Egypt’s First Financed Solar Battery PPA Project Secures Financing
A solar energy company spearheading a solar-plus-storage project in Egypt has secured $2.4 million in financing for the project.
KarmSolar secured the $2.4 million from Qatar National Bank ALAHLI, while Ezdaher Financial Advisory assisted with the deal.
KarmSolar’s co-founder and CEO Ahmed Zahran described the project as “Egypt’s first financed solar battery PPA project”, adding: “There is rising interest from established financial institutions to explore and support advanced solar technologies. This new milestone will definitely boost the deployment of battery solutions in Egypt and across the region on a much larger scale.’’
The financing comes as KarmSolar launches a phase 2 expansion of a solar microgrid solution at a poultry farm facility in Giza, operated by Cairo 3A.
The expansion includes the addition of a battery energy storage system and an expansion of the solar plant’s capacity.
Sungrow will provide the battery storage unit and the energy storage system will comprise a 2.576MWp PV inverter and 1MW/3.957MWh of storage.
The solar energy company has a PPA to supply electricity to the poultry farm using a microgrid combining solar PV, storage and diesel generators. The original on-site solar PV station covers 30% of Cairo 3A’s energy needs using renewable energy, reducing its reliance on diesel.
It is not the first solar-plus-storage project in Egypt, however. A project combining 30MW of solar PV with a 7.5MW battery storage system is also being supplied by Sungrow.
A German developer and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor will be delivering the project.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
US Gov’t Announces $13.5 Billion Funding To Cushion Households With High Energy Bills
The United States government has announced plans to make $13.5 billion available to help low-income U.S. households to lower their heating costs this winter.
In a statement issued by the White House, the U.S. Department of Energy will allocate $9 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to support up to 1.6 million households in upgrading their homes to lower energy bills.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will provide $4.5 billion in Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Programme (LIHEAP) funding.
U.S. consumers can expect to pay up to 28 per cent more to heat their homes this winter than last year due to surging fuel costs and colder weather, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected in its winter fuels outlook in October.
The new funding will help Americans with heating costs and unpaid utility bills and repairs of home energy appliances that will help lower their energy costs, the White House said.
About 90 per cent of the roughly 130 million U.S. households rely on natural gas or electricity for heat.
The rest use either heating oil, propane or wood for heat.
EIA forecasts the average household will spend about $931 for gas heat this winter and about $1,359 for electric heat. That is a 28 per cent increase for gas and a 10 per cent increase for electricity versus last year.
Homes using heating oil will spend about $2,354 for heat this winter, up 27 per cent from last year, while propane users will see their costs rise five per cent to $1,668, according to EIA’s outlook.
Despite the big increase in cost, gas will remain the nation’s cheapest source of heat.
Families are already having a hard time paying their electric and gas bills with about one in six U.S. households in arrears, according to estimates from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) in October.
NEADA, which represents the state LIHEAP directors, said U.S. families were about $16.1 billion behind on their utility bills.
“The rise in home energy costs this winter will put millions of lower-income families at risk of falling behind on their energy bills and having no choice but to make difficult decisions between paying for food, medicine and rent,” NEADA Executive Director Mark Wolfe has said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Covid Restrictions Force Chinese EV Maker To Suspend Production
China’s Nio, the EV maker, has suspended manufacturing activities due to Covid restrictions amid the latest flare-up in infections in the country.
“The news that production at Nio’s factories has been temporarily suspended is true and this will have an impact on production and delivery schedules,” a company representative told Reuters.
The latter cited a Chinese tech media outlet as having reported that Nio had been having difficulties with production since mid-October because of Covid lockdowns.
This is the second time this year Nio is suspending production, after it had to shut down its two factories in April, too, amid lockdowns.
Meanwhile, hopes are growing that the lockdowns will soon end, based on unverified reports on social media. China’s foreign ministry spokesman said Tuesday that he was not aware of any plans to relax Bejing’s zero-Covid policy, which dampened optimism but it appears that the hope remains China will at some point drop the strict measures.
“People may have misunderstood when they see the headline that it is about completely opening up, but in our view it is quite unlikely for China to completely abandon Zero Covid,” Zerlina Zeng, senior credit analyst at CreditSights, told Yahoo Finance.
“It is politically sensitive to do away with it because during the party congress, the rhetoric around Zero Covid has been so strong.”
China has the biggest EV manufacturing industry in the world and it is exporting more and more EVs, especially to Europe. Manufacturing halts could hurt this growth market and also interfere with transition plans.
Meanwhile, investor confidence in Nio and the two other U.S.-listed Chinese EV makers, Li Auto and Expeng, is dwindling after years of losses.
Bloomberg reported last week that Nio has shed some 69 percent of its market value since the start of the year, with Li Auto losing 56 percent and Expeng plunging by 86 percent due to uncertainty about their profitability.
Source:Oilprice.com
Ghana: ECG Krobo District Climaxes Breast Cancer Awareness Month With Walk
The Management and staff of the Krobo District of the Electricity Company of Ghana embarked on a health walk on Saturday, 29th October 2022 as part of activities marking this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness month.
The month-long awareness programme was spearheaded by the Power Queens Club of the power distribution company.
The Club is an association of all the female staff of the organisation.
The month of October has been set aside as Breast Cancer Awareness month all over the world, and various activities are planned towards creating awareness of the disease.
The encouragement of women and men to get screened remains a top-awareness issue for many organisations.
In ECG, the Power Queens Club spearheaded the month-long awareness creation on breast cancer.
Across the various operational districts of the organisation, several activities were carried out, with opportunities for people to get screened.
The Krobo District of the ECG participated in the month-long awareness programme.
To climax it, the management and staff of the District walked up the Acineci Mountain in Krobo. They did this alongside staff from other operational areas and supporting personnel who are aiding general work in the District.
The Acting Krobo District Manager, Ing Christopher Apawu indicated that they had indeed taken the breast cancer awareness creation seriously and had been encouraging all staff to get screened.
“We also encouraged them to encourage their families and friends to get screened because it has been determined that early detection of breast cancer helps in easier management of it.”
He also added that “medical diagnosis has shown that men are also at risk of the disease, hence, all staff were roped into the various activities and encouraged to partake in the screening processes.”
The Executives of the Power Queens Club in the District played an active role in the month-long activities.
They thanked the management of the District for creating the enabling environment for them to carry on with the awareness programme.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Kenya: Parts Of Nairobi, Mt Kenya And Coast Hit By Power Outage
Parts of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, Coast and Mt Kenya regions are currently without power, energynewsafrica.com can report.
They have been without power since 11 am on Wednesday.
In a statement issued, Kenya Power attributed the power outage to system disturbances.
The company assured residents who have been affected that it is working in collaboration with other players to restore the power supply as soon as possible.
“We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused,” the statement said.
Ghana: NPA Suspends Subsidy On Residual Fuel Oil
Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, NPA, has suspended the subsidy on residual fuel.
According to a letter signed by Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, CEO of NPA, and sighted by energynewsafrica.com, the suspension took effect from Tuesday, November 1, 2022.
The decision is in line with a directive from the Energy Ministry as an interim measure to lessen the financial burden on the Price Stabilization and Recovery Account (PSRA).
Residual fuel oil is a liquid or liquefiable petroleum product that is used to generate heat or power.
“The suspension of the policy to subsidise RFO is in line with the directive from the Ministry of Energy as an interim measure to ease the financial burden on the Price Stabilisation and Recovery Account (PSRA).
“The policy directive takes into consideration the growing concern about the sustainability of the Account to meet under-recovery payment obligations for Premix Fuel and RFO,” a letter signed by Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid said.
Ghana: Diesel Price Hits Gh¢23.49, Petrol Gh¢17.99 Per Litre
Oil marketing companies in the Republic of Ghana have adjusted their fuel prices at the pumps across the West African nation.
Almost all the OMCs adjusted their petrol and diesel prices on Tuesday, November 1, 2022.
GOIL, Shell and TotalEnergies which are the market leaders are selling petrol at Gh¢17.99 per litre while diesel is sold at Gh¢23.49 per litre.
GOIL, TotalEnergies, Shell, Pacific, Petrosol, Engen, Cash Oil and a few others had adjusted their pump prices.
Alinco oil is selling petrol at Gh¢17.65 per litre while diesel is sold at Gh¢23.15 per litre.
Pacific is selling petrol at Gh¢17.84 per litre while diesel is sold at Gh¢23.34 per litre.
Our checks indicate that Goodness is selling petrol at Gh¢17.00 per litre while diesel is sold at Gh¢23.00
Meanwhile, Duke’s petroleum is selling petrol at Gh¢16.95 per litre while diesel is sold at Gh¢18.95
Although crude oil prices have remained below $100 per barrel for more than two months, the continuous depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi is largely to be blamed for the rising cost of fuel in the West African nation.
As of Wednesday, Brent crude was trading at $94.67 per barrel while WTI was selling at $88.32 per barrel.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Pacific is selling petrol at Gh¢17.84 per litre while diesel is sold at Gh¢23.34 per litre.
Our checks indicate that Goodness is selling petrol at Gh¢17.00 per litre while diesel is sold at Gh¢23.00
Meanwhile, Duke’s petroleum is selling petrol at Gh¢16.95 per litre while diesel is sold at Gh¢18.95
Although crude oil prices have remained below $100 per barrel for more than two months, the continuous depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi is largely to be blamed for the rising cost of fuel in the West African nation.
As of Wednesday, Brent crude was trading at $94.67 per barrel while WTI was selling at $88.32 per barrel.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com Ghana: Sierra Leone Seeks NPA’s Assistance On Petroleum Downstream Regulation
Sierra Leone’s Petroleum Regulatory Authority (PRA) is seeking the assistance of Ghana’s downstream petroleum regulator, NPA, to improve efficiency in regulating the petroleum downstream in that country.
A team, led by its Executive Chairman, Dr. Brima Baluwa Koroma paid a working visit to NPA and met the CEO and some management to share and learn experiences in terms of structures, processes, policies and procedures in regulating the petroleum downstream sector.
Dr. Baluwa Koroma was worried the private sector controlled the petroleum downstream sector in Sierra Leone, adding that “for Sierra Leone, it is very strange that throughout our petroleum value chain, there is no government participation.”
Mr. Koroma said the current government was determined to take a position in the industry and reinstitute a semblance of GOIL in Sierra Leone.
He believed it was dangerous for any government to allow only the private sector to control the petroleum downstream industry which is the driver of every economy in the world.
“So, we are here to understand how the National Petroleum Authority of Ghana does its works and controls the sector so efficiently that has won the admiration of many regulatory agencies and players of the petroleum downstream industry across the continent,” the Executive Chairman lauded.
Addressing the Sierra Leonean team, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Chief Executive of NPA, corroborated the sentiments of the PRA Executive chairman and eulogised the strategic functions GOIL and BOST play in the economy.
Recounting Ghana’s experience on the regulation of the petroleum downstream industry, Dr Abdul-Hamid said what has been helping the people is also the active participation of the government through its entities such as GOIL and BOST, unlike Sierra Leone which depends wholly on private players that normally decide what happens.
He stated that cooperation was the only way the two entities could advance the development of their countries.
The NPA boss pledged Ghana’s willingness to continuously assist Sierra Leone to develop its petroleum downstream industry, adding, “I am prepared to send my best workers to Sierra Leone to assist you to craft out a system that will ensure efficiency in regulating the downstream sector better.”
He commended Dr Baluwa Koroma for his transformational leadership for the past four years, which has seen new important players within the sector.
The Executive Chairman of PRA was accompanied by Christopher Pearce; Director of Finance and Administration, Gabriella Barwe; Deputy Finance, and Jayah K. Muana; Deputy Director of PRA.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Mr. Koroma said the current government was determined to take a position in the industry and reinstitute a semblance of GOIL in Sierra Leone.
He believed it was dangerous for any government to allow only the private sector to control the petroleum downstream industry which is the driver of every economy in the world.
“So, we are here to understand how the National Petroleum Authority of Ghana does its works and controls the sector so efficiently that has won the admiration of many regulatory agencies and players of the petroleum downstream industry across the continent,” the Executive Chairman lauded.
Addressing the Sierra Leonean team, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Chief Executive of NPA, corroborated the sentiments of the PRA Executive chairman and eulogised the strategic functions GOIL and BOST play in the economy.
Recounting Ghana’s experience on the regulation of the petroleum downstream industry, Dr Abdul-Hamid said what has been helping the people is also the active participation of the government through its entities such as GOIL and BOST, unlike Sierra Leone which depends wholly on private players that normally decide what happens.
He stated that cooperation was the only way the two entities could advance the development of their countries.
The NPA boss pledged Ghana’s willingness to continuously assist Sierra Leone to develop its petroleum downstream industry, adding, “I am prepared to send my best workers to Sierra Leone to assist you to craft out a system that will ensure efficiency in regulating the downstream sector better.”
He commended Dr Baluwa Koroma for his transformational leadership for the past four years, which has seen new important players within the sector.
The Executive Chairman of PRA was accompanied by Christopher Pearce; Director of Finance and Administration, Gabriella Barwe; Deputy Finance, and Jayah K. Muana; Deputy Director of PRA.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: VRA Suspends Planned Water Spillage From Akosombo, Kpong Dams
The Volta River Authority, managers of the Akosombo and Kpong hydroelectric Dams, has suspended their planned controlled spillage of water from the two dams.
According to the power generation company, the suspension is due to a reduction in rainfall in the Volta catchment area over the last past week.
Last week, VRA issued a statement notifying the public especially farmers around the dams of spilling water from the dams as a result of heavy inflows.
However, in an update on Monday, VRA said the inflow of water into the Akosombo Reservoir has subsided to normal levels, therefore, there is no threat to the safety of their dams.
“The planned spillage of water from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams will not be carried out as earlier announced,” the company said.
It, however, asked all persons living along the downstream banks of the two dams of the Volta River to remain alert until the rainy season is over.
VRA assured the public that it would continue to monitor the situation, work with stakeholders and issue updates should further developments occur.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The U.S. And UAE Sign A $100 Billion Clean Energy Pact
The United States and the United Arab Emirates (UEA) have signed a partnership agreement which is expected to attract $100 billion in investment in clean energy projects worldwide, the White House said today.
The projects are expected to take place not only in the U.S. and the UAE but also in emerging economies, as “the two countries intend to elevate climate action by vigorously pursuing and encouraging investment in clean energy in emerging economies,” the White House said.
Under the new partnership, the U.S. and the UAE plan to work together to prioritize commercial projects in developing and low-income countries and provide them with technical and financial assistance.
The parties will also aim to facilitate investment in mining, production, and processing of critical minerals and materials critical for the energy transition and to encourage efforts for reducing emissions, including via carbon capture and hydrogen projects.
The clean energy partnership also supports the full-scale implementation of the civil nuclear cooperation between the U.S. and the UAE, as both countries believe that nuclear energy can be a driver of decarbonization in the electricity sector and in heavy industry and heavy-duty transport because it can be used to produce hydrogen, industrially process heat, and desalinate water, among other uses.
The U.S. and UAE also plan to work together to scale up the production of clean fuels for the aviation and shipping sectors.
“As the President prepares to travel to Egypt for COP 27, PACE also reflects our unwavering commitment to working closely with allies and partners to accelerate the clean energy transition and deliver the climate action our shared future depends on,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement, commenting on the partnership.
The UAE is a key influential member of OPEC and the OPEC+ pact with Russia, which the White House slammed last month for the “misguided” and “shortsighted” decision to reduce the collective oil production as of November.
Oilprice.com
Nigeria: Jos Disco Seeks Intervention Of Judiciary To Halt Vandalism, Power Theft
Jos Electricity Distribution Plc, one of the power distribution companies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has solicited the cooperation of Nigeria’s judiciary and the Directorate of State Security (DSS) to tackle energy crimes in its areas of operation.
The Managing Director of the company, Engr Abdu Bello Mohammed, last Thursday, paid a courtesy call to the Plateau State Chief Judge, Justice David Mann, the State Director of DSS, and Albert in their respective offices in Jos held discussions with them to support them to stem vandalism of power installation in their operational areas.
Engr Mohammed, who accentuated the dangers posed by the energy predators, told the Chief Judge that there was a need for the expeditious disposition of cases regarding vandalism and energy thefts brought before judges in the state.
“Vandalism leads to willful destruction of the company assets just as it also obliterates the economic and social life of the affected communities. It is, therefore, a crime against society. And so, we should collectively fight against it to stamp it out, hence, your maximum cooperation is required,” Engr Mohammed said as reported by the Daily Times.
Engr Mohammed explained that even though the energy sector has gone through a transformation in consonance with the privatisation policy of the federal government, some members of the public still view the company as Nigeria Electricity Power Authority (NEPA).
To change this perception, Engr Mohammed promised to organise workshops and seminars for judicial officers in the company’s franchise States to keep them abreast with the legal and regulatory framework of the reform power sector.
Responding, the Chief Judge of Plateau State, Justice David Mann said that the judiciary in the state has been doing its best in the area of dispensing justice, and disclosed that he has initiated some reforms that would expedite the dispensation of justice which would benefit the company.
He said: “Presently, there are several measures put in place to ensure that justice is expedited. We are in the process of digitising our operations here.
“We are establishing a small claims court. When designated across the state, it will take care of cases that have to do with N5, 000,000 claims. This will lead to the decongestion of the courts for more cases to be heard by the high courts. It will help ease doing business. I am sure that your organisation will be one of those that will benefit from this,” the Chief Judge said.
On his part, the Director of DSS, Albert Ogbole thanked the Managing Director for the visit and praised the electricity distribution firm for what he described as a stable power supply in the state.
He said the service would do all within its mandate to support the company in its quest to tackle the menace of vandalism and energy theft.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
South Africa: Eskom Shuts Down Komati Coal-Fired Power Plant
South Africa’s power utility company, Eskom, on Monday, shut down its coal-fired Komati Power Station in Mpumalanga and announced a new plan for the location of the plant.
The shutdown follows what Eskom says is the end of the plant’s operating lifespan.
Eskom, in a statement, indicated that the shutting down of the plant would not have a significant impact on South Africa’s national electricity grid as the one remaining unit was contributing only 121MW to the grid.
Opened in 1961, Komati is the first of South Africa’s coal-fired power stations to be decommissioned.
“The decommissioning of the power station has followed a diligent process which comprised undertaking a socio-economic impact study. Eskom has held extensive engagements with the employees, labour unions, the community and all affected stakeholders and communicated the requirement to shut down the plant timeously and clearly with everyone involved.”
Touching on the new plan for the site of the power station, Eskom said the power plant would be converted into a renewable generation site powered with 150MW of solar, 70MW of wind and 150MW of storage batteries, thereby, continuing to put the site and its associated transmission infrastructure into good use and promote economic opportunities to the community.
Eskom said it has since developed a Just Energy Transition (JET) Strategy “which places equal importance on the ‘transition to lower carbon technologies, and the ability to do so in a manner that is ‘just’ and sustainable.”
According to the utility company, it has transferred the majority of Komati employees from the power station to support and augment skills in other power stations and areas of the business in line with operational requirements.
“No employee will lose their jobs as a result of the closure.”
The company said it has commenced the development of the Komati Training Facility to facilitate the re-skilling, retraining and up-skilling of Eskom employees and members of the community.
Eskom has already signed a partnership agreement with the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (SARETEC) of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) to develop the training facility.
Funding for this facility, which would enable a transition for the local community following the decommissioning of the power station, has already been received from one of the developmental finance institutions (DFIs) and Eskom would make an official announcement in due course.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: IES Boss Questions President Akufo-Addo On How Gov’t Intends To Secure Reliable And Affordable Petroleum Products
The Executive Director for Institute for Energy Security (IES), Nana Amoasi (VII), has questioned President Akufo-Addo on how his administration intends to secure reliable and regular sources of petroleum products for Ghanaians.
“The President’s statement or pronouncement on securing reliable and regular sources of fuel supply was without context. He failed to provide the means to achieve that goal. The statement was blank and without clarity,” Nana Amoasi VII said in an interview with energynewsafrica.com.
While addressing Ghanaians on measures taken to address economic hardships in the West African nation on Sunday, President Akufo-Addo said, “Government is working to secure reliable and regular sources of affordable petroleum products for the Ghanaian market.”
The President was optimistic that this step, coupled with a stable currency, would halt the escalation of fuel prices and bring relief to Ghanaians.
However, President Akufo-Addo’s comment appears unsatisfactory in the view of the IES boss.
He said the IES is compelled to ask the President, “How do you hope to achieve that?
“Does the government intend to use state institutions like BOST and TOR to do that? If so, do they have the needed balance sheet to import fuel to the tune of roughly US$400 million on monthly basis? Do managers of these institutions have the competence to manage effectively the funds and the process?
“Does the government intend to use the existing Oil Trading Companies-Bulk Distribution Companies structure to import the adequate quantity of fuel, or it may want to introduce a third party with the requisite fund to that?” he quizzed.
According to him, existing OTCs and BDCs are currently bleeding for obvious reasons—devalued working capital as a result of the cedi’s astronomical depreciation and inadequate supply of the US dollar to meet payment obligations.
“Sourcing the fuels directly from the global refinery market is a near impossibility at a time like this when there’s a widespread shortage of supply outlets.
“If the government intends to source from oil trading companies (OTCs) such as BP, Vitol, and Trafigura, then, it is back to where we are today—confronted with high fuel supply premiums from OTCs, shortage of the required amount of dollars on the domestic forex market, and the consistent depreciation of the Ghana Cedis against the greenback,” he concluded.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Diesel Price Hits Gh¢23, Petrol Gh¢17.99 Per Litre
Fuel prices have been adjusted upward significantly at the pumps in the Republic of Ghana effective, November 1, 2022.
A notice sighted by energyanewsafrica.com indicates that TotalEnergies, one of the leading oil marketing companies, will adjust its pump price for diesel to Gh¢23.48 per litre while petrol will sell at Gh¢17.99 per litre.
Since the beginning of the second pricing window which is ending today, Monday, some oil marketing companies adjusted their pump prices, sparking debate on social media as to why the OMCs adjusted their pump prices when the second window was not over yet.
GOIL, TotalEnergies, Shell, Pacific, Petrosol, Engen, Cash Oil and few others had adjusted their pump prices.
Engen adjusted its pump price of Super (petrol) to Gh¢17.54 (US$1.21) with diesel selling at Gh¢19.94 (US$1.38) per litre.
Petrosol also adjusted its pump price for petrol to Gh¢17.48 (US$1.21) per litre while diesel is sold at Gh¢19.89 (US$1.37) per litre.
Pacific adjusted diesel price to Gh¢19.87 per litre.
Although crude oil prices have remained below $100 barrel for more than two months, the continuous depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi is largely to be blamed for the rising cost of fuel in the West African nation.
As of 9: 30pm Monday, Brent crude was trading at $94.83 per barrel while WTI was selling at $86.52 per barrel.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com