Uniting African energy stakeholders with investors and international partners to drive industry growth and development, the African Energy Week (AEW) 2022 Conference and Exhibition featured its second Natural Gas Forum, focusing on local content and capital domiciliation laws and what can be done to keep the value of African energy in Africa.
The session featured a keynote speech by Dr. Ben K.D. Asante, CEO of Ghana National Gas Company, (Ghana Gas), who discussed the country and region’s upstream sector and how African economic development can benefit from energy, the creation of jobs, and the development of associated value-adding industries in both the oil and gas industry.
“We have to make sure that when investors come to Africa, they have access to capital; that they have access to reserve studies and well deliverability data; and that they have access to production profiles for proven, probably, and possible resources,” Dr. Asante, said adding, “Private sector participation and capacity building are essential for developing Ghana’s gas sector, with an institutional framework that is well-defined.”
Meanwhile, the forum featured a panel discussion, moderated by Elizabeth Rogo, CEO at energy consultancy company, Tsavo Oilfield Services, with participation from Dr. Asante; Ezekial Adesina, Executive Secretary, Africa Energy Study Group; Jozsef Marton, Partner, Preng & Associates; Dr. Odette Delbra, CEO, Gabon Oil; and Eric Williams, President and Principal Consultant, Royal Triangle Energy Solutions who discussed the natural gas economy in Africa under the theme, ‘Local content and capacity building within an emerging frontier’.
“Let us think in one way for Africa,” stated Dr. Odette Delbra, CEO of Gabon Oil, adding,” We need to monetize our gas. We have to stop flaring and translate that gas to energy. We need to ensure that all associated gas will be used first to give electricity to our population and then later we can transform that gas internally to create jobs and help with health and education.”
Warranting the need to reduce emissions across the energy sector, the speakers during the forum recognized the need for the continent to maximize its gas resources by building a gas-based economy and facilitating the development of economic diversification to promote socio economic development.
“Our resources are valuable,” indicated Eric Williams, President and Principal Consultant for Royal Triangle Energy Solutions, stating, “I wish for African gas. To monetize gas, you need to build something out of it. If we go back to the fundamentals and refocus our collective intellectual capacity, then I think we can start to address the poverty and underdevelopment issues that persist on the African continent.”
With many companies operating on the continent leading the way towards a sustainably developed hydrocarbon industry, the lucrative potential of associated chemicals and products such as fertilizers, plastics, lubricants, and chemical compounds, offers African gas producers an opportunity to bring jobs, wealth, and energy to their populations.
“Gas is a fuel and a feedstock,” Williams continued, concluding, “If you only use it as a fuel, you are losing the effect of the feedstock. The feedstock has the ability to build petrochemical and other facilities in one’s country. Meanwhile, there are two elements to local content, the backward path, and the forward linkage. The backward linkage is about jobs and services in the local environment, immediately putting developing countries at a disadvantage, leaving them without the capability to match developed countries. The forward linkage is where you build things that will provide beneficiation of the raw material in the country.”
Centered around the role Africa’s resources will play in meeting global energy demand while driving a just and sustainable energy transition, AEW 2022 is fully committed to ensuring the continent realizes its gas growth potential, facilitating the realization of project approvals, energy investment, and industry growth and development.
Energynewsafrica.com’s editor Michael Creg Afful is in Cape Town, South Africa covering the ongoing Africa Energy Week 2022.
The conference has brought together OPEC President, Secretary-General of OPEC, Energy Ministers, National Oil Companies in Africa, investors and Energy Sector Regulators.
Here are some exclusive pictures captured from the conference.
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister for Energy, Republic of GhanaDr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, CEO of National Petroleum Authority, Mr. Charles Owusu, CEO of Petroleum Development Hub Corporation and other officials of NPA at the African Energy Week 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa.Dr. Ben K.D Asante (3rd Left), Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Gas Company with some staff of Ghana Gas at the African Energy Week 2022Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima (2nd Right) Minister for Mines and Hydrocarbons, Equatorial Guinea in a photograph with some delegates Gas at the African Energy Week 2022Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah, Acting CEO of GNPC making a presentation at the Africa Energy WeekLoic Chapuis, Senior Vice President in-charge of Gas and Low Carbon Energy, Technip Energies and Immanuel Mulunga, CEO of NAMCORHon. Puot Kang Chol, Minister for Petroleum, South SudanSource: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Kpedze Senior High School in the Volta Region has beaten five competing schools to emerge as the champions for this year’s Senior High School (SHS) ‘Renewable Energy Challenge’ organised by the Energy Commission.
The champions presented a Solar Dehydrator project at the finals of the 3rd edition of the SHS Renewable Energy Challenge which was held at the Accra International Conference Centre.
The event was highly patronised by players in the energy sector.
The competing schools were Bolgatanga Girls’ SHS, Yaa Asantewaa Girls’ SHS, Nkoranza Tech Institute, Business SHS, Ghana Secondary Technical School and Kpedze SHS.
The SHS Renewable Energy Challenge was sponsored by the Volta River Authority, Bui Power Authority, ECG, PURC, Clean Cooking Alliance and AFD.
Hon. Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Deputy Minister for EnergySource: https://energynewsafrica.com
Leaders of the 27 European Union countries will meet on Thursday, 20 October 2022, for the second time in a fortnight to try to bring down energy prices, though persistent divisions between them mean the bloc is unlikely for now put a ceiling on what it pays for gas.
The 27 are expected to back an alternative price benchmark for liquefied natural gas and joint gas buying, after earlier agreeing to cut consumption and introduce levies on windfall profits in the energy industry.
But they remain as split as they were months ago on whether and how to cap gas prices to stem high inflation and stave off recession, after Russia cut gas flows following its invasion of Ukraine.
While 15 countries including France and Poland push some form of a cap, they face strong opposition from Germany and the Netherlands – respectively Europe’s biggest economy and gas buyer, and a major European gas trading hub.
“An agreement is extremely unlikely… Opinions seem to be really far apart,” a senior EU diplomat said ahead of Thursday’s talks.
They will also discuss emergency spending to mitigate the effects the acute energy crunch has on their economies and 450 million citizens.
While some countries have called for the bloc to issue new joint debt to finance that, more frugal members say hundreds of billions of euros unused from previous programmes should be spent first.
Another disagreement is whether to provide immediate relief through direct subsidies to households and businesses, or invest in green energy that would make the bloc more resilient in the future.
“Division is not a luxury we can afford,” the summit’s chairman, European Council President Charles Michel, said.
But given EU countries’ diverse energy mix and interests, the meeting risks falling short on concrete action, with other concerns being whether a gas cap would enable Britain to buy cheaper energy or compromise stability of supplies.
“Unity among member states is dangerously under pressure, with unilateral national decisions being announced without an EU framework to keep them together,” said E3G, a think-tank dedicated to climate change transition.
“This fragmentation …could undermine the credibility of the EU’s response.”
EU energy ministers meet again next week but another senior EU diplomat said they did not expect more detailed decisions before November.
WAR IN UKRAINE
EU leaders will also discuss options for giving more support to Ukraine, including providing energy equipment, helping restore power supply and long-term financing to eventually rebuild the country.
As regards bringing those responsible for alleged war crimes in Ukraine to justice, some EU countries want to set up a dedicated tribunal quickly, while others are seeking to go more slowly to ensure maximum international endorsement.
“The European (Union) Council condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent indiscriminate Russian missile and drone attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects and infrastructure in Kyiv and across Ukraine,” the leaders will say, according to their draft statement.
They will single out Belarus for enabling Russia’s war but are not expected to support further sanctions against Moscow on Thursday.
The bloc is already moving to impose new sanctions on Iran over the use of Iranian-made drones in Russian strikes on Ukraine.
Source: Reuters
An employee of Eskom’s Tutuka Power Station in South Africa has been arrested for allegedly removing 10 drums of hydraulic oil from the on-site storage facility.
The employee’s arrest on Monday follows Eskom’s internal investigation, assisted by the Hawks.
The stolen drums of hydraulic oil are valued at more than R 800 000.00 (US$43 736)
The arrested employee appeared in the Standerton Magistrate Court and was remanded in custody for a bail application.
“We shall ensure that bail is denied, and that the employee faces the full might of the law,” Advocate Karen Pillay, General Manager for Eskom Group Security.
In a separate incident at the Matla Power Station on Monday, 17 October, three (3) cleaning contractors working on the site were arrested for stealing copper cables which they placed in a waste storage container.
The suspects were under the watchful surveillance of the investigators who pounced on them when they attempted to remove the container from the area.
“We cannot have such individuals who choose to steal so brazenly, within the employ of Eskom. We shall work ardently to arrest such individuals including their accomplices and bring them to book,” Advocate Pillay asserted.
Advocate Pillay further thanked the law enforcement agencies and the National Prosecuting Authority for their support and for responding to the serious scourge of infrastructure crime, that is affecting the already ailing power system.
Eskom urged the public to partner in protecting the electricity infrastructure and to report crime incidents and information immediately to the Eskom Crime Line: 0800 11 27 22.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nambia’s national oil company, NAMCOR, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Technip Energies, a French engineering and technology company, for the development of Namibia’s oil and gas discoveries made recently by Shell and TotalEnergies.
The MoU was signed on the second day of the ongoing African Energy Week 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Present at the signing were representatives from both Technip Energies and NAMCOR, with the MoU signed by Immanuel Mulunga, CEO of NAMCOR, and Loic Chapuis SVP Gas and Low Carbon Energy, Technip Energies.
As per the terms of the MoU, Technip Energies would help assist NAMCOR with the development of the country’s two large-scale oil and gas discoveries made earlier this year, providing technology services to help get these discoveries onstream as soon as possible.
“We are here to sign a landmark MoU between the Namibian government and Technip Energies. NAMCOR will sign on behalf of the government of Namibia. We are excited about the two discoveries made this year and want to start discussing with a world-class company like Technip Energies to see how they can assist us get these discoveries onstream,” Mulunga stated.
“We are honoured and excited to sign this partnership deal to enhance our presence in Africa. Namibia is a key focus for us and the development of these discoveries perfectly aligns with our agenda as Technip Energies. We are delighted to share technology with Namibia and feel that this MoU will be instrumental in improving technology in Namibia,” Chapuis said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s power export power to Burkina Faso and other neighbouring countries is expected to improve significantly with the commissioning of the 330kV Kumasi-Bolgatanga Transmission Line by the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), energynewsafrica.com can report.
Currently, Ghana exports about 150 Megawatts of power to its northern neighbour, Burkina Faso and the Sahel region.
President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, last Sunday, commissioned the Kumasi-Bolgatanga Transmission Line which was jointly implemented by GRIDCo and SONABEL, as part of his tour of the Ashanti Region.
The project is part of the West Africa Power Pool regional interconnection project between Ghana and Burkina Faso.
It was funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) of US$174 million and a European Union grant of €5 million dedicated to project management.
The project construction was undertaken by Elecnor SA for the Kintampo substation, Eiffage Energies/ABB Ag J.V undertook the Tamale substation while the Bolgatanga substation was done by Sinohydro corporation ltd and KEC international.
With the commissioning of the 330kV Kumasi-Bolgatanga Transmission Line, GRIDCo is hopeful that there would be a reduction in transmission losses, increased transmission capacity and improved security of electricity to Burkina Faso and beyond.
Commenting on the project, Chief Executive of GRIDCo, Ing Ebenezer Essienyi said, “GRIDCo is proud to have delivered this complex energy sector project with the support of strategic partners which has a direct impact on the power supply for Ghanaians, businesses and foreign customers. This transmission line project reinforces and stabilises GRIDCo’s transmission network. It also expands access for Ghana’s middle to the northern belt, as well as consolidating Ghana’s export of up to 150MW beyond its northern border to Burkina Faso and the Sahel region. I commend all who were involved for their contribution to making this project a reality.”
On his part, the Chargé d’Affaires A.I. of the French Embassy to Ghana, Raphaël Malara indicated, “I do consider that such a project—by enhancing regional integration and facilitating the provision of basic services—is a contribution to stability and peace in the region. This project is also a reflection on the importance of the energy sector for the partnership between France and Ghana.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has withdrawn controversial perks for cabinet ministers and their deputies that saw their homes supplied with free electricity and water.
The benefits caused a public outcry as they were considered insensitive at a time South Africans are struggling with daily power cuts and rising cost of living.
In a press briefing on Monday evening, a spokesman said the President “acknowledges and appreciates the public sentiments on the matter.”
The ministerial handbook, which outlines ministerial benefits, would be “aligned to the realities that many South Africans face,” Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya said.
He said the intention behind the perks was “not a nefarious one.
“The intention was to try and find some form of balance between what ministers could afford versus some of the costs that they have,” he is quoted as saying by the state news agency.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ukrainian engineers have managed to restore backup power to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), a much-needed development after the plant twice over the past week lost all access to external electricity, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said.
The availability of backup off-site electricity, through the switchyard of the nearby thermal power station, provides Europe’s largest nuclear power plant with a buffer if the connection to its last remaining operating 750 kilovolts (kV) power line were to be cut again, the Director General said.
When the ZNPP’s connection to the high-voltage line was temporarily cut on Saturday and again on Wednesday due to damage caused by shelling.
The plant had to rely on its emergency diesel generators for electricity until the line was restored.
In recent days, two of the ZNPP’s backup power lines–connecting it to the thermal power plant switchyards–have been repaired, the IAEA team at the site reported to Agency headquarters. Today, one of the 330kV external lines connecting the switchyard of the thermal power plant to the grid was also restored, enabling the plant to receive electricity that way, if needed.
“Working in very challenging conditions, operating staff at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant are doing everything they can to bolster its fragile off-site power situation. Restoring the backup power connection is a positive step in this regard, even though the overall nuclear safety and security situation remains precarious,” Director General Grossi said.
Before the conflict, the ZNPP had access to the grid through four high-voltage power lines, but three of them have fallen victim to the fighting. The backup power lines–offering indirect access to the electricity grid–had also been down in recent weeks.
A secure off-site power supply from the grid is essential for ensuring nuclear safety, also with the six reactors in shutdown mode. This requirement is among the seven indispensable nuclear safety and security pillars that the Director General outlined at the beginning of the conflict.
The IAEA team also said further preparatory activities to restart reactor unit 5 were continuing, and that work to also restart unit 6 was expected to get underway tomorrow. Restarting will take several days.
Separately, the ZNPP has received additional fuel supplies for its 20 diesel generators, following the arrival of seven trucks, of which five recently came from the city of Zaporizhzhya, and two earlier from Russian-controlled territory, the IAEA team said. The plant currently has fuel for at least ten days of operation of diesel should external power be lost.
Director General Grossi has, in recent weeks, engaged in high-level consultations with Ukraine and Russia aimed at agreeing and implementing a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the ZNPP as soon as possible, stressing it is urgently needed to help prevent a nuclear accident. The consultations are progressing.
During recent high-level meetings in Ukraine and Russia, he has also raised the increasingly challenging work conditions for the ZNPP’s Ukrainian staff. They are facing “unacceptable pressure”, he said, due to demands to sign a new employment contract with Russian state company Rosatom to keep their jobs, while national Ukrainian operator Energoatom is urging them not to do so and instead follow its instructions.
“I made it clear that the staff must be allowed to carry out their vital tasks without undue interference or pressure,” the Director General said.
Since early August, there has been frequent shelling at or near the ZNPP, causing widespread concern about nuclear safety and security at the site. In the past few days, the IAEA team said, there appears to have been little shelling in the vicinity of the plant itself. However, there were two landmine explosions in the afternoon today outside the ZNPP perimeter fence.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
In 2016, a study commissioned by Tullow Ghana indicated skills gaps in youth employability due to low education progression rate in the Western Region of Ghana.
Following the study, Tullow Ghana partnered with Youth Bridge Foundation, a youth-focused non-governmental organisation, and the Ghana Education Service to initiate a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) project targeted at Junior and Senior High Schools within the seven (7) coastal districts where Tullow operates. This led to the birth of the ‘Mobile STEM Clinics’ in 2018.
The Mobile STEM Clinics have been a game changer for students in these fishing communities with limited access to educational infrastructure. The clinics provide access to science equipment and laboratory experiments that are needed for understanding the theoretical concepts taught in schools. The laboratory setup is carried in vans and stationed in locations that are accessible to the students. During the clinic, facilitators give students the opportunity to be able to undertake laboratory experiments with science and maths equipment, and to ask questions based on their experience.
The clinics have been very instrumental in preparing final-year Junior High School (JHS) students from the beneficiary communities for their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), with a keen focus on Mathematics and Integrated Science.
The 7-day clinic also allows experts from the Ghana Education Service to provide best practices and critical insights into the examination for the benefit of the candidates. A striking feature of the clinic is the ‘Peer-to-Peer Mentorship’ Module which enables past beneficiaries of the project to share their personal experiences from STEM education and consequently help to boost the confidence of prospective BECE candidates.
Since its inception in 2018, the impact of this flagship project has been massive across the seven coastal districts of Ellembelle, Jomoro, Effia Kwesimintim, Sekondi-Takoradi, Nzema East, Shama, and Ahanta West. Education progression has improved, as the project has led to many beneficiaries enrolling in tertiary institutions, the first batch of which are currently in final year in these institutions.
This impact has also been manifested through beneficiaries who have become STEM ambassadors, projecting the gains of the programme in Senior High Schools and tertiary institutions. This year, more than 1300 students participated in the Mobile STEM Clinics in preparation for their annual BECE. Previous years recorded over 1600 participants, bringing the total beneficiaries of the program close to 3000 participants in its 4-year implementation period.
Commenting on the impact of the project, Deputy Managing Director for Tullow Ghana, Mrs. Cynthia Lumor said “At Tullow, we recognize that STEM education is an important building block for the socio-economic development of our host communities. That is why we invest in several STEM-related initiatives including the Mobile STEM Clinic to give young Ghanaians, access to practical science sessions to ensure that no one is left behind in accessing quality STEM education. We believe that this will bridge the resource gap and spur beneficiaries onto higher heights”.
The Mobile STEM Clinic is funded by Tullow Ghana Limited under its ‘Educate to Innovate with STEM’ project which is implemented by the Youth Bridge Foundation.
Source: Tullow Ghana Limited
Ukraine has warned of an emerging “critical” risk to its power grid after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that repeated Russian bombardments had destroyed one-third of the country’s power facilities as winter approaches.
The warning on Tuesday came as Russian forces claimed to have retaken territory from Ukrainian troops in the eastern Kharkiv region, Moscow’s first announced capture of a village there since being nearly entirely pushed out of the region last month.
At the same time, Russian attacks rocked energy facilities in Kyiv and urban centres across the country, causing blackouts and disrupting water supplies, one day after the capital was bombarded with a swarm of suicide drones.
“The situation is critical now across the country. It’s necessary for the whole country to prepare for electricity, water and heating outages,” Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office, told Ukrainian television.
The attacks in the early hours of Tuesday hit Kyiv, Kharkiv in the east, Mykolaiv in the south and central regions of Dnipro and Zhytomyr, where officials said hospitals were running on backup generators.
Zelenskyy called the repeated targeting of energy infrastructure “another kind of Russian terrorist attacks”.
“Since October 10, 30 percent of Ukraine’s power stations have been destroyed, causing massive blackouts across the country,” the Ukrainian leader said on Twitter.
Many towns and cities in the Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv, and parts of the city of Dnipro in central Ukraine were without electricity, while power was restored to the southern city of Mykolaiv after attacks overnight.
“Now the city is cut off from electricity and water supplies. Hospitals are working on backup power,” the mayor of Zhytomyr, Sergiy Sukhomlyn, said in a statement online.
The national emergency services said that after 10 days of attacks on energy facilities, some 1,162 towns and villages in nine regions had been left without power and more than 70 people were killed and 290 injured.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said three people had been killed in Tuesday’s attacks.
Zelenskyy earlier said the new wave of nationwide attacks – which he said had damaged a residential building and flower market in Mykolaiv – was a Russian attempt to “terrorise and kill civilians.”
Source: Aljazeera
The Bui Power Authority (BPA) has donated Gh¢20,000 to Roshelle Brago Foundation to support its activities.
The donation formed part of the BPA’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the Bui enclave in the Bono and Savannah Regions of Ghana.
Roshelle Brago Foundation is an NGO that brings together various health professionals and volunteers to create more awareness of Down syndrome by campaigning for change and providing innovative services that give people with down syndrome the opportunity to live life like any other member of society.
Founded in March 2016 by Miss Mavis Opoku Asantewaa, a Community Mental Health Officer, the organisation has been committed to improving the quality of life for people with down syndrome and promoting their rights to be included on a full and equal basis with others.
Ing Samuel Kow Ansah, Deputy CEO in charge of Engineering, Operations and Technical at BPA, presenting a dummy cheque of Gh¢20,000 Miss Mavis Opoku Asantewaa , Director for Robb Foundation
Ing Samuel Kow Ansah, Deputy CEO in charge of Engineering, Operations and Technical at BPA, last Wednesday, presented a dummy cheque of Gh¢20,000 to the Robb Foundation on behalf of the CEO, Mr Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, at the climax of a 10-day health screening and sensitisation on Down Syndrome at Jama.
Ing Kow Ansah said the CEO recognised the challenges in managing children with down syndrome and decided that the Authority supported the foundation to be able to do more to sensitise parents on down syndrome and advocate for the development of such children in Ghana.
The Director of Robb Foundation, Mrs. Mavis Opoku, who received the donation, commended the management of BPA for the gesture and expressed their commitment to continue their advocacy work to ensure that children with special needs are given attention.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
During the first day of the African Energy Week conference and exhibition, H.E. Haitham Al Ghais, Secretary General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries delivered a keynote address to hundreds of assembled delegates.
Following a strong lineup of panel discussions, presentations and opening addresses, the first day of the African Energy Week (AEW) conference and exhibition saw a keynote address delivered by H.E. Haitham Al Ghais, Secretary General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
During his address, the Secretary General emphasized OPEC’s global outlook, key challenges faced by the global oil markets and Africa’s key role in the organization.
Kicking off his address, H.E. Al Ghais stated that, “African Energy Week continues to go from strength to strength and is now a leading event on the global calendar. I would like to thank the President of the OPEC organization for his leadership during these trying times.”
Speaking on ‘Africa’s role in global energy security: Driving energy investments towards a sustainable future and the role of OPEC as an important source for energy security,’ H.E. Al Ghais provided key insight into the organization’s strategies for driving stability across Africa and the role the recent Declaration of Cooperation plays in improving stability.
“The producers of the declaration of cooperation remain a vital stabilizing force despite being in a period of great uncertainty. The last meeting was held a few days ago and the heads of delegations unanimously decided to take a proactive stance to create stability in global markets. With the very real potential of a global recession, there was a consensus among the Ministers. I would like to thank the African heads of delegations for their ongoing support to provide lasting stability in global oil markets.”
Touching on the state of play of the global oil outlook and the organization’s outlook, H.E. Al Ghais stated that, “Our actions in the short term most certainly have an impact on the longer term. On October 21 we will be launching the next edition of the OPEC World Outlook. This flagship publication provides a detailed overview for the long-term forecasts for global energy markets. Demand for energy will continue to rise dramatically. Despite a minor decline, oil will still share the largest share of the energy mix by 2025. The combined share for oil and gas is expected to remain above 50% by 2025.”
Meanwhile, in addition to market challenges, climate change will continue to have significant impacts on global economies, with H.E. Al Ghais explaining that, “OPEC supports SDG 7 which seeks to increase access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all. Energy, like education and healthcare, should not be considered a luxury but a basic human right. The overarching issue of climate change and energy transition will have massive implications for Africa. Countries around the world continue to adapt to the rapidly changing dynamics of the industry. In this context, Africa is in a very fragile position. African countries stand to be on the losing end on the consequences of climate change. OPEC will continue to advocate for Africa.”
Thereafter, H.E. Al Ghais discussed Africa’s key role in OPEC, highlighting that, “With seven members, Africa makes up more than half of OPEC’s overall membership. This increasing presence led to the establishment of the first ever high-level OPEC-Africa energy dialogue. Through this dialogue, we look forward to enhancing our focus on this continent and its energy future. Africa’s energy future is bright and the opportunities are vast. As of 2021, Africa’s proven oil reserves amounted to over 120 billion barrels. There are increased opportunities for enhanced intra-African trade. Despite the many challenges that lay ahead, we will continue to see Africa’s energy sector thrive and develop for years to come.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The first day of African Energy Week (AEW) 2022, held in Cape Town on 18 October, featured a panel discussion during which participants discussed the reformation of Africa’s power generation monopolies, presenting an in-depth look at the liberalization of energy markets and a transition towards a more competitive industry.
Moderated by Hendrik Malan, President of research and consulting firm, Frost & Sullivan Africa, the panel featured the participation of Alhassane Diallo, Counselor in Charge of Hydrocarbons, Ministry of Energy, Hydropower and Hydrocarbons, Guinea-Conakry; Nosizwe Nokwe-Macamo, Board Member, African Energy Chamber (AEC); Jonathan First, Managing Director, Delphos and H.E. Dr. Eng. Sultan Wali, State Minister of Energy & Water, Ethiopia.
“We are exploring reforms within the energy sector on the African continent,” said Hendrik Malan, President of Frost & Sullivan, adding, “The quality of policy is generally a big issue in Africa and is quite important because of the role of the private sector. Are we making progress towards closing the energy poverty gap and what reforms have there been to support our constructive move to close this supply gap?
The panelists explored and examined a suite of recent power sector reforms in Africa while addressing the effectiveness of these reforms and how governance and performance in the power sector could herald a new era for the energy landscape on the continent. The speakers touched on topics such as independent regulation, commercialization, decentralizing utilities, and introducing private sector participation and competition.
“Countries on the African continent are moving towards what kinds of reforms can be put in place, with the most important reform that we’ve noticed being the regulatory reform,” stated Nosizwe Nokwe-Macamo, Board Member for the AEC, adding, “The reason is because the regulatory reform assists in attracting capital investment. We are finding that countries, such as Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, have started moving towards, and looking at how to implement, regulatory reforms.”
In an effort to increase the role the private sector can play in meeting energy demand and achieving open access to energy through regional integration and power trading, it was noted that competitive and bilateral power trading could serve to improve reliability, reduce redundancy, and bring reliable and sustainable energy to millions of Africans, thereby alleviating energy poverty.
“We have to realize that a solution to the provision of energy has to rely more and more on the private sector. The regulatory reform in South Africa around power generation is an important one as companies will need to provide power to their businesses and if utility companies fail to do so then companies will have to pick up for them,” stated Jonathan First, Managing Director for market advisory company Delphos.
With the world of energy changing constantly and rapidly, accelerated innovations in power technologies, services and markets have resulted in upending relatively stable market prices and shares. With the rising abundance of digitalization, information and communication technologies, and as renewable and distributed energy and storage resources become more competitive, Africa will need to remain on the forefront of technical innovations as the world shifts towards a global energy transition.
“Solar and wind is everywhere, everybody has access to solar and wind. We are blessed as a continent. We don’t pay for it. It’s free and it doesn’t need transmission,” added First, adding, “To me, the solution to energy security is through renewable energy on a transitory basis.”
Despite the continent’s enormous renewable energy potential, over 600 million people on the continent lack access to reliable and affordable energy. By improving energy infrastructure, implementing reforms, transforming utility companies, and increasing the funding pool for new projects, Africa has continued to strive towards energy independence, particularly by targeting the renewable energy market.
“Africa has a huge amount of untapped renewable resources; however, our power generation capacity is still below 5,000 MW,” stated H.E. Dr. Eng. Sultan Wali, State Minister of Energy & Water for Ethiopia, noting that “More than 50% of Ethiopians are living without access to electricity, and more than 90% are dependent on biomass. Therefore, some of the main priority areas are to ensure access to universal access to electricity.”
Dr. Ben K.D Asante (3rd Left), Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Gas Company with some staff of Ghana Gas at the African Energy Week 2022
Hon. Puot Kang Chol, Minister for Petroleum, South Sudan
As per the terms of the MoU, Technip Energies would help assist NAMCOR with the development of the country’s two large-scale oil and gas discoveries made earlier this year, providing technology services to help get these discoveries onstream as soon as possible.
“We are here to sign a landmark MoU between the Namibian government and Technip Energies. NAMCOR will sign on behalf of the government of Namibia. We are excited about the two discoveries made this year and want to start discussing with a world-class company like Technip Energies to see how they can assist us get these discoveries onstream,” Mulunga stated.
“We are honoured and excited to sign this partnership deal to enhance our presence in Africa. Namibia is a key focus for us and the development of these discoveries perfectly aligns with our agenda as Technip Energies. We are delighted to share technology with Namibia and feel that this MoU will be instrumental in improving technology in Namibia,” Chapuis said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 
The clinics have been very instrumental in preparing final-year Junior High School (JHS) students from the beneficiary communities for their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), with a keen focus on Mathematics and Integrated Science.
The 7-day clinic also allows experts from the Ghana Education Service to provide best practices and critical insights into the examination for the benefit of the candidates. A striking feature of the clinic is the ‘Peer-to-Peer Mentorship’ Module which enables past beneficiaries of the project to share their personal experiences from STEM education and consequently help to boost the confidence of prospective BECE candidates.
Since its inception in 2018, the impact of this flagship project has been massive across the seven coastal districts of Ellembelle, Jomoro, Effia Kwesimintim, Sekondi-Takoradi, Nzema East, Shama, and Ahanta West. Education progression has improved, as the project has led to many beneficiaries enrolling in tertiary institutions, the first batch of which are currently in final year in these institutions.
This impact has also been manifested through beneficiaries who have become STEM ambassadors, projecting the gains of the programme in Senior High Schools and tertiary institutions. This year, more than 1300 students participated in the Mobile STEM Clinics in preparation for their annual BECE. Previous years recorded over 1600 participants, bringing the total beneficiaries of the program close to 3000 participants in its 4-year implementation period.
Commenting on the impact of the project, Deputy Managing Director for Tullow Ghana, Mrs. Cynthia Lumor said “At Tullow, we recognize that STEM education is an important building block for the socio-economic development of our host communities. That is why we invest in several STEM-related initiatives including the Mobile STEM Clinic to give young Ghanaians, access to practical science sessions to ensure that no one is left behind in accessing quality STEM education. We believe that this will bridge the resource gap and spur beneficiaries onto higher heights”.
The Mobile STEM Clinic is funded by Tullow Ghana Limited under its ‘Educate to Innovate with STEM’ project which is implemented by the Youth Bridge Foundation.
Source: Tullow Ghana Limited 