projects at Ada and Anloga are under development. We will also continue to nurse other potential renewable projects on the Oti River as well as a pipeline of solar projects at Bongo, Walewale and other parts of the country.
Last year, VRA also commissioned the Kpong Generating Station Retrofit Project in Akuse which was aimed at extending the life of the electro-mechanical infrastructure of the power plant.
“Sixty years in the life of an organisation is no mean achievement,” Ing Emmanuel Antwi Darkwa said, adding that “as an organisation, we’re proud of our commitment and dedication towards national development and we pledge to continue on that path in the years ahead.”Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
The decision by French super major, Total, to declare force majeure on its Mozambique LNG Project has been met with stiff opposition by African Energy Chamber, the continental body responsible for the coordination of energy activities.
Total, on Monday, confirmed the withdrawal of all Mozambique LNG project personnel from the Afungi site, citing insecurity situation due to last month insurgent attacks which left dozens dead.
Total, which aimed to produce its first cargo from the project in 2024, suspended work on March 27 after the militant attack.
However, in a statement issued by African Energy Chamber and copied to energynewsafrica.com, it said though it stands in solidarity with Mozambique and Total and all energy investors, it was disappointed in Total’s decision.
While acknowledging that force majeure is permitted under the Mozambique Petroleum Law, it argued that: “When energy multinationals made a decision to halt natural gas development projects in Myanmar and some declared force majeure, Total remained and made a clear argument that the public stands to lose from electricity shortages. The field supplied about half of Myanmar’s natural gas used for power generation.
“If Total does halt gas production, we are convinced the junta will not hesitate to resort to forced labor,” Total’s Chairman and CEO, Patrick Pouyanné stated at the time. “In Mozambique, if this drags on and not resolved, we give an upper hand to terrorist and ISIS.”
The African Energy Chamber said: “We are looking forward to Total taking the same stance in Mozambique as it has done in these countries more impacted by terrorism, and together with the government and other parties involved, find a solution to safely continue with its LNG Project.
“When we stop as an industry, we nurture the hate speech against energy projects in Africa, and we give those “haters” instruments to criticise further our good-faith efforts to make Africa better for Africans. This is not the time to allow for this. This is the time to make a stand, find solutions, and continue exploiting our resources,” N.J Ajuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, said.
‘Everyone must stand against the cowardly attack on Palma. Everyone with sense must understand that terrorist activities and the attacks on energy infrastructure are not only against Total and energy investors, they are against Mozambique and the entire world and all who believe that Mozambique’s gas is a solution to the climate crisis.
“Not only is this LNG project and revenue for a company and its lenders is at stake but the life of everyday Africans and of the people of Mozambique are. We must not forget that all of these efforts and projects are and should be for the benefit of the people. Mozambicans are eagerly waiting for the benefits their gas will give to them, and we should be focusing on making them see and receive such benefits. We must not concede or surrender. We have to find a way to fight for the project and for the people.
“Let us stand together. Let us find a solution to get the Total LNG project going again. Many local and international service companies have invested much money in people, capacity building, materials, and financing, believing in Total’s LNG Project. Such efforts should not be discarded.”
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has paid a working visit to the ongoing Kasoa Bulk Supply Point Project being executed by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA).
Works on the US$50 million 435MWA Gas Insulated Switchgear Project in the Central Region of the West African nation is about 60 percent complete.
The Kasoa BSP, which is the second largest Bulk Supply Point Project after Pokuase BSP, formed part of projects being executed by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) with funding from United States Agency Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) under the Ghana Power Compact II.
The project, which began in January 2020, is expected to be completed by August 2021.
The project would, among other things, reduce the transmission and distribution system losses suffered by GRIDCo and ECG respectively, and would ultimately improve the operational and financial performance of the utility providers.
It would, further, improve power supply in Kasoa and its surrounding communities in the Central Region with about 250,000 customers of ECG expected to be served.
In a Facebook post after visiting the site, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh noted that the project would help address low voltage situation being experienced by residents of Kasoa, Bawjiase, Senya Breku and Nyanyano.
“It was pleasant to note the considerable number of Ghanaian engineers who have been employed to work on the ongoing project; a sign that our vision for local participation is being upheld as promise by H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo.
“I entreat the good people of Ghana to exercise patience and cooperate as we solve the outstanding issues surrounding our power system once and for all,” his post concluded.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Trina Solar Co Ltd, the world’s leading global PV and smart energy total solutions provider, has recorded operating revenue of US$4.263 billion (RMB 29.418 Billion) in 2020, 26.14% more than in 2019.
The company’s net income attributable to shareholders also stood at US $178 Million (RMB 1.229 Billion).
The company’s total module capacity reached 22GW in 2020, and module shipments reached 15.915GW, ranking third in the world, tally to the 2020 annual shipment guidance published in Q3 2020 by IHS Markit.
By the end of 2021 Trina Solar’s total cell production capacity is expected to reach 35GW (of which 210mm cells will account for more than 70%) and it is expected to accomplish total module production capacity of 50GW, further consolidating its position as the 210mm module leader.
Antonio Jimenez, Managing Director and Vice President, Trina Solar Middle East & Africa commented: “Solar energy is emerging as a critical component in the Middle East and Africa’s sustainable energy transition plans. Investments are increasing across the region with several countries leading the deployment of Solar Energy in the region. All this calls for a reliable trusted partner with proven record of continuous growth and expansion. At Trina Solar we always strive to create more value for our customers through technological innovation, industrial synergy and channel construction. We always aim to generate better returns for the societies we operate in.”
Focus on customer value, higher market share
“COVID-19 has brought very serious challenges to the PV industry as a whole,” Trina Solar said in its annual report. “However, relying on Trina Solar’s global brand influence, global market channels and concentrated effort, the company not only overcame the impact on production and logistics during the pandemic, but also achieved further market share gains in some markets.”
According to the report, Trina Solar had operating revenue of US$ 4.263 billion (RMB 29.418 Billion) in the 2020 financial year, 26.14% more than in the previous year. Thanks to the continued acceleration of its globalized layout and constant enhancement of customer value through technological innovation, industrial synergy and channel construction, Trina Solar keeps growing prominently globally. The company’s financial performance, which is an important indicator to evaluate the bankability, also affirms and strengthens Trina Solar’s high bankability across the world. Trina Solar was approved in its bankability in 2020 by BloombergNEF, which is the only module manufacturer to be rated as bankable for five consecutive years.
Risk management and diversity lead to stronger strength
In 2020 the company had net income attributable to shareholders of US $178 million (RMB 1.229 Billion), the numbers for each quarter were US$ 22 million, US$ 48 million, US$ 49 million, US$ 60 million (153 million, 340 million, 339 million and 398 million) respectively. It is notable that since the second half of last year, the PV industry has experienced shortages and price increases of silicon, glass and other raw and auxiliary materials. Despite this, the company had stable operation cross the year, which highlights its strong ability in supply chain risk control.
This is also the result of Trina Solar’s long-term commitment to promoting industrial synergy. In addition to continuously optimizing its own module material technology and processes and improving product performance, Trina Solar is also engaged in in-depth strategic joint ventures and collaboration with upstream suppliers to reduce costs, stabilize supply and achieve controllable risks.
In addition, in 2020 Trina Solar deepened its diversified operations and opened up multiple business units such as for modules, trackers and system integration, further enhancing the company’s comprehensive strength and anti-risk capability.
Innovative 210 Vertex modules lead the market with shipments of nearly 16GW
As an established leading PV module company, Trina Solar took advantage of the good momentum of returning to China’s A-share market in 2020 to maintain its position as the global leader in module shipments against fierce competition. Trina Solar’s shipment of 15.915GW of modules in 2020 is consistent with the 2020 annual shipment guidance published in Q3 2020 by IHS Markit.
▲ 2020 Global Module Ranking forecast by IHS Markit
Among the many highlights of Trina Solar in 2020, the most dazzling was the launch of the industry-leading 210mm ultra-high power module series Vertex and the establishment of the 600W+ Photovoltaic Open Innovation Ecological Alliance, which attracted companies and organizations from upstream and downstream of the industry chain, leading the industry to move toward a new era of high-efficiency 210 modules. According to the annual report, Trina Solar’s total module capacity reached 22GW by the end of 2020.
In February 2020, Trina Solar released its 500W Vertex Series of ultra-high power modules to the world and upgraded the power of the Vertex Series to 600W+ within the next five months. In the era of parity, the end-market is focusing more on cost and return on investment, and Vertex modules show strong market potential. By the end of 2020, orders for Trina Solar 210 Vertex modules exceeded 10GW, widely acclaimed in the market.
Trina Solar’s module capacity will leap to 50GW in 2021
“With the company’s global brand and channel advantages, as well as advanced module capacity and open industry alliance, we can provide professional overall services to customers and help them realize the maximum value,” Trina Solar said. “While further increasing the company’s market share, we will strive to consolidate our leading position in large-size high-efficiency cells and modules.”
Trina Solar is expected to further expand module capacity to about 50GW by the end of 2021. In addition, the company’s total cell capacity is expected to grow to about 35GW by the end of the year, with 210mm cell capacity accounting for more than 70%. These newly established production capacities have advantages in both technology and cost, and with the trend of large scale and large size they will present even better product profitability.
On this year’s development plan, Trina Solar said: “2021 will be critical for the company to rapidly expand the market and achieve high-quality sustainable development. The company will use the production capacity of its advantageous products to quickly seize the market and increase its market share, while continuing to develop in-depth cooperation with upstream supply enterprises to ensure stable product quality and supply. Trina Solar will further promote its digital transformation and strive to achieve its development goals, greater business breakthroughs and strong market growth in each business segment. As always, Trina Solar will keep carrying out its mission ‘to benefit all mankind with solar energy’, and fight for lower LCOE and the great goal of peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality.”
The Labour Commission, the agency responsible for mediating between workers and their employers in the Republic of Ghana, has directed staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to call off their sit down industrial strike.
The Commission expects the aggrieved workers to return to post and ensure that their concerns are properly placed before the Commission for redress.
The workers, on Monday, embarked on a sit down strike to demand the removal of their Managing Director, Kwame Agyeman-Budu.
According to sources, the strike, which started about 8am, Monday, lasted for about two hours.
Sources say some of the workers wore red attire while others wore red arm bands.
The workers, led by its umbrella body, Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU), have been accusing the MD of exhibiting “incompetence”, a claim a section of the workers have refuted.
In a statement issued by PUWU recently, they accused the MD of engaging in ‘one man show’, breaching procurement processes, awarding of contracts and outsourcing of Special Load Tariff (SLT) collection.
They also accused the MD of failing to pay workers’ deductions into PUWU Mutual Funds, Credit Unions, Life Insurance Schemes etc. which is estimated at over Seventy Million Ghana Cedis (Gh¢70,000,000.00) as at March 2021.
Energynewsafrica.com has made several attempts to speak to the leadership of PUWU over the claims but they have refused to answer telephone calls and text messages.
Meanwhile, checks by energynewsafrica.com indicate that claims by PUWU that the MD has constructed staff canteen at Asokwa District, Roman Ridge and construction of new District office at Cape Coast where there are enough unused office spaces was upon request made by the staff which was then discussed and approved by the board.
Under the current MD, ECG has also paid about GHS200, 000,000 of workers’ deductions into various funds.
On the issue of outsourcing of Special Load Tariff collection, energynewsafrica.com’s checks indicated that a certain company brought a proposal to management and proposed that they would be able to help ECG to collect monies owed them by their bulk customers by negotiating with them to make payment to cover a whole month, instead of the monthly collections being done by staff of the ECG.
According to sources, Management of ECG has not taken a decision yet as the proposal is currently before the Board.
It is unclear what the motive of PUWU is. However, some staff of ECG are of the view that PUWU is pushing an agenda to get the MD out so that their favourite would be appointed to replace him.
In a report filed by Myjoyonline.com, it quoted a communiqué signed by NLC’s General Secretary Ofosu Asamoah, as saying that ECG workers had not exhausted all means in getting their voices heard.
“The National Union is hereby advised to ensure that the proper processes in resolution of the workers’ grievances are adhered to and call for a halt in the industrial action,” the April 26 letter read.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria has rejected a report by the World Bank which suggested that over 78 percent of electricity consumers in the West African nation received less than 12 hours of electricity supply daily.
Nigeria is shocked by the conclusion drawn by the World Bank, arguing that it was unclear what empirical evidence the Bank deployed to arrive at the figures.
The Bank had, in an online meeting with energy correspondents in Abuja, last week, stated that a total of 74 percent of power users in Nigeria were dissatisfied with the supply of electricity across the country.
It further disclosed that while 93 percent of metered power users paid their bills regularly, 78 percent of electricity consumers in Nigeria received less than 12 hours of supply daily, stressing that the findings were done after a thorough survey conducted by the global financial institution.
But the Federal Government, in a statement issued by the Presidential Advisor on Infrastructure, Mr. Ahmad Zakari as caried by ThisDayLive, stated that power distribution to consumers had seen steady improvement, even though it had stated last week that 17 of the 25 generation power plants were down, leading to a deterioration in nationwide supply.
While responding to the Power Sector Recovery Programme (PSRP), a fact sheet released by the Bank, the government noted that it was inaccurate to make a blanket statement on the country’s power sector.
According to the Federal Government, empirical evidence from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) showed that only 55 percent of citizens connected to the grid is in tariff bands D and E which is less than 12 hours’ supply.
“It is inaccurate to make a blanket statement that 78 percent of Nigerians have less than 12 hours daily access. The data from NERC is that 55 percent of citizens connected to the grid are in tariff bands D and E which are less than 12 hours’ supply.
“Those citizens are being fully subsidised to pre-September 2020 tariffs until Discos are able to improve supply. There is a N120 billion CAPEX fund from CBN for Discos to improve infrastructure for these tariff classes similar to the metering programme that is ongoing.”
The Federal Government also kicked against aspects of the Bank’s report which claimed that 58 percent of electricity consumers in the country did not have meters to measure electricity use, dismissing the data as unverifiable.
“It is unclear who did this survey and what the timeframe is. All citizens that have got free meters report they are happy about the reform trajectory,” the statement added.
According to the statement, to date, more than 600,000 meters have been delivered to Distribution Companies (Discos) out of the one million in phase one with installation ongoing and meters being sourced locally, while creating jobs in installation and manufacturing/assembly.
The Federal Government clarified that the Service-Based Tariff (SBT) ensures that citizens pay more only when and if they are receiving a high quality of service.
The Presidential Advisor on Infrastructure, in the statement, said his office enjoyed a robust working relationship with the World Bank and was, therefore, surprised that such a report would be released without the input of other critical stakeholders.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
India’s Ministry of Petroleum has directed the country’s largest oil and gas producer, ONGC, to sell stake in producing oil fields such as to Ratna R-Series to private firms, get foreign partners in KG basin gas fields, monetise existing infrastructure, and hive off drilling and other services into a separate firm to raise production.
Amar Nath, additional secretary (exploration) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, on April 1 wrote to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Chairman and Managing Director Subhash Kumar giving a seven-point action plan, ‘ONGC Way Forward’ that would help the firm raise oil and gas production by one-third by 2023-24.
The action plan calls on ONGC to consider sale of stake in maturing fields such as Panna-Mukta and Ratna and R-Series in western offshore and onshore fields like Gandhar in Gujarat to private firms while divesting/privatising ‘non-performing’ marginal fields.
It wanted ONGC to bring in global players in gas-rich block KG-DWN-98/2 where output is slated to rise sharply by next year, and the recently brought into production Ashokenagar block in West Bengal. Also identified for the purpose is the Deendayal block in the KG basin which the firm had bought from Gujarat government firm GSPC a couple of years back.
The ministry also wants the company to explore creating separate entities for drilling, well services, logging, workover services and data processing entities.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Workers of Ghana’s Southern electricity company, ECG, are currently on strike across the company’s operational areas in demand for the removal of their Managing Director, Kwame Agyeman-Budu.
According to sources, the strike, which started about around 8am, Monday, is expected to last for about two hours.
Sources say some of the workers are wearing red attire while others are wearing red arm bands.
The workers, led by its umbrella body, Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU), have been accusing the MD of exhibiting “incompetence”, a claim a section of the workers have refuted.
In a statement issued by PUWU recently, they accused the MD of engaging in ‘one man show’, breaching procurement processes, awarding of contracts and outsourcing of Special Load Tariff (SLT) collection.
They also accused the MD of failing to pay workers’ deductions into PUWU Mutual Funds, Credit Unions, Life Insurance Schemes etc. which is estimated at over Seventy Million Ghana Cedis (Gh¢70,000,000.00) as at March 2021.
Energynewsafrica.com has made several attempts to speak to the leadership of PUWU over the claims but they have refused to answer telephone calls and text messages.
Meanwhile, checks by energynewsafrica.com indicate that claims by PUWU that the MD has constructed staff canteen at Asokwa District, Roman Ridge and construction of new District office at Cape Coast where there are enough unused office spaces was upon request made by the staff which was then discussed and approved by the board.
Under the current MD, ECG has also paid about GHS200, 000,000 of workers’ deductions into various funds.
On the issue of outsourcing of Special Load Tariff collection, energynewsafrica.com’s checks indicated that a certain company brought a proposal to management and proposed that they would be able to help ECG to collect monies owed them by their bulk customers by negotiating with them to make payment to cover a whole month, instead of the monthly collections being done by staff of the ECG.
According to sources, Management of ECG has not taken a decision yet as the proposal is currently before the Board.
It is unclear what the motive of PUWU is.
However, some staff of ECG are of the view that PUWU is pushing an agenda to get the MD out so that their favourite would be appointed to replace him.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
A former Minister for Zongo and Inner City Development during the first term of the President Akufo-Addo-led administration in the Republic of Ghana, Mustapha Hamid, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
He replaces Hassan Tampuli who is now a Member of Parliament for the Gushegu Constituency in the Northern Region.
It was rumoured some weeks ago that the former Zongo Development Minister had been penciled as the new CEO of NPA, Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, after the CEO succeeded in winning his parliamentary bid to represent his constituents in last year’s General Elections.
Although the Presidency has not issued official statement about his appointment, Mr Mustapha Hamid had participated in a couple of energy events with officials of NPA.
Mustapha Abdul Hamid at the meeting with LPG Marketers Association at the Ministry of Energy
Last Wednesday when the country’s Energy Minister met with the agitating leadership of LPG Marketers Association at the Energy Ministry, Mustapha Hamid was present at the meeting with other officials of NPA.
Although, the Minister is said to have introduced Hon. Andrews Kofi Agyapa Mercer, Member of Parliament for Secondi and now Deputy Minister designate for energy and Mustapha Hamid as friends of the Ministry, checks by energynewsafrica.com, however, revealed that Mustapha Hamid wrote his name on the attendance sheet as the incoming CEO of NPA.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
The Kasoa BSP, which is the second largest Bulk Supply Point Project after Pokuase BSP, formed part of projects being executed by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) with funding from United States Agency Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) under the Ghana Power Compact II.
The project, which began in January 2020, is expected to be completed by August 2021.
The project would, among other things, reduce the transmission and distribution system losses suffered by GRIDCo and ECG respectively, and would ultimately improve the operational and financial performance of the utility providers.
It would, further, improve power supply in Kasoa and its surrounding communities in the Central Region with about 250,000 customers of ECG expected to be served.
In a Facebook post after visiting the site, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh noted that the project would help address low voltage situation being experienced by residents of Kasoa, Bawjiase, Senya Breku and Nyanyano.
“It was pleasant to note the considerable number of Ghanaian engineers who have been employed to work on the ongoing project; a sign that our vision for local participation is being upheld as promise by H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo.
“I entreat the good people of Ghana to exercise patience and cooperate as we solve the outstanding issues surrounding our power system once and for all,” his post concluded.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
