Guinea: AfDB Approves US$66Million To Increase Electricity Access In Six Towns
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved US$ 66.39 million in funding for electricity access in Guinea.
The project for which the Guinean transitional government is obtaining funding aims to strengthen access to electricity in six towns and surrounding areas.
Out of the US$66.39 million in funding to Guinea, US$13.54 million is being provided by the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional lending arm of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.
The bulk of the funding, $52.85million, is being provided by the African Transition Facility, an autonomous entity within the AfDB Group dedicated to supporting fragile and conflict-affected states.
Guinea is currently undergoing a transition phase following the military putsch that overthrew former president Alpha Conde on 5th September, 2021.
The transitional body, the National Rallying Committee for Development (CNRD), headed by Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, is continuing to implement the Guinea Electricity Access Improvement Project (PAAEG) for which the AfDB Board of Directors has just approved financing.
Infrastructure Development
The PAAEG involves the construction of 797km of medium voltage lines to connect at least 40 localities. The work will also consist of the construction of 47 km of mixed lines, 984km of low-voltage lines, 21 high and low-voltage substations and 128 H61 substations (transformers with a power rating of between 50 and 160 kVA).
As a result of this work, the public company Électricité de Guinée (EDG) will distribute 37,367 household connection facilities to the national electricity network. These installations will be carried out in the cities of Kankan, Kérouané and Siguiri in the Upper Guinea region and Nzérékoré, Beyla and Lola in Forest Guinea.
In addition to the deployment of electrical infrastructure, “the project will support reform initiatives in the electricity sub-sector and capacity building of its actors. It will also promote the productive use of electricity by providing women’s groups with equipment to increase their productivity. Also, public lighting will enhance security and allow women to have more time to carry out their commercial activities and school children to improve their school results,” explains Léandre Bassolé, the AfDB Group’s Country Manager for Guinea.
Co-Financing From Several Development Partners
According to him, “improving access to electricity will help create optimal conditions for better diversification of the Guinean economy with local processing of bauxite on the one hand, and agricultural products on the other,” the AfDB official said.
The Guinea Electricity Access Improvement Project is co-financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under its Energy for Africa programme.
The Guinean government is also receiving support from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), a financing mechanism managed by the AfDB.
For the record, the PAAEG is being implemented within the framework of the development of hydroelectric production in Guinea, which has led to the launch of the Souapiti hydroelectric project on the Konkouré River. At a cost of 2 billion dollars, the facility built by China International Water & Electric Corporation (CWE) will have a capacity of 550 MW.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Both High And Low Profile People In Society Steal Power-Former ECG MD
A former Managing Director of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ing. Samuel Boakye-Appiah, is urging Ghanaians to desist from stealing power and instead pay for the power they consume to ensure the sustainability of the power industry.
According to him, power theft is hurting the industry and it was about time the West African nation saw it as canker and waged war on it.
“Some Ghanaians should desist from stealing electric power. We should all pay for the power we consume,” Ing Samuel Boakye-Appiah said during an exclusive interview with energynewsafrica.com.
Giving details of the class of people in society who are involved in power theft, Ing Samuel Boakye-Appiah said: “If we are to profile those who are involved in stealing energy, you will realise that from the highest person in society to the lowest, they are all involved if you are to classify society. I’m talking from experience.”
Ing. Boakye-Appiah, who expressed worry about the situation, called for a national campaign against power theft.
“I will call for a national campaign against power theft. Just as we took the Covid-19 campaign, we should consider stealing energy as canker and fight it,” he said.
Power theft is a serious issue for both ECG and Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).
In 2021, ECG identified 1,537 power theft and recovered an amount of Gh¢6.52 million.
In an interview with some journalists, the Corporate Communications Manager for Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Maxwell Kotoka, decried the losses and the level of power theft in their operational areas.
“We suffer a loss of about 38% as we can’t account for the illegal power supply siphoned by residents of Kabonwule.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
TotalEnergies Plans Fuel Price Reductions To Help Consumers
French supermajor TotalEnergies will lower fuel prices at all its service stations in France from September 1 until the end of the year to support the eroding purchasing power of French households.
From September 1 to November 1, TotalEnergies will lower its petroleum fuel prices sold in service stations by 0.20 euro ($0.20) per liter compared to global market quotation prices, followed by a 0.10 euro/liter reduction from November 1 to December 31, the French supermajor said in a statement on Friday.
These price reductions, which complement the government measures, will apply from the first liter purchased, with no limit on amounts, for all petroleum fuel sold in service stations, the company said, noting that the fuel-reduction program was designed “to meet the expectations of French people affected by the increase in energy prices and the impact on their purchasing power.”
Some of TotalEnergies refineries in France faced losses of more than $1 billion (1 billion euro) during Covid in 2020 and 2021, “for which TotalEnergies did not request any government support and which are more than offset by the current favourable environment”, said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies.
“With this large-scale price reduction programme in our service stations, we are hopeful that this long-term commitment will be recognised both by our customers and at the national level,” Pouyanné added.
Oil companies and refiners globally, including in the United States, have come under government pressure in recent weeks to lower prices at the pump. High fuel prices are eroding people’s purchasing power and have already started to weaken gasoline demand.
France-based shipping giant CMA CGM on Friday also announced a reduction in freight rates “to support the purchasing power of French households and the economy.”
CMA CGM is cutting shipping fees by $762 (750 euro) per container for imports to France from Asia.
Source: Oilprice.com
Nigeria: Airline Operators Caution Travellers As Fuel Shortages Heighten
Nigeria’s airline operators have warned passengers against travelling due to a shortage of aviation fuel.
The spokesperson for the operators, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, says passengers should expect flight cancellations.
“There will be major disruption in scheduled flight operations, including cancellation and unnecessary delays across all airports in the country,” Mr Okonkwo said in a statement as carried by BBC.
The body says aviation fuel prices have risen by about 400 per cent since December 2021.
Mr. Okonkwo added that other than the fuel shortage, other problems facing the aviation sector are the closure of one runway at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the unavailability of US dollars to purchase spare parts for grounded aircraft.
Out of the 10 airlines that form the umbrella body, two have grounded their flights.
The country’s Civil Aviation Authority shut down Dana Air on 20th July because of financial reasons and recurrent flight problems, while Aero contractors temporarily stopped its services due to the high cost of running the airline and a shortage of aviation fuel.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: NPG Organises Capacity-Building Workshop For Journalists On Nuclear Safety
The Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG), the entity spearheading Ghana’s quest to establish a nuclear power plant, has held a three-day capacity-building workshop for selected media professionals in Accra.
The workshop, which was on the theme: ‘Nuclear safety, public fear and concern’, gave the media professionals more insight into the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) safety requirements at each stage of nuclear power plants with facilitators allaying the notorious fear that nuclear energy is hazardous to human health.
Delivering a welcome address, Nuclear Power Ghana’s Public Affairs Manager, Ms Bellona-Gerard Vittor-Quao, explained that nuclear energy, as a technology, requires a lot of engagement with the public and with the media being close to the people, the capacity of the professionals needed to be built to educate the public to accept the alternative source of energy.
She noted, therefore, that the decisions on building plants, supporting government funding and investing in the nuclear industry depend on public acceptance.
Nuclear safety, she continued, is one of the most important components of any international and national commitment associated with the use of nuclear energy for electricity generation, adding that “it covers a wide range of activities such as ensuring proper operating conditions for nuclear installations, preventing accidents, and mitigating the consequences should they happen.
“This explains why the planning and eventual construction of a Nuclear Power Plant is very detailed and includes decommissioning activities. It is a well-regulated space and requires very careful planning and execution,” Ms. Vitor-Quao clarified.
Ms. Vittor-Quao said history has proven nuclear energy to be one of the safest and most efficient energy production technologies available to Ghana.
“History has also shown us that misperceptions about nuclear technology have been far more costly for humanity than nuclear energy production itself. For over half a century, nuclear energy has played a significant role in the industrialisation and development of most developed countries,” she explained further.
Not only is nuclear a viable, low-carbon base-load power source but is also one of the safest options for powering a green future.
Concluding, she said: “With scientists and engineers figuring out how to split the atom, harness its energy and convert it to usable electricity, and they continuing to improve reactors and safety systems, this is an opportunity for a future of clean, sustainable electricity.”
President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, in a speech, read for him by Kofi Yeboah, General Secretary of JGA, underscored the need for the workshop to be organised regularly to sharpen the skills of journalists.
Touching on the theme: ‘Nuclear safety: A public fear and concern’, Mr Dwumfour said it was appropriate because of the negative perception many people hold about nuclear energy.
“In our part of the world, such perception is even worse due to what we see on television and read about the use of nuclear energy for destructive purposes in other parts of the world,” he said.
He emphasised that journalists and the media must educate the people to enable them to fear no more and to do that, journalists and the media need to understand the beat so well.
As part of the training workshop, NPG took the journalists to the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) where they visited the Nuclear Power Institute to familiarise themselves with the operations of the research centre and the functions of the research reactor.
The Director General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Prof. Samuel Boakye Dampare, commended the organisers and lauded the media for making themselves available for the workshop.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nuclear safety, she continued, is one of the most important components of any international and national commitment associated with the use of nuclear energy for electricity generation, adding that “it covers a wide range of activities such as ensuring proper operating conditions for nuclear installations, preventing accidents, and mitigating the consequences should they happen.
“This explains why the planning and eventual construction of a Nuclear Power Plant is very detailed and includes decommissioning activities. It is a well-regulated space and requires very careful planning and execution,” Ms. Vitor-Quao clarified.
Ms. Vittor-Quao said history has proven nuclear energy to be one of the safest and most efficient energy production technologies available to Ghana.
“History has also shown us that misperceptions about nuclear technology have been far more costly for humanity than nuclear energy production itself. For over half a century, nuclear energy has played a significant role in the industrialisation and development of most developed countries,” she explained further.
Not only is nuclear a viable, low-carbon base-load power source but is also one of the safest options for powering a green future.
Concluding, she said: “With scientists and engineers figuring out how to split the atom, harness its energy and convert it to usable electricity, and they continuing to improve reactors and safety systems, this is an opportunity for a future of clean, sustainable electricity.”
President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, in a speech, read for him by Kofi Yeboah, General Secretary of JGA, underscored the need for the workshop to be organised regularly to sharpen the skills of journalists.
Touching on the theme: ‘Nuclear safety: A public fear and concern’, Mr Dwumfour said it was appropriate because of the negative perception many people hold about nuclear energy.
“In our part of the world, such perception is even worse due to what we see on television and read about the use of nuclear energy for destructive purposes in other parts of the world,” he said.
He emphasised that journalists and the media must educate the people to enable them to fear no more and to do that, journalists and the media need to understand the beat so well.
As part of the training workshop, NPG took the journalists to the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) where they visited the Nuclear Power Institute to familiarise themselves with the operations of the research centre and the functions of the research reactor.
The Director General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Prof. Samuel Boakye Dampare, commended the organisers and lauded the media for making themselves available for the workshop.
Ghana: Nuclear Power Ghana Builds Capacity Of Team Leaders In Energy Sector
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Spain, Portugal, Greece Reject EU 15% Gas Usage Cut
Further cracks in a united front to tackle an energy crisis in Europe have arisen Thursday, with Spain, Portugal and Greece rejecting the bloc’s plan to reduce natural gas consumption by 15% between this August and next Spring.
Just hours after a dire warning by Fatih Birol, Executive Director of IEA that Europe would need a 20% cut in consumption to make winter tolerable, officials in Madrid and Lison said they would not support the 15% initiative in the face of a potential Russian gas cutoff.
According to both Spain and Portugal, mandatory reductions are unfair, particularly considering that both countries use far less Russian gas than other European Union member states.
“We will defend European values, but we won’t accept a sacrifice regarding an issue that we have not even been allowed to give our opinion on,” Spain’s Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera said, as reported by the Associated Press on Thursday.
“Not matter what happens, Spanish families won’t suffer cuts to gas or to the electricity to their homes,” the official added, noting that complying with such a mandatory EU measure “would serve for nothing if the gas that could not be used by Spanish industries could not then later be used by the homes or industries of other countries”.
Speaking to Xinhua, Spain’s minister for ecological transition, Teresa Ribera, described gas consumption in Spain as reasonable.
“We want to help, but we also want to be respected,” Ribera said, adding that “a disproportionate sacrifice cannot be imposed on us”.
Likewise, Greece, which relies on Russia for some 40% of its gas, has objected to the EU plan, issuing its own contingency measures.
Greece has been spared any disruptions in natural gas supplies, largely thanks to efforts to import large volumes of LNG, Reuters reports.
Instead, Greece is proposing European Union’s cap mechanism on wholesale gas prices and joint gas purchases as a “European solution”, Reuters cited government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou as saying Thursday.
Source: Oilprice.com
Ghana: Vivo Energy Ghana Launches Phase Two Of Community Digital Literacy Project
Vivo Energy Ghana, the exclusive marketer, and distributor of Shell branded fuels and lubricants has launched the second phase of its Community Digital Literacy Project in the Tamale Metropolitan area to expand the scope and reach out to more school children with relevant educational content and improve their reading skills.
This is in line with the company’s commitment to fuelling the growth of its operational areas and playing its part as a responsible corporate entity in complementing the government’s efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Four which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
The second phase of the project was launched in collaboration with the implementing partners, Worldreader Ghana and the Northern Regional Library.
Under the phase one, twenty-five (25) households within the Tamale Metropolis were selected trained and assigned BookSmart Tablets which provided the households unlimited access to Ghana Education Service-approved reading books for children of school-going age.
Since the inception of the programme in September 2021, over 4,900 books have been read and completed across all 25 households with an average number of 29 books being completed per day.
“Following an assessment of the phase one, the company can confidently say that the project has made a significant impact and it is only right that we make more resources available to expand the scope in the second phase’, says Mrs. Shirley Tony Kum, Corporate Communications Manager of Vivo Energy Ghana on behalf of Mr. Kader Maiga, Managing Director of Vivo Energy Ghana.
She announced that the phase two of the project will be an outreach to the schools with the support of a Mobile Library Van, fuelled by Vivo Energy Ghana, and a Lending option where heads of schools will request for the tablet to be used for a period and returned to the library for use by other schools.
Additional Booksmart tablets, funded by Vivo Energy Ghana were also presented to the Northern Regional Library to expand the scope by enrolling more pupils onto the programme. Beneficiaries of the project were also given branded backpacks with educational items to motivate and recognise their commitment towards reading.
Speaking on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, the Chief Director of the Regional Coordinating Council, Mr. Gilbert B. Nuuri-Teg, commended Vivo Energy Ghana for demonstrating a sense of commitment towards community development beyond its core business.
“Many would have thought that being an energy company, the company would only focus on their main business, but the thought of going the extra mile of improving the reading skills and knowledge base of our children is highly commendable. I would also like to applaud the Northern Regional Library, Worldreader Ghana, and all the facilitators for collaborating to ensure the success of the first phase of this very important project” he added.
The Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Mr. Aaron Kuwornu lauded the initiative and called on parents and facilitators to encourage their children to make good use of the tablets. He also stated that, the library continues to find innovative ways for people to access books of their choice to read regardless of their location.
The Metro Director of Education, Tamale, Dr. Peter Attefuah, was impressed with the impact of the first phase of the project and encouraged all stakeholders to give off their best in the second phase to help the children develop an interest in reading and enhance their ICT skills.
“The project has changed the normal after-school and weekend activities of the children in a positive way. Instead of the children saying, ‘we are going to play’, the narrative now has changed to ‘we are going to read’. Parents have seen much improvement in the academic work of their children since the last trimester.” Fred Mensah a representative of the facilitators disclosed this while sharing some impact stories at the event.
The Programmes Manager of Worldreader Ghana, Alhassan Abdul Kahad, encouraged heads of schools and households to take full advantage of the second phase of the project and emphasized the benefits of reading to the growth of societies and the country.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Angry Kete-Krachi Residents Hit Streets To Protest Poor Electricity Supply
Hundreds of angry residents of Kete Krachi in the Oti Region of the Republic of Ghana on Thursday hit the streets to protest against the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) for poor electricity supply to the area.
Clad in red attire and wearing red armbands and marching through the streets amidst chanting of war songs, the angry residents noted that the irregular power supply was impacting heavily on their daily lives.
Some of them held placards which bore writing such as: ‘Mr President, We Need Substation Now’, Mr. President, Krachi Needs Stable Power’, ‘No Stable Power No Disconnection and Dumsor Must Go Now’.
A hairdresser, Lydia Krah, who also joined the demonstration, noted that because of the situation, she is unable to use her dryer.
“We need stable electricity in Krachi so that we can do effective work,” she explained.
The demonstrators later presented a petition to Jalula Kajal Emmanuel, the Municipal Chief Executive of the area, who is the government’s representative.
Presenting the petition, the President of West Krachi Youth, Ntoso B. McCarthy, said: “It is so sad and disheartening to note that the people of Kete-Krachi and its environs have been enduring darkness every night, experiencing power outages for more than 6-7 times a day. Yes, the intermittent power outages in Krachi are unprecedented and not known in any part of the country.”
According to him, “On the few moments that the town gets power supply, the voltage is always low.”
The situation, he noted, is either low voltage or no power supply.
“Amid all these, our bills are usually very high and unreasonably above the normal bills paid by other subscribers. Why?” he posed.
He said residents of Kete-Krachi are tired, adding: “Our patience has been stretched to the limit and we can no longer bear the lack of concern for our problem.
“We feel neglected and think that NEDCO does not take us seriously,” he argued.
He demanded several things to be able to curtail the situation.
He said, “We demand a regular and efficient electric power supply henceforth.
“We also demand the establishment of the two or more sub-stations between Yendi and Kete-Krachi to minimize the load on the main line and to help in easy identification of faults anytime there is an outage.”
Mr. Ntoso concluded by sounding a word of caution to the workers of NEDCO in the Kete-Krachi Municipality not to embark on any disconnection exercise until a stable power supply is restored.
The West Krachi Municipal Chief Executive, Jalula Kajal Emmanuel, on his part, thanked the youth of Kete-Krachi for taking such a bold step and assured them that their grievances would be forwarded to the appropriate quarters to be addressed.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Presenting the petition, the President of West Krachi Youth, Ntoso B. McCarthy, said: “It is so sad and disheartening to note that the people of Kete-Krachi and its environs have been enduring darkness every night, experiencing power outages for more than 6-7 times a day. Yes, the intermittent power outages in Krachi are unprecedented and not known in any part of the country.”
According to him, “On the few moments that the town gets power supply, the voltage is always low.”
The situation, he noted, is either low voltage or no power supply.
“Amid all these, our bills are usually very high and unreasonably above the normal bills paid by other subscribers. Why?” he posed.
He said residents of Kete-Krachi are tired, adding: “Our patience has been stretched to the limit and we can no longer bear the lack of concern for our problem.
“We feel neglected and think that NEDCO does not take us seriously,” he argued.
He demanded several things to be able to curtail the situation.
He said, “We demand a regular and efficient electric power supply henceforth.
“We also demand the establishment of the two or more sub-stations between Yendi and Kete-Krachi to minimize the load on the main line and to help in easy identification of faults anytime there is an outage.”
Mr. Ntoso concluded by sounding a word of caution to the workers of NEDCO in the Kete-Krachi Municipality not to embark on any disconnection exercise until a stable power supply is restored.
The West Krachi Municipal Chief Executive, Jalula Kajal Emmanuel, on his part, thanked the youth of Kete-Krachi for taking such a bold step and assured them that their grievances would be forwarded to the appropriate quarters to be addressed.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com Ghana: NPA Chases 150 OMCs Over GH¢122 Million Debts
Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has served notice to over 150 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) who owe Primary Distribution Margin to the tune of Gh¢122 million (US$14,713,200) to settle before the 4th of August 2022 or face sanctions.
The Primary Distribution/Transmission Margin goes into a fund in which proceeds are used to offset costs incurred in moving products from the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) receiving depot to other BOST depots across the country.
Per the law, payment of margins is to be made 45 days after lifting of products and defaulting OMCs are deactivated from loading.
However, records at the NPA show that the defaulting OMCs owe margins for products lifted between December 2021 and April 2022.
A public notice issued by the Corporate Affairs Department of the NPA said the Authority would initiate legal action to recover all outstanding debts against any OMC that failed to settle its debt by the deadline of 4th August 2022.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Algeria: Eni Signs New Contract On Blocks 404-208
Italian oil and gas firm Eni signed a new Production Sharing Contract (PSC) agreement with SONATRACH, Oxy and TotalEnergies for oil blocks 404 and 208 in Algeria.
These blocks are located onshore in the prolific Berkine basin, in Eastern Algeria, an area where Eni has been present since the 80s.
The contract, signed under Algeria’s new hydrocarbon law of 2019, will allow the partners to boost investments, increasing the fields’ hydrocarbons reserves while extending their production life for further 25 years.
Furthermore, it will also enable future valorisation of significant quantities of associated gas which might become available for export, contributing to the diversification of gas supplies to Europe.
The agreed plan of activities will also include new technologies to improve the reserves recovery factor and reduce CO2 emissions through energy efficiency and decarbonizations projects.
Eni CEO, Claudio Descalzi, commented: “Through this new contract, additional volumes of gas will be made available for export and for the domestic market, coherent with Eni’s commitment to the energy transition. It also highlights the importance of the strategic partnership with SONATRACH, aimed at long term investments in Algeria to maximize asset value”.
Eni has been present in Algeria since 1981. With an equity production of 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, Eni is the main international company in the country.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria: Blackout Disappears As TCN Restores National Grid
Nigeria’s power transmission company, TCN, has restored the country’s national grid which experienced system disturbance at about 11.27am on Wednesday resulting in nationwide blackout.
According to a statement by its General Manager, Public Affairs Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, the incident was as a result of sudden drop in system frequency from 49.94Hz to 47.36Hz, which created system instability.
The statement further added that reports obtained from the National Control Centre (NCC) indicate that it was precipitated by the tripping of a Unit (with a load of 106 MW) in one of the generating stations due to “Exhaust over Temperature”.
“This unwholesome event, which pulled out other grid-connected Units in the plant, resulted in aggregated generation loss of 457MW. In its wake, a train of events ensued – culminating in the collapse of the national grid.
“As obtainable in all systems, when a component of the electric power system is defective, the entire configuration is vitiated. However, in spite of setbacks encountered at the initial stage, grid restoration had almost been completed as at 11:00pm when this report was filed.
“The Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry appreciates the kind understanding of Government and consumers of electricity within and outside the country. We are committed to leveraging the concerted interventions instituted thus far to enhance power supply reliability so that the issue of system collapse will soon become a thing of the past.
“Meanwhile, a full-scale investigation is being conducted to establish the cause of this failure,” the statement said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Gov’t To Approve Vendor For NPG’s Nuclear Power Project
Ghana’s quest to become a nuclear power operator in 2030 has reached an advanced state as the country is expected to announce the preferred nuclear vendor country and technology for its nuclear power project by the end of 2022.
Given this, the West African nation’s Ministry of Energy has prepared a memo for the Cabinet to consider the appropriate technology for the country’s nuclear power project.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day workshop for selected media practitioners in Accra on the theme: ‘Nuclear Safety, A Public Fear and Concern’, the Executive Director of Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG), Dr. Stephen Yamoah, said his outfit has submitted a Report to the Energy Ministry and was hopeful the Ministry would submit a Memo to Cabinet as soon as possible for consideration and decision on the technology Ghana wants to adopt.
He said the country is on course as far as its nuclear power programme is concerned.
Dr. Yamoah said Ghana is at the 2nd Phase of the Nuclear Power Programme as per the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
According to him, NPG has completed the ranking assessment of the four candidate sites it selected and would, in due course, settle on the preferred site based on seismicity and environmental condition of the location.
He, however, did not disclose which region the site is situated in but said due to the large volume of water required for the cooling of the plant activities, areas along the coast of the country are most preferred.
The Deputy Minister for Energy in charge of Power, Hon. William Owuraku Aidoo, said the Ministry of Energy has prepared a Memo on the Ghana Nuclear Power project and would, in the next couple of days, submit it to Cabinet.
He said the government is committed to executing the project “because it offers cheaper electricity and guarantees energy security for the country.
“Recently steps are being taken to finalise the selection of a preferred site to Ghana’s first nuclear power plant. Recently, Ghana issued a Request of Information (RFI) as part of the required processes to identify a vendor country and nuclear technology.”
“Currently, the RFI report is under review and government will soon announce a decision on vendor and technology”, Hon. Owuraku Aidoo said.
Dr. George Tettey, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Bui Power Authority (BPA) in charge of Finance, who represented the CEO, said the Authority supports the nuclear power project.
The Director for Renewable Energy at Bui Power said Ghana needs reliable cheap power to industrialise.
He said the Government’s flagship industrialisation programme ‘1D1F’ can only strive “if we have cheap power.”
He, therefore, said Ghana’s nuclear power programme is in the right direction.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Accra High Court Orders Gov’t To Halt Payments To ENI, Vitol For Sankofa Gas
An Accra High Court in the Republic of Ghana has ordered the government of the West African nation to stop monthly payments to Eni Exploration and Production Ghana Limited and its Partner, Vitol Upstream Ghana Limited for gas supplied to the state from the Sankofa Oil Field.
According to a report filed by myjoyonline.com, the High Court (Commercial Division) at its sitting on Friday, granted a motion for an interlocutory injunction restraining the Government of Ghana from making further payments to the Italian oil giant and its partners.
“The order, issued on Friday, July 12, 2022, specifically restrained the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Ministries of Energy and Finance as third parties, from making any payments, whether outstanding or recurrent to the two oil companies pending the determination of an application brought against the three state organs by Springfield Exploration and Production Limited, a wholly-owned Ghanaian Energy company,” the report said.
The court order follows a motion filed by the Ghanaian upstream player, Springfield E&P, on 20th June 2022 seeking the order by the court for GNPC, Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Finance to make all payments to the Registrar of the Court.
The action by the Ghanaian energy company is believed to be a sequel to an ongoing legal tussle that has seen Springfield win a judgment to preserve part of the proceeds from operations in the Sankofa Fields.
The court also ordered GNPC and the two ministries to file accounts of all payments they have made to Eni and Vitol since the day of service on them of the pending application for an order of payment of money due and owing to the defendants. This is to be carried out within 21 days beginning from 15th July 2022 and filed with the Court’s Registrar.
The court noted that the reliefs sought by Springfield were both prohibitive and mandatory injunctions, having demonstrated that it had a ruling for preservation in its favour which had not been stayed for purposes of execution. There is, therefore, a subsisting court order that it has the right to enforce and or protect through the process of law.
The trial Judge further noted that the Applicant (Springfield) had sufficiently demonstrated to the satisfaction of the court that there was a legal right worthy of the court’s protection.
“The application is, therefore, neither frivolous nor vexatious as there are serious questions that ought to be determined in the pending application,” it added.
In the opinion of the Court, Springfield had demonstrated that despite the order of interim preservation that was obtained against Eni and Vitol, they had, through the filing of various applications in various courts, frustrated the compliance and execution of the order of interim preservation.
“As if that is not enough, the resources which are alleged to be jointly owned by the Applicant and the Respondents are being dissipated by the Respondents on the blind side of the Applicant. The Respondents are further receiving payments monthly from third parties without accounting for same to the Applicant nor the court,” it further noted.
The government, in 2020, declared the Sankofa Field and Afina Well unitized through the Ministry of Energy and directed ENI and Springfield to commence the exchange of data with the view to unitizing the two areas to ensure optimization of the resource.
Since the directive, the two companies have failed to agree on the way forward. Whereas Eni rejects the idea saying it was a rushed decision, Springfield has been in court for the law to be enforced to the letter in line with the Petroleum laws of the country.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Gambia: PURA Hosts Fiber Cuts Forum To Strategies Progress
The Gambia Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) with its stakeholders in the telecoms industry last Thursday held a day-long forum on frequent fiber cuts on the theme: improving the communication resilience of our ICT infrastructures.
The purpose of the workshop was for stakeholders to discuss and understand the root causes of the persistent fiber cuts in the telecom industry in The Gambia.
The Director General of PURA, Mr. Yusupha M. Jobe, disclosed that the workshop seeks to investigate and ascertain the root cause of frequent fiber cuts and suggest recommendations for optimization to curb this unfortunate situation.
It was also to establish the gravity of the impact when there is a single fiber cut, double fiber cut, and/or triple fiber cut. The causes of the fiber cut along the various corridors of the regions, to understand whether the occurrence was deliberate or accidental. Solicit the support of these key stakeholders in assisting to protect the existing or already deployed fiber infrastructure.
Mr. Jobe believes that the workshop with its outcome discussions, when implemented, will improve the general network and quality of service delivery of the various network operators in the country which are attributed to frequent fiber cuts as well as reduce their cost of operations, improve quality of service hence enhances customer satisfaction.
He said in the present day it is almost mandatory to be always connected to the ICT services. That includes your phone, internet, TVs, ATMs, Banks, Forex Bureaus, and other devices as they all connect to the internet, the World Wide Web.
According to Mr Jobe, when fiber-optic cables are cut or damage occurs, data and/or voice outrages take place. He states that this translates into losing internet connection, data storage, and even cell phone-based voice connection in certain areas or multiple areas.
He argues that: “Fiber-optic outages isolate people by slowing telecommunication and work-related activities nowadays amongst others. Having access to communication services can save a life in some emergencies.”
He informs that, recently there have been persistent fiber cuts by various activities, posing many challenges to the players in the industry and causing hardship in meeting the network quality expectation of their customers. He also discloses that a lot of fiber cut incidences increase the operational expenditure, declining revenue margins of the telecommunications /ICT service providers, and above all reduce the robustness of the fiber cable.
He announced that GAMTEL through the support of The Gambia government and the African Development Bank deployed a national fiber cable backbone infrastructure as part of the ECOWAS Wide Area Network project (ECOWAN). This, he further adds, over 1,000 kilometers of optical fiber network infrastructures were deployed across the length and breadth of the county in a bid to deliver high-standard quality networks that will satisfy and delight the needs of ICT customers countrywide.
The ICT sector, he states has been faced with several challenges both in the deployment and maintenance of the fiber cable infrastructure. He enumerates that, persistent fiber cuts have been the most significant challenging issue to deal with by the telecom companies in the industry in The Gambia today.
“The fiber cut is having a tremendous negative effect on quality-of-service delivery and customer experience. Besides these, other mandatory key performance indicators relative to industry standards such as availability, reliability, call set-up success rate, call congestion rate, call drop rate, as well as subscriber connectivity for both voice and data, are significantly impacted due to frequent fiber cut phenomenon,” he states.
Amie Njie-Joof, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy reveals that the event is timely considering the ongoing review of the IC Act 2009, which intends to strengthen laws dealing with fiber cuts that are quite critical to ICT infrastructure.
She commended PURA for the successful hosting of the event, saying that it demonstrates PURA’s commitment to effectively regulating the ICT sector.
She discloses that: “The Government of the Gambia has spent significant resources on the national fiber infrastructure. Therefore, its upkeep and effective utilization should be everyone’s concern.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com