The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) has completed an $11 million Primary Substation and its associated interconnecting circuits for the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) in Accra, the capital of Ghana.
The project is expected to be commissioned and officially handed over to the authorities of the university on Wednesday, April 27,2022. It was funded through the Millennium Challenge Corporation MCC, a United States agency.
The project is one of the many electric infrastructural assets, which form part of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Financial and Operational Turnaround project of the Ghana Power Compact II.
The substation has a capacity of 52 megavolts amperes and can supply all present and future power needs of the University of Ghana Medical Centre and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
It would also serve as an alternative source of power supply to other institutions and surrounding communities.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria has held a mass burial for over 50 people who were part of 109 people who perished in an explosion last Friday.
The explosion occurred at an illegal refinery in a forest in the Abaezi community of the Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area in Imo State.
The dead were buried in three graves dug at the site of the explosion.
Local reporters who covered the burial event reported that Marcel Amadioha, who is the Interim Management Committee chairman of Ohaji-Egbema LGA, explained that they conducted the mass burial because many victims were unable to be identified by their family members.
“We have the instruction of the governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodimma, to conduct a mass burial for the victims of the explosion. This is the least we can do for them because they were burnt beyond recognition. You can see there are no relatives of the victims who are here. This is because the victims were unidentifiable. This is the least we could do to avoid their bodies from decaying further,” he said.
“I believe this will serve as a deterrent to others. We are clamping down on all illegal refineries in this area. We can’t allow this economic sabotage to continue. We deserve better than this. The governor has shown enough compassion by providing us with enough logistics to carry out this mass burial.”
Ben Marcos, the area youth leader, revealed that the community is currently carrying out a sensitisation programme to educate the youth about the dangers of oil bunkering.
According to reports, traditional authorities performed libation to appease the gods to avert similar incidents in the future.
Environmental health officials of Ohaji-Egbema LGA carried out a fumigation exercise to forestall disease outbreaks in the area.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Eleven people including two children have died in India after being electrocuted as their truck, decorated as a temple chariot, touched an overhead power transmission wire during a Hindu festival procession in the southern part of the Asian country.
According to a report by Aljazeera, citing local media reports, at least 15 people were injured in the incident.
The deaths occurred early on Wednesday when the temple chariot procession was underway in Tamil Nadu state’s Thanjavur district, 340km (210 miles) south of the state capital Chennai, police said.
The NDTV news channel said the truck, crowded with devotees, also caught fire by the electric spark.
The procession was organised by a local Hindu temple.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply pained by the mishap.
“My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. I hope that the injured recover soon,” his office posted on Twitter.
Tamil Nadu state’s Chief Minister M.K Stalin also expressed his condolences and announced a compensation of 500,000 rupees ($6,524) each to the families of those who were killed in the incident.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Four children have perished after they were electrocuted in the Ile Oluji /Okeigbo Local Government Area of the Ondo State in South-West Nigeria.
The children died when an electric cable fell on the metal container shop they were staying inside, according to a report filed by powerupng.com citing Gatekeepers News.
The incident reportedly occurred last Monday.
“Yes, we can confirm the death of the four kids. An electric cable fell while they were inside a container. We have commenced investigation into the matter,” the Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami, said.
According to the report, two of the four victims were siblings who visited their aunt for the Easter holiday in the community.
The victims and other children were reportedly playing in the container when the incident happened.
Reacting to the incident, the senator representing Ondo South, Nicholas Tofowomo, said he would ensure the parents of the victims get justice if the Benin Electricity Distribution Company was found culpable of the matter.
He warned the residents of the community against erecting buildings or shops under high tension cables or any power supply line.
“We cannot allow lawlessness to continue in this country. I will pursue justice for the parents if investigations showed culpability of the BEDC.
“Moreover, the government must do its job by not allowing shops or buildings to be erected under power lines. The lives of these precious children would not have been wasted if individuals do their jobs accordingly.”
Reacting to the tragic news, the Corporate Affairs Manager of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Ondo State, Michael Barnabas, said the incident was fatal because the metal container shop was under the high tension electric cable.
“Sadly, we received information about the electrocution of four little children within our network in Ile-Oluji due to an 11kv line that snapped. As a company, we console the families of the children because life is very sacred and should not end prematurely in this way.
“The deaths would have been avoidable if there were nothing within the 11meters right of way statutorily required for such line.
“While we don’t have the powers to relocate people directly living or trading under our electricity lines, we shall be very brutal in disconnecting such customers from the public power supply and ensure they never have access to it again which would probably lead to them relocating voluntarily out of the harm’s way. By this, we believe we can prevent future occurrence of similar sad incidents in future,” he concluded.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
As this portal reported on April 16, 2022, that the tenure of Dr. Kofi Koduah Sarpong as Chief Executive Officer of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) would end on Friday, April 22, 2022, energynewsafrica.com has intercepted a letter he wrote to the staff of the national oil company.
In the letter, Dr. Sarpong highlighted some of the achievements the corporation chalked under his tenure and also begged for forgiveness from those he might have hurt.
His letter to the staff rally support for Opoku Ahweneeh-Danquah, who has been appointed as acting Chief Executive Officer of the corporation.
The appointment of Mr. Opoku Ahweneeh-Danquah has dampened the spirit of some staff of the national oil company, energynewsafrica.com can report.
Mr. Opoku Ahweneeh-Danquah’s appointment as acting Chief Executive Officer of GNPC, according to energnewsafrica.com sources, was influenced by Board Chairman of GNPC, Freddie Blay, and Nana Asante Bediatuo, Secretary to President Akufo-Addo, and cousin of Opoku Ahweneeh-Danquah.
Below is Dr K.K Sarpong’s letter:
Dear All,
As you already aware, I will step down as Chief Executive of your esteemed Corporation on 22nd April, 2022.
My tenure in GNPC began some five (5) years ago during which time we have all together transformed this organization from just a few oil development projects to a much stronger national oil company with a lot more producing fields and discoveries. Indeed, we have achieved a lot together and I hope you are as proud of our achievements as I am.
To name a few – the Research & Technology Centre is near completion; the Takoradi Operational Office is under construction and the Accra Head Office project is just about to begin. Springfield’s West Cape Three Points Block, ENI’s Block 4 and Aker Energy’s Pecan Field will come onstream in the very near future. During my tenure, a lot more Ghanaians assessed the GNPC Foundation scholarship. More CSR projects were undertaken in line with GNPC’s objective to have its operations have a positive impact on the indigenes of this country.
Serving as CEO for this country’s oil and gas institution comes with huge responsibility.
However, you made it smooth sailing for me. I say this because I had the opportunity to meet and work with every talented, smart and dedicated professionals whose experience and skill made it easy for me to steer this ship. Working with such a fantastic team to achieve all that we have in such a short time warms my heart.
I leave knowing that you will build on the good foundation we have created together.
Together we came, we saw and we conquered. Ayekoo to all of you!! It has been a pleasure working with you and I am honestly going to miss everyone.
Human as I am, I may have inadvertently stepped on some toes in my bid to get the best for the organization. Please find a place in your heart to forgive me. It was never out of malice but for our common good.
Mr. Opoku Ahweeneh Danquah, Deputy Chief Executive (Technical) will step into my shoes as Chief Executive. Kindly accord him the same courtesies and support you gave me.
Thank you for everything we have accomplished so far, and I wish you the very best for everything you will do in the future.
K.K. SARPONG (DR.)
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Global oil demand will drop by 1.4 million barrels per day, according to the latest forecast by Rystad Energy.
The 1.4 million bpd loss would sink oil demand to 99.6 million bpd on average, below 2019 levels of 100.2 million bpd. And a rebound in this demand isn’t expected to happy until next year at the soonest, Rystad said.
The drop in oil demand will likely come from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, soaring inflation, China’s Covid-inspired lockdowns, and supply chain disruptions. And even more oil demand pressure could be applied through future lockdowns or geopolitical issues.
“Shrinking demand is a direct result of the impact of lower economic activity globally,” the consultancy said, adding that such a demand decrease could ease today’s tight oil markets, calming oil prices.
Rystad isn’t the only one lowering oil demand forecasts.
OPEC cut its 2022 oil demand growth forecast by 480,000 bpd on the back of lower expected global economic growth given the war in Ukraine and China’s Covid lockdowns.
The IEA also cut its oil demand forecast by 260,000 bpd to reflect the return of severe covid lockdowns in China.
Meanwhile, the World Bank and the IMF have both cut their overall global growth expectations for this year.
But Rystad isn’t changing its outlook for bullish oil prices. According to Rystad, if the Russian war in Ukraine drags on, it will increase oil and gas prices, particularly if the EU ends up banning oil and gas this year.
“The Russian war worst case for oil demand is premised on Brent prices reaching $180 per barrel in the fourth quarter, triggering a further economic slowdown and outright destruction of oil demand,” Rystad said.
Source: Oilprice.com
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has directed security forces in Africa’s most populous nation to, with immediate effect, clamp down on all illegal oil refineries dotted across the country.
This follows the explosion that occurred over the weekend at an illegal refinery located at Abaezi forest in Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.
The explosion claimed over 100 lives of Nigerians.
The Nigerian leader, in a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, described the incident as “a catastrophe and a national disaster.”
President Buhari emphasised that security agencies have been directed to intensify the clampdown on illegal refineries.
He said the responsibility for the loss of lives and property “must squarely lie with the sponsors” of the illegal refinery, assuring that they “must all be caught and made to face justice.”
The president conveyed “the condolences and the full depth and range of the nation’s shock and trauma” to the families of the victims, the community and the people of the state.
Mr Buhari urged community leaders and the personnel of the Nigerian Police Force to take steps to ensure that such a “heartbreaking incident” is not allowed to occur again in any part of the country.
Illegal crude oil refining has become a lucrative business, mainly among residents of oil-producing states, despite its dangerous consequences.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Government of Ghana has sponsored the training of 149 Ghanaians to enable them to acquire technical skills for employment in the country’s upstream petroleum sector.
The six months of hands-on technician training was funded with an amount of Gh¢5.1 million, with the training of each person costing $7,500.
The trainees graduated on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Takoradi.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Chief Executive of the Petroleum Commission, Egbert Faibille Jnr. said the training programme has produced internationally certified professionals who can work in various aspects of the petroleum industry.
“Of the 149 persons that have graduated, 43 graduated as City and Guilds International Vocational Qualification (IVQ) level 3 Mechanical Technicians, 22 as IVQ level 3 Electrical Technicians, 44 as IVQ level 3 Process Technicians and 41 as IVQ level 3 Instrumentation Technicians. It cost the Petroleum Commission US$7,500 for each of the graduates in question. In total, the commission spent GH¢5.1 million for the entire training program.
“The best way graduates can show appreciation is to commit to working in Ghana and help reduce the cost of Oil and Gas Production in the country so that the IOC and government will spend less in exploration and production of oil from the standpoint of job role localization,” he added.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has held a day’s capacity building workshop for a section of Ghanaian journalists to equip them with the knowledge of the role of the Commission.
The journalists, selected from various media houses comprising both electronic and print, are under the umbrella of the Commission’s Media Fellowship which was recently launched in Accra, the capital of Ghana.
They were taken through several presentations by officials of the Commission.
Alhaji Abukari Jabaru, Director of Regional Operations at PURC
Alhaji Abukari Jabaru, Director of Regional Operations on Complaint Resolution Procedure, walked the journalists through the various steps that are taken before arriving at a resolution.
He said when a formal complaint is received from a complainant, for example, the first step the Commission takes is to visit the site of the complainant and conduct preliminary investigations.
After the preliminary investigations, the Commission begins mediation processes, if it becomes necessary, and finally starts a formal hearing where a panel is constituted to make recommendations to the Board for acceptance or otherwise.
A trend analysis of complaints lodged to the Commission and resolved from 2016 to 2021 showed that there was a decrease in the number of complaints lodged from 3,202 in 2016 to 2,713 in 2017, representing a 15.27 per cent decrease.
However, this increased to 5,226 in 2018, representing a 92.63 per cent increase.
The complaints again increased to 9,550 in 2019 by 82.74 per cent.
This increase, he noted, was a result of innovation introduced that allowed complainants to lodge complaints via WhatsApp.
He noted that another reason that accounted for the increase in complaints in 2019 was the problem between ECG and Kroboland.
There was, however, a decrease in complaints lodged from 9,550 in 2019 to 7,067 in 2020 representing a decrease of 26 per cent and this was mainly due to the outbreak of Covid-19 and its related lockdown of the country as well as restrictions on movement.
In 2021, complaints lodged with the Commission increased to 10,987 from 7,067 in 2020, representing an increase of 55.47 per cent.
He said about 10,701 out of the total complaints have been resolved.
Dr. Simon Akorli, Director responsible for Regulatory Economics at PURC
The Director in charge of Regulatory Economics at the PURC, Dr. Simon Akorli, also made a presentation on PURC Tariff Setting.
He walked the journalists through the factors the Commission considers before arriving at a tariff for both water and electricity.
He noted that the biggest challenge facing the country, as far as utilities are concerned, is the tariff structure.
He said unlike in Uganda where the tariff has been structured in a way that makes both residential and industrial consumers pay the same rates for consumption of utilities, Ghana’s tariff structure is such that residential consumers pay less while industries pay higher.
Kevin Kwao, Head of ICT, PURC
The very interactive workshop ended with a presentation by Mr. Kevin Kwao, Head of ICT, PURC, on the Commission’s Database Management System.
Dr. Ishmael Ackah, Executive Secretary of Public Utilities Regulatory Commission
Executive Secretary for the Commission, Dr. Ishmael Ackah, who opened the workshop, urged the participants to take a keen interest and learn.
He further called on them to work closely with the Commission for the benefit of all stakeholders.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s leading indigenous Oil Marketing Company, GOIL Company Limited, has donated fifty hospital beds to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, the capital of Ghana.
The beds were procured at the cost of Gh¢250,000 by the oil company and presented to the hospital by the Group CEO, Osei Kwame Prempeh, who was accompanied by some of the company’s staff.
The 37 Military Hospital is one of the referral hospitals in West Africa and receives hundreds of patients, thereby, putting pressure on the facility.
Speaking to energynewsafrica.com, Group CEO and Managing Director of GOIL Company Limited, Osei Kwame Prempeh said he visited the hospital some weeks ago and while he was being conducted around the facility by officials, they informed him of the needs of the hospital.
Hearing that, he said he took their needs to the management of GOIL, who decided to use part of their Corporate Social Responsibility funds to procure the beds to equip the hospital to prevent situations where patients have been turned away because of shortages of beds.
Osei Kwame Prempeh said GOIL has been supporting the hospital with donations in different ways, recalling the supply of some Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to the hospital during the Covid-19 era.
The Group CEO said although GOIL cannot solve all the problems of the hospital, it would continue to support the facility no matter how small it would be.
He used the occasion to call on fuel consumers to keep patronising the services of GOIL, reminding Ghanaians to see the company like theirs and also bearing in mind that any profit the company makes is invested in the country to address the social and economic issues.
Commenting on the gesture, the Commanding Officer of 37 Military Hospital, Brig Gen Azumah Bugri, who received the beds on behalf of the hospital and other officers, commended the Management of GOIL for the donation and noted that beds are critical in health care delivery.
He said some patients go to the hospital for a day’s visit for observation while others go and are admitted.
He said in all scenarios, beds are needed for proper examination to be done on the patients and treatment.
He said the beds would go a long way to help the hospital.
Samples of the bedSource: https://energynewsafrica.com
Over 100 Nigerians have been killed in an explosion that occurred at an illegal bunkering site on April 23, 2022.
The Saturday night explosion occurred at the site located in the Ohaji-Egbema local government area of Imo State in the Abaezi forest that straddles the border of the two states.
“The fire outbreak occurred at an illegal bunkering site and it affected over 100 people who were burnt beyond recognition,” the state Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, Goodluck Oprah, told journalists.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre said several vehicles that were in a queue to buy illegal fuel were simmered in the blast.
According to reports, Nigerian police are currently looking for the owner of the illegal oil refinery.
Ifeanyi Nnaji of the National Emergency Management Agency told BBC that the number killed stood at 109 as of the time of reporting.
“We learnt many bodies are in nearby bushes and forests as some illegal operators and their patrons scampered for safety,” he said.
“The Rivers State governor has made a push recently to stamp out illegal refining in Rivers so it has to move to the fringes and neighbouring states. In the last month or two, there were several raids and some security agents involved were tackled,” Ledum Mitee, former president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), said.
At least 25 people including children, were killed in an explosion and fire at another illegal refinery in Rivers State in October last year.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s national oil company, GNPC, has appointed Opoku Ahweneeh-Danquah as the acting Chief Executive Officer as the CEO of the corporation, Dr K.K Sarpong exits the corporation today, April 22, 2022.
Before the appointment, Opoku Ahweneeh-Danquah was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer responsible for technical operations.
A letter signed by the Board Chairman, Freddie Blay, wished the outgoing CEO well in his future endeavours while urging the staff of the corporation to accord Opoku Ahweneeh-Danquah the necessary support.
The move to appoint him as CEO has stirred anger in Ghana’s seat of government, the Jubilee House.
The appointment, according to sources within the presidency, was influenced by his cousin, Nana Asante Bediatuo, Secretary to the President, and Freddie Blay, Board Chair of GNPC.
Many at the seat of government are worried over the deliberate move by the duo because of claims by critics of President Nana Akufo-Addo that he is running a family and friends government.
According to energynewsafrica.com’s source, the attempt by the GNPC Board Chair and the President’s Secretary to get Opoku Ahwenneh-Danquah appointed is purely based on their intention to remote control him to get what they want.
Sources within the government said Freddie Blay has had a tough time with the outgoing CEO, Dr. K.K Sarpong, who appears to be ‘stubborn’ when it comes to making certain demands and, therefore, wants someone he can easily control.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Moroccan government has awarded seven concessions to independent power producers (IPPs) to develop 333MWp of solar photovoltaic capacity as part of the Noor PV II programme.
North Africa wants to catch up in terms of renewable energy production.
The concessions were awarded to five independent power producers (IPPs), with the French company, Voltalia, awarded the largest lots.
Its Moroccan subsidiary will build two solar power plants.
The largest, with a capacity of 69MWp, will be located in Ain Beni Mathar in the Oriental Region.
Voltalia, Morocco’s second solar power plant, with an expected capacity of 48MWp, will be built in the north-east of the Kingdom.
The Taqa Group is also doing well with two solar photovoltaic plants of 48MWp each.
Its subsidiary, Taqa Morocco, based in Casablanca, will build its facilities in Sidi Bennour in the Casablanca-Settat Region and Kelaa Sraghna in the Marrakech-Safi Region.
For its part, the Emirati IPP Amea Power will build two solar power plants of 36MWp each near the city of Taroudant in the region of Souss-Massa and El Hajeb, a municipality in the region of Fez-Meknes.
Enel Green Power, the subsidiary of the Italian giant, Enel, will build a 48MWp solar power plant in Bejaad in the province of Khouribga.
According to MASEN, these sites have been chosen based on several criteria including the suitability of solar photovoltaic technology, accessibility, topography and the socio-economic impact of the project on the territory of implementation.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Africa focused oil and gas firm, Tullow Oil, is planning to invest a total of $1.6 billion to develop the Jubilee and TEN oilfields offshore the Republic of Ghana in the next five years spanning 2022 and 2026.
By 2022, Tullow is spending $350 million to develop new infrastructure and new wells to increase production at the Jubilee field.
At the TEN oilfield, the company plans to drill two important but strategic wells that will define its plan for the field.
However, beyond 2022, Tullow intends to spend $700 million to develop the Jubilee oilfield while the TEN oilfields will witness an investment of $550 million from 2023 to 2026.
Speaking to a section of journalists in Accra, the capital of Ghana, the CEO of Tullow Oil Plc, Rahul Dhur said these investments are aimed at increasing production at Jubilee and also repositioning TEN for the future growth.
According to him, Tullow is building subsea infrastructure such as pipelines to accelerate the development of the Jubilee and TEN oilfields.
“A lot of the spending we are doing this year is on infrastructure particularly Jubilee South-East Jubilee North-East. This will help us to sustain production,” he said
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The project is one of the many electric infrastructural assets, which form part of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Financial and Operational Turnaround project of the Ghana Power Compact II.
The substation has a capacity of 52 megavolts amperes and can supply all present and future power needs of the University of Ghana Medical Centre and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
It would also serve as an alternative source of power supply to other institutions and surrounding communities.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The dead were buried in three graves dug at the site of the explosion.
Local reporters who covered the burial event reported that Marcel Amadioha, who is the Interim Management Committee chairman of Ohaji-Egbema LGA, explained that they conducted the mass burial because many victims were unable to be identified by their family members.
“We have the instruction of the governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodimma, to conduct a mass burial for the victims of the explosion. This is the least we can do for them because they were burnt beyond recognition. You can see there are no relatives of the victims who are here. This is because the victims were unidentifiable. This is the least we could do to avoid their bodies from decaying further,” he said.
“I believe this will serve as a deterrent to others. We are clamping down on all illegal refineries in this area. We can’t allow this economic sabotage to continue. We deserve better than this. The governor has shown enough compassion by providing us with enough logistics to carry out this mass burial.”
Ben Marcos, the area youth leader, revealed that the community is currently carrying out a sensitisation programme to educate the youth about the dangers of oil bunkering.
According to reports, traditional authorities performed libation to appease the gods to avert similar incidents in the future.
Environmental health officials of Ohaji-Egbema LGA carried out a fumigation exercise to forestall disease outbreaks in the area.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 
“We cannot allow lawlessness to continue in this country. I will pursue justice for the parents if investigations showed culpability of the BEDC.
“Moreover, the government must do its job by not allowing shops or buildings to be erected under power lines. The lives of these precious children would not have been wasted if individuals do their jobs accordingly.”
Reacting to the tragic news, the Corporate Affairs Manager of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Ondo State, Michael Barnabas, said the incident was fatal because the metal container shop was under the high tension electric cable.
“Sadly, we received information about the electrocution of four little children within our network in Ile-Oluji due to an 11kv line that snapped. As a company, we console the families of the children because life is very sacred and should not end prematurely in this way.
“The deaths would have been avoidable if there were nothing within the 11meters right of way statutorily required for such line.
“While we don’t have the powers to relocate people directly living or trading under our electricity lines, we shall be very brutal in disconnecting such customers from the public power supply and ensure they never have access to it again which would probably lead to them relocating voluntarily out of the harm’s way. By this, we believe we can prevent future occurrence of similar sad incidents in future,” he concluded.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Samples of the bed
Source: 
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
