Congo-Brazzaville has suspended the launch of its largest energy infrastructure project, the 600 MW Sounda hydroelectric dam, initially set to begin construction in January 2025.
According to a report by Daba Finance, citing Government spokesperson Thierry Moungalla, the $9.4 billion project has been put on hold indefinitely.
The dam was expected to nearly double Congo’s generation capacity, currently at 720 MW, much of which is lost due to outdated infrastructure.
According to reports, cities like Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire experience frequent power outages. The government has not disclosed the cause of the postponement.
Observers cite potential issues including funding delays, technical disagreements, and logistical hurdles.
The silence has fueled public concern amid worsening electricity shortages. The project, if completed, could reshape the country’s power sector and meet growing energy demand in urban areas.
For now, the delay underscores deeper governance challenges in major infrastructure execution.
Source:https://energynewsfrica.com
The Board Chairman of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Prof. Thomas Akabzaa, has passed away, according to sources close to him.
Reports indicate that he died on Thursday, although the cause of his death is not yet known.
Prof. Akabzaa was appointed as the PURC Board chairman, along with seven other board members.
However, he was absent when Chief of Staff Julius Debrah inaugurated the board on Friday, March 28, 2025.
Throughout his career, Prof. Akabzaa held various roles, including Chief Director at the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum. He was well known for championing transparency, sustainable development, and reforms in Ghana’s natural resource governance.
Reacting to the news, Dr. Steve Manteaw, policy analyst and co-chair of the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI), paid a heartfelt tribute.
“Sad to hear about your demise this morning,” Dr. Manteaw wrote. “You’ve been a formidable pillar in the extractive industry space as an academic, activist, and a technocrat. May the good Lord guide you back to His bosom and grant you eternal rest. Farewell, Prof. Thomas Akabzaa.”
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
US air strikes on a key oil terminal on Yemen’s Red Sea coast controlled by the Houthi movement have killed at least 58 people and wounded 126 others, Houthi-run media say.
The US military said it had destroyed Ras Issa “to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue”.
The Houthi-led government that runs north-western Yemen said the terminal was a civilian facility and that attack constituted a “full-fledged war crime”.
It was one of the deadliest incidents since President Donald Trump ordered US forces to intensify their bombing campaign last month in response to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping and Israel linked to the Gaza war.
Several hours after the strikes on Ras Issa, the Israeli military said it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen.
Sirens sounded in several Israeli areas but there were no reports of any casualties or damage.
Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that 14 air strikes hit Ras Issa late on Thursday.
Videos posted online purportedly showed several explosions, large fires and destroyed fuel tankers at the facility, which is about 60km (35 miles) north of the Red Sea city of Hudaydah.
Al-Masirah cited local health authorities as saying many of the dead were workers at the facility. It also reported that five paramedics were killed in secondary US strikes as they arrived at the scene.
The casualty reports could not be immediately verified, but footage from Al-Masirah appeared to show at least 10 charred bodies near the burning tankers, including one driver, as well as men being treated for serious burns in hospital.
“We affirm that the targeting of the Ras Issa oil port is a full-fledged war crime, as the port is a civilian facility and not a military one,” the Houthi-run government said in a statement.
“We hold the US administration fully responsible for the consequences resulting from its escalation in the Red Sea,” it warned.
The US military’s Central Command said in a statement that the “objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen”.
“The Houthis, their Iranian masters, and those who knowingly aid and abet their terrorist actions should be put on notice that the world will not accept illicit smuggling of fuel and war material to a terrorist organisation,” it added.
Iran’s foreign ministry said it strongly condemned the strikes as “barbaric”.
On Thursday, the Houthis’ leader gave a defiant speech in which he claimed the recent US strikes failed to stop their attacks.
Abdul Malik al-Houthi said the group’s forces had carried out almost 80 operations involving around 170 missiles and drones since mid-March, including 30 attacks targeting the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman and 26 attacks on Israel.
Yemen has been devastated by a civil war that escalated 10 years ago, when the Houthis seized control of the country’s north-west from the internationally-recognised government and a Saudi-led coalition supported by the US intervened in an effort to restore its rule.
The fighting has reportedly left more than 150,000 people dead and triggered a humanitarian disaster, with 4.8 million people displaced and 19.5 million – half of the population – in need of some form of aid.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have targeted dozens of merchant vessels with missiles, drones and small boat attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They have sunk two vessels, seized a third, and killed four crew members.
The Houthis have said they are acting in support of the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and have claimed – often falsely – that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US or the UK.
The Houthis were not deterred by the deployment of Western warships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to protect merchant vessels last year, or by multiple rounds of US strikes on military targets ordered by former President Joe Biden.
After taking office in January, Trump redesignated the Houthis as a “Foreign Terrorist Organisation” – something the Biden administration had removed due to what it said was the need to mitigate the country’s humanitarian crisis.
Last month, Trump ordered large-scale strikes on areas controlled by the Houthis and threatened that they would be “completely annihilated”. He has also warned Iran not to arm the group – something it has repeatedly denied doing.
Israel has also carried out air strikes against the Houthis since last July in retaliation for the hundreds of missiles and drones that the Israeli military says have been launched at the country from Yemen, most of which have been shot down.
Source: BBC.com
The Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Dr. Shafic Suleman, on April 14, 2025, visited the Western Regional office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in Takoradi to deepen collaboration between the Commission and the service provider.
The meeting aimed to familiarize themselves with ECG’s operations in the region and strengthen the relationship between PURC and ECG at the regional level.
Dr. Suleman commended ECG’s regional team for their hard work but expressed concerns about maintaining stable power in the region.
“We need to find a way to ensure that we improve our network to have stable power. I have to push ECG because consumer payment is based on performance (Quality of Service), and that is the only way to satisfy the consumer,” he added.
The Regional General Manager of ECG, Ing. Ofori, raised critical points, including Revenue Mobilization, Network Improvement, and Stable Power Supply. Ing. Ofori highlighted challenges such as power theft, illegal connections, proliferation of fake meters, and aging infrastructure.
He assured PURC and Dr. Suleman of ECG’s commitment to improve performance and recognize the importance of stable power for consumers.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Suleman emphasized the importance of quality service and directed ECG to put in place measures to achieve targets and promote closer collaboration with PURC.
He expressed appreciation to the entire management of the ECG Western Regional office for their time and efforts.
Source:https://energynewsfrica.com
The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) has criticised the Ghanaian government’s decision not to renew the mining lease of Abosso Goldfields Limited (AGL) at Damang, describing it as unlawful and premature.
The government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, has announced a takeover of the mine today, 18th April 2025.
Reacting to the government’s decision during a press conference in Accra yesterday to express disagreement, the Executive Director of ACEP, Mr. Benjamin Boakye, emphasised that government’s approach should reflect diligence, legal compliance, and a genuine commitment to Ghana’s long-term mineral wealth.
“When remedies are provided in the law, the hearts and minds of the implementers cannot be at variance with the prescribed remedies,” he pointed out.
Mr. Boakye described the action as a rushed one and a disputed decision which would not only risk international litigation and reputational damage, but also undermine investor confidence and the rule of law.
He stated that though ACEP agrees that government deserves to benefit fully from its mineral resources, he was of the view that any stakeholder that truly aligns with this national goal must be transparent and factual in demonstrating how their decisions maximise public benefit.
“Government needs to exercise restraint, renew dialogue, and pursue a legally guided resolution that protects the interest of both the state and investors,” he stressed.
Touching on the undercurrents for the rejection, he mentioned that industry enthusiasts may be aware that in recent years, AGL has been exploring options, including a divestiture of the Damang mine, as it indicated in its 2024 report that the reserve does not meet its conservative Mineral Reserve Economic Criteria (MREC), explaining that it does not mean there is no gold reserve in the mines as being interpreted.
“The MREC is just a decision tool which turns to be based on changing economic variables around operations of the mine. Therefore, the state and its agencies cannot pretend not to understand this economic decision tool in the industry,” he said.
According to him, news portals have already captured state officials and also implied the minister’s statement that this is all in an effort to nationalise the mine.
The ACEP boss also expressed the view that if government wants to revisit the 1970s policy resource nationalisation efforts, which collapsed the mining industry, then it needs to be clarified by the government on what will be different this time to leave no doubts in the minds of investors, especially when the required actions per the law are clear but the actions of implementers differ.
Touching on the reasons cited by government to reject the renewal, such as the company’s refusal to declare its mineral reserves, absence of technical programme and the lack of the company’s budgetary allocations for exploring, he said they are all matters known by the Minerals Commission so it does not justify grounds for the decision.
“As a responsible policy think-tank, ACEP has seen similar cases where public officials are convinced that their decisions were in the interest of the state but were proven wrong.
“Consequently, these decisions have escalated into costly outcomes for the state. Examples of such include the attempted novation of the Ameri Power contract, the Agyapa royalty transaction, the GPGC power contract and the GNPC’s attempted acquisition of the Aker Deep Water Tano/Cape Three Points (DWT/CTP) which was later acquired by AFC for $1) among many others”, the ACEP boss cited.
Abosso Goldfields Limited (AGL) is a Ghanaian gold mining company that owns and operates the Damang Gold Mine. AGL is a joint venture, with Gold Fields Ghana Holdings Limited holding 71.1% and Gold holding 18.9%.
The company focuses on extracting gold from various types of mineralisation, including oxide and fresh hydrothermal mineralisation, and many more.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
The Ghana Grid Company LTD. (GRIDCo) is carrying out repair work on a section of its 161kV Transmission Line from Akwatia to New Obuasi.
According to a statement issued by Dzifa Bampoh, Manager of Corporate Communications, the section of the line being worked on was faulted when illegal chainsaw operators felled a tall tree, damaging a critical tower section on the line.
GRIDCo said the line is one of the key lines that supplies power to Kumasi and portions of the middle belt of Ghana. The incident, which occurred on March 17 at 9:30 am, has significantly affected the quality of supply to Kumasi and its surroundings.
According to GRIDCo, their maintenance engineers quickly moved in on the same day as the outage and started work to restore the line. However, their assessment showed extensive damage such that it required moving heavy-duty equipment to widen access to the point of fault, dismantle the damaged tower and conductors, and reconstruct a new tower in its place.
“Our engineers have worked expeditiously around the clock, and as of Thursday, April 17, 2025, the reconstruction of the new tower has been completed,” GRIDCo said. The company added that the remaining conductor stringing works are projected to be completed by Sunday, April 20, 2025, for the line to be restored to service.
GRIDCo drew attention to the negative effects of illegal chainsaw operators (and sometimes ‘galamsey’ operations), whose activities often damage the company’s electricity transmission infrastructure across the country. The company urged the public to assist in curbing these illegal activities to safeguard Ghana’s transmission infrastructure.
“GRIDCo apologizes to the public, especially residents of Kumasi and its surroundings, for the power challenges brought on as a result of the damage to the line,” the statement concluded.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Over the past decade, Ghana has poured billions of cedis into keeping the power sector running. From bailing out utilities to paying independent power producers (IPPs) for unused capacity, the government has averaged 1.7% of GDP annually to cover electricity shortfalls.
But with electricity contributing just 1.5–1.8% of GDP, the question is simple: Is the economic return worth the fiscal outlay?
Why This Matters
Electricity powers industry, supports services, and drives productivity.But the fiscal burden of sustaining Ghana’s electricity sector has become unsustainable. We must ask: are we spending smartly—or just plugging leaks?
Key Insights
Electricity contributes less than 2% of GDP but has an outsized ripple effect.
The 2012–2015 power crisis (dumsor) cost Ghana an estimated 5.6% of GDP.
The government spends GH¢30–40 billion over a decade (1.7% of GDP yearly) to stabilize the sector.
Blackouts have largely ended, but tariffs remain high, and the sector still needs bailouts.
How Ghana Compares to Peers
Ghana spends more to keep power flowing but gets less return per cedi spent than its peers.
Fiscal Efficiency of Electricity (FEE)
This metric shows how much GDP return a country gets per 1% of GDP spent on electricity. Ghana spends more to keep power flowing but gets less return per cedi spent than its peers.
What Needs to Change
Ghana’s electricity spending helped avoid collapse—but it must now deliver productivity.
Recommendations:
Make tariffs cost-reflective, while protecting the vulnerable.
Renegotiate IPP contracts to avoid paying for unused capacity.
Channel fiscal space into grid reliability, access, and industrial power use.
Use FEE and GDP/kWh to track whether electricity is driving real growth.
And most urgently, tackle ECG’s ~28% distribution losses—the single largest driver of sector cash shortfalls—by bringing in private sector participation in procurement, billing, and revenue collection.
Let’s not just keep the lights on. Let’s make them work for growth.
The Czech Republic has ended its 60-year-long dependence on Russian oil supply after capacity upgrades on a pipeline from the west.
For the first time ever, the Czech Republic is now independent from Russian oil pipeline deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline.
The Druzhba pipeline carries Russian crude to Central Europe. The pipeline is a key artery of oil supply from Russia to Europe, with two branches – a northern one via Belarus that supplies Belarus, Poland, Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania, and a southern one passing through Ukraine and sending oil to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Croatia.
Flows through the Druzhba pipeline were exempted from the EU embargo on imports of Russian crude oil by sea that came into effect on December 5, 2022. The EU has exempted pipeline oil flows to landlocked EU member states from the ban.
The Czech Republic, however, decided in 2022 to work to free itself of Russian oil supply and began a project to expand the capacity of the Trans Alpine (TAL) pipeline in a project called TAL PLUS. The plan is to boost oil supply to the Czech Republic from Italy.
The upgrade of the TAL pipeline and the project to link the Italian port of Trieste with central Europe have made it possible for the Czech Republic to stop relying on Russia for its oil supply.
The first batch of increased volumes from the west has reached the central oil depot in the country, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Thursday.
“For the first time in history, the Czech Republic is completely supplied by non-Russian oil, and fully supplied through western routes,” Fiala was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Czech pipeline operator MERO will now transport the crude to Orlen Unipetrol for processing at the Litvinov refinery, one of the country’s two processing facilities, MERO chief executive Jaroslav Pantucek said today.
Source: Oilprice.com
Tullow Oil plc (Tullow) has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Tullow Overseas Holdings BV, has signed a heads of terms agreement with Gulf Energy Ltd (the “Buyer”) to sell Tullow Kenya BV, which holds Tullow’s entire working interests in Kenya, for a total consideration of at least $120 million.
In a statement, Tullow said the sale will be split into a $40 million payment due on completion, $40 million payable at the earlier of Field Development Plan (FDP) approval or June 30, 2026, and $40 million payable over five years from the third quarter of 2028 onwards.
Additionally, Tullow will be entitled to royalty payments subject to certain conditions. Tullow will also retain a back-in right for a 30% participation in potential future development phases at no cost.
The transaction is accretive to both equity and leverage and further accelerates Tullow’s deleveraging process.
This transaction will constitute a significant transaction for the purposes of UKLR 7 of the UK Listing Rules (effective as of July 29, 2024). Richard Miller, Chief Financial Officer and Interim Chief Executive Officer of Tullow, commented: “Today’s announcement marks another step forward in Tullow’s accelerated deleveraging journey, with near-term cash receipts of $80 million and mitigating significant capital exposure, while retaining a material option on the future development of the project. I am confident that the proceeds from this transaction, coupled with the $300 million from the disposal of our assets in Gabon, position the business strongly for a successful refinancing.
“We look forward to working with Gulf Energy, who have the requisite financing to complete the transaction and are a strong and credible counterparty, and by doing so, unlock material value for the people of Kenya.”
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria has reduced electricity export to the military junta-led Niger Republic from 80 megawatts to 46 megawatts, Sahara Reporters has reported, citing Niger’s Energy Minister Haoua Amadou.
According to Amadou, Nigeria’s decision has resulted in power cuts in Niger’s capital, Niamey.
Local report suggests that the Nigerien electricity production had fallen by 30 to 50 per cent, forcing the state-owned power company, Nigelec, to impose planned outages that can last several days, especially in Niamey.
Nigeria had suspended much of its electricity exports to the West African nation as part of regional sanctions against the military junta that ousted civilian President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.
“Nigeria has since resumed electricity delivery but only providing 46 megawatts instead of the usual 80 megawatts,” Amadou said.
Earlier this week, the Association of Power Generation Companies in Nigeria (GenCos) raised the alarm over a looming shutdown of electricity plants nationwide due to a staggering N4trillion debt owed by the Nigerian government.
In a statement issued by Colonel Sani Bello, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), on Monday, the GenCos revealed that they are currently owed N2 trillion for electricity supplied in 2024, along with an additional N1.9 trillion in legacy debts.
The companies lamented that they receive less than 30 per cent of their monthly invoices for power supplied to the national grid, which severely hampers their ability to sustain operations.
“The power generation companies have continued to bear the brunt of the liquidity crisis in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
“Despite significant investments and efforts to ramp up capacity, GenCos faces systemic constraints, unfriendly policies, and mounting debts without a clear repayment plan. The absence of firm contracts and a securitized market has further complicated financial planning,” the statement read.
The GenCos warned that the liquidity crisis could lead to a total collapse of the electricity value chain, resulting in widespread blackouts.
“The 2024 collection rate has dropped below 30%, and 2025 is not any better, severely affecting GenCos’ ability to meet financial obligations,” the statement added.
According to the statement, other challenges include high corporate taxes, regulatory fees, and foreign exchange volatility, all of which have further strained revenues.
The companies noted that despite fully supplying electricity, they are not being fully paid— even after the Partial Activation of Contracts in NESI since July 2022.
The GenCos urged the Nigerian government to take immediate action to prevent a total shutdown, warning that such a scenario could escalate into a national security crisis.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Juapong District has organised a seminar to equip staff with essential security and safety tips.
The seminar, held at the District Office on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, was attended by many ECG staff members.
The seminar aimed to enhance staff awareness and preparedness in handling potential threats and risks during their fieldwork.
The Keynote Speaker, Chief Inspector Eugene Osafo Obiri, in-charge of Juapong, Frankadua, Nudu, Apegusu, Mpakadan, and surrounding areas at the Ghana Police Service, emphasized the importance of good customer relations.
He advised staff to exercise patience and restraint when dealing with difficult customers.
He also warned staff about individuals who impersonate ECG officials to extort money from customers and stressed the need for staff to wear proper attire and display their identity cards when interacting with customers.
Ing. William Ahenkorah, District Manager for ECG Juapong District, reminded staff that ECG has transitioned to cashless payments and instructed them to educate customers on how to make payments without cash.
He cautioned staff against accepting cash payments from customers, emphasizing that such actions could lead to disciplinary measures, including job loss.
The seminar was well-received by staff, who expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn and enhance their safety and security protocols.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
The National Agency of Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG) and TotalEnergies Angola have commenced the conversion of a new Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit, named Kaminho, in Natong, China.
This milestone marks the first development in the Kwanza basin, a new oil and gas source for Angola.
The Kaminho FPSO will utilize advanced technology with high standards of quality, health, safety, and environment.
According to Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, this project will be the company’s seventh FPSO in Angola and the first-ever development in the Kwanza basin.
The FPSO is designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and eliminate routine flaring, with associated gas being fully reinjected into the reservoirs.
The Kaminho project is a result of collaboration between TotalEnergies, Petronas, and Sonangol, with the ANPG serving as the concessionaire.
The project will involve over 10 million man-hours in Angola, mainly with offshore operations and construction at local yards.
TotalEnergies and Sonangol have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to share expertise on Research & Technology, focusing on decarbonization and methane emissions reduction.
Commenting Paulino Jerónimo, Chairman of the Board of ANPG said: “The first development in the maritime zone of the Kwanza basin is important to showcase the opening of new oil frontiers in Angola, and it’s part of our strategy to keep Angola on the top of African oil producers, bringing important income to our economy.”
Diamantino de Azevedo, Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil & Gas (MIREMPET) Highlighted the importance of the partnership between TotalEnergies, Sonangol, and Petronas in making the Kaminho project possible.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana has officially commissioned a mini-grid project in three island communities with a total capacity of 253.26 kWp in the Ada East Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
The project, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) at a cost of $2.3 million, will provide electricity access to over 3,700 residents in the three island communities. The three island communities benefiting from the mini-grids are Alorkpem, Azizakpe, and Aflivie.
Although sod-cutting for the project was done on October 6, 2020, some issues delayed the project’s completion schedule.
The project was executed by Messrs Techno Trama Ambienta of Spain.
Commissioning the mini-grid project, Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, stated that the project testifies to the government’s unwavering commitment to bridging the energy access gap for all Ghanaians, regardless of their location.
This project is part of Ghana’s efforts to increase electricity access in isolated communities, particularly island communities along the Volta Lake.
https://energynewsafrica.com/is-ghanas-electricity-spending-paying-off/
With the lights now turned on, over 3,700 residents will have access to clean, reliable, and sustainable electricity for the first time.
“This is not merely an infrastructure project. It’s a promise fulfilled, opening new opportunities for education, healthcare, business, and improved livelihoods,” Minister Jinapor said.
He instructed the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to incorporate the tariff proposal submitted by the Volta River Authority (VRA) into the upcoming bulk generation tariff review.
This measure aims to ensure the recovery of operations and maintenance costs, enhancing the long-term sustainability and quality of electricity services.
Minister Jinapor commended the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) for their generous funding and collaboration, which made this achievement possible.
Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Simone Giger, described the project as historic but expressed concern about maintaining the project after commissioning.
Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Simone Giger,
“It would be unfortunate if the project isn’t properly maintained,” she emphasized.
Ambassador Giger encouraged the beneficiary communities to leverage the project to fulfill their dreams.
The Ada East Municipality Chief Executive representative expressed gratitude to the Swiss Government and Government of Ghana on behalf of the beneficiary communities. The project is expected to boost economic activities, support healthcare, and improve academic performance among school children, who can now study at night.
Ing. Seth Mahu briefing Minister for Energy and Green Transition Hon. John Abdulai Jinapor.
According to Ing. Edward Obeng-Kenzo, Chief Executive Officer of Volta Riverr Authority the project demonstrates of shared commitment to equitable development and inclusive access to energy.
Expressing gratitude to the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition for its assurance of providing the necessary support towards fully optimizing the mini grid systems, Ing. Obeng-Kenzo said VRA remains committed to the project’s long-term sustainability and efficient management.
“It is our expectation that this project will have a profound impact on the local economy of these communities and truly add value to their lives for socio-economic development,’’ he added.
Ing. Edward Obeng -Kenzo, Chief Executive Officer of Volta River AuthoritySource:https://energynewsafrica.com
Carbon emissions from Europe’s power generators jumped in the first quarter of 2025 to the highest in two years as lower wind and solar output led to an increase in natural gas and coal plant utilization.
Europe’s power producers saw their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions jump to 390 million metric tons in the first quarter, up by 23.5 million tons from a year earlier. The January-March CO2 emission levels were the highest from the European power sector for any quarter since the beginning of 2023, according to data by energy think tank Ember cited by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire.
Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and Poland were the biggest contributors to the emissions increase as their gas and coal generation jumped to the highest levels in years amid low wind speeds and little sunshine in the first really cold winter in Europe for three years.
The surge in emissions bucks the trend of the past two years and is due to the slump in renewable energy output this winter.
Europe has suffered the most from the lower wind speeds in the past few months, while power demand was higher in the coldest winter months.
For example, Germany saw lower-than-normal winds for several months in a row, which reduced wind power generation, boosting electricity prices and the reliance on fossil fuels. The lower wind power generation, Germany’s largest source of electricity, extended from the end of 2024 to the early months of 2025.
The German predicament, where wind speeds were below average for extended periods of time this past winter, hiked regional prices as Germany’s utilities were not only boosting gas and coal generation, but also raising electricity imports from neighboring countries.
Over the next few months, solar and wind power generation is set to recover from the lows in the first quarter. Solar radiation will be at its peak in the late spring and summer, accounting for a larger share of power generation in Europe.
Source: oilprice.com
Al-Masirah cited local health authorities as saying many of the dead were workers at the facility. It also reported that five paramedics were killed in secondary US strikes as they arrived at the scene.
The casualty reports could not be immediately verified, but footage from Al-Masirah appeared to show at least 10 charred bodies near the burning tankers, including one driver, as well as men being treated for serious burns in hospital.
“We affirm that the targeting of the Ras Issa oil port is a full-fledged war crime, as the port is a civilian facility and not a military one,” the Houthi-run government said in a statement.
“We hold the US administration fully responsible for the consequences resulting from its escalation in the Red Sea,” it warned.
The US military’s Central Command said in a statement that the “objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen”.
“The Houthis, their Iranian masters, and those who knowingly aid and abet their terrorist actions should be put on notice that the world will not accept illicit smuggling of fuel and war material to a terrorist organisation,” it added.
Iran’s foreign ministry said it strongly condemned the strikes as “barbaric”.
On Thursday, the Houthis’ leader gave a defiant speech in which he claimed the recent US strikes failed to stop their attacks.
Abdul Malik al-Houthi said the group’s forces had carried out almost 80 operations involving around 170 missiles and drones since mid-March, including 30 attacks targeting the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman and 26 attacks on Israel.
Yemen has been devastated by a civil war that escalated 10 years ago, when the Houthis seized control of the country’s north-west from the internationally-recognised government and a Saudi-led coalition supported by the US intervened in an effort to restore its rule.
The fighting has reportedly left more than 150,000 people dead and triggered a humanitarian disaster, with 4.8 million people displaced and 19.5 million – half of the population – in need of some form of aid.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have targeted dozens of merchant vessels with missiles, drones and small boat attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They have sunk two vessels, seized a third, and killed four crew members.
The Houthis have said they are acting in support of the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and have claimed – often falsely – that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US or the UK.
The Houthis were not deterred by the deployment of Western warships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to protect merchant vessels last year, or by multiple rounds of US strikes on military targets ordered by former President Joe Biden.
After taking office in January, Trump redesignated the Houthis as a “Foreign Terrorist Organisation” – something the Biden administration had removed due to what it said was the need to mitigate the country’s humanitarian crisis.
Last month, Trump ordered large-scale strikes on areas controlled by the Houthis and threatened that they would be “completely annihilated”. He has also warned Iran not to arm the group – something it has repeatedly denied doing.
Israel has also carried out air strikes against the Houthis since last July in retaliation for the hundreds of missiles and drones that the Israeli military says have been launched at the country from Yemen, most of which have been shot down.
Source: BBC.com 
According to GRIDCo, their maintenance engineers quickly moved in on the same day as the outage and started work to restore the line. However, their assessment showed extensive damage such that it required moving heavy-duty equipment to widen access to the point of fault, dismantle the damaged tower and conductors, and reconstruct a new tower in its place.
“Our engineers have worked expeditiously around the clock, and as of Thursday, April 17, 2025, the reconstruction of the new tower has been completed,” GRIDCo said. The company added that the remaining conductor stringing works are projected to be completed by Sunday, April 20, 2025, for the line to be restored to service.
GRIDCo drew attention to the negative effects of illegal chainsaw operators (and sometimes ‘galamsey’ operations), whose activities often damage the company’s electricity transmission infrastructure across the country. The company urged the public to assist in curbing these illegal activities to safeguard Ghana’s transmission infrastructure.
“GRIDCo apologizes to the public, especially residents of Kumasi and its surroundings, for the power challenges brought on as a result of the damage to the line,” the statement concluded.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com 