Amidst the growing wave of demand for community’s electrification, the Liberia Accelerated Electricity Expansion Project-additional Financing (LACEEP-AF), through the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), with support from the World Bank, has turned over 31 installed transformers and light-poles to several communities across electoral districts #11 and #13 in Montserrado County with the objective of creating easy access to affordable and reliable energy supply.
Over five thousand beneficiaries in Barnersville, Tusa Field and New Georgia Communities amongst others, are currently benefiting electricity from the World Bank-LACEEP-AF Funded project which is being implemented by an engineering company MBH Power Limited, through the Liberia Electricity CoIt followed the installation of thirty-one transformers and distribution of 5,048 meters in the two districts aimed at addressing some of the growing challenges being experience by residents in accessing the national electricity grid.
Speaking at the handover ceremony of the transformers to LEC management on Wednesday, March 30, LEC-World Bank Project Supervisor, Mr. Ezekiel Sampson said, the project is aimed at increasing citizens’ access to the national power grid.
He added that it will also decrease criminal rate and enable residents of the areas to move about smoothly.
Mr. Sampson disclosed that additional funding has been secured for the extension of the project to other parts of Monrovia.
“The World Bank is one of our biggest implementing partners that gives support to the Liberia Electricity Corporation. There are plans to extend to other communities and counties. As we speak, additional funding has been approved and signed,” Sampson asserted.
He noted that procurement and other formalities are ongoing to begin the project as soon as possible.
Turning the transformers over to LEC and the community earlier, MBH project Engineer, Christian Fiagbezi, said MBH has done its portion and it is now left with LEC and the community for use and effective management.
“We have done with the MV/LV network and we are handing it over to LEC and the community to ensure it is effectively managed. We carried out assessment which showed that we only needed 31 transformers,” Fiagbezi disclosed.
The transformers are expected to last for over twenty-five years if effectively and properly managed without no load growth.
He said in the instance where there is load growth, LEC will need to upgrade the transformers to meet the customers’ demands.
Mr. Fiagbezi explained that the transformers are durable enough to serve the communities if the residents decide to protect the transformers by ensuring that power theft is curtailed.
For his part, LEC Bushrod Feeder Base Business Unit Electrical Engineer, Ben Fomba, said the installation of the transformers is a milestone for LEC and residents of the community.
“This is going to make us generate more revenue to increase our power generation if our customers will be sincere enough.”
He, at the same time called on the community to help protect the transformers. Mr. Fomba thanked the World Bank and MBH for the project and promised that LEC will do everything possible in terms of maintenance.
The Secretary General of JJY community, Thomas J. Kamara, expressed gratitude to LEC, MBH and the World Bank for the initiative.
“We have been suffering as a result of darkness, criminal rate on the increase and we believed that the provision of electricity is a great help – we don’t know how to even thank LEC and her partners, we are grateful.”
Mr. Kamara further said,” we have put in place a mechanism that will somehow decrease power theft because we don’t have the full capacity to stop power theft, but what we can promise LEC and others is that, we will try to limit it by educating our people.”
The JJY Community Secretary General added that the leadership of the community has begun a rigorous sensitization campaign to ensure that residents of the area serve as ambassadors to prevent power theft.
He maintained that the house-to-house campaign is gradually yielding fruitful result as there has been no sign of power theft in the community.
Mr. Kamara said anyone caught will be reported to the LEC and the Liberia National Police for prosecution.
According to him, since the installation of transformers and subsequent electrification of their communities, criminal rate which was on the Increase, has drastically reduced. “The places used to be dark, but for now, we see lights all over, so we appreciate LEC in collaboration with World Bank.”
Meanwhile, the Community Secretary General has vowed that as a means of taking ownership of the project, they will also monitor power theft operations.
Mr. Kamara further disclosed that “power theft reduces the load weight for legitimate users; we will monitor that also as a way of ensuring our community protection.”
Despite the low water shortage LEC is experiencing at the Mount Coffee Hydro Power plant, the management has affirmed its commitment to its primary objective aimed at expanding electricity to thousands of new customers through its donor founded projects across Monrovia and its environs.
At the same time, the LEC Management is rigorously involved with mass connections in communities under the Normalization Process which seeks to cover up the gaps with households that are not connected to the national electricity grid. The requirement under which one can obtains a meter through the Normalization Process are as follows: one should obtain a valid identification card, phone number, and place of location and must be a resident of said community.
Whereas, customers who are recruited under the Normalization process benefit a free Meter Installation for electricity and will only have to provide the necessary information to the LEC Customer Service Center for registration. The Customer Normalization process is being implemented by the LEC in collaboration with the community leadership.
Most African countries are coal-free; however, South Africa still relies heavily on the fossil fuel for electricity production, a report shows.
Independent non-profit think tank Ember last week issued its Global Electricity Review 2022, which showed that globally clean energy sources accounted for 38% of electricity production, outweighing coal at 36%. Wind and solar are the fastest-growing sources of electricity and accounted for a tenth of global electricity production in 2021.
Domestically coal accounted for 84.4% electricity production in 2021, according to the Ember report. As a result, South Africa’s emissions in 2021 from electricity production still outpaces other African nations like Egypt and Kenya.
Clean energy sources accounted for only 13.7% of South Africa’s electricity production.
The report further highlighted that electricity access is still a problem across the continent.
“Most of the world’s population still without access to electricity is in Africa. For those that do have access, it’s unreliable, and use per person is far lower than the global average,” the report read.
Africa accounts for 18% of the global population but only 3% of the world’s electricity generation.
While electricity demand is growing, clean electricity growth to meet that demand is slow.
African nations might not be heavily dependent on coal, but they still rely on another fossil fuel – gas.
A third of Africa’s electricity demand growth in the past five years was met with renewables. The other two-thirds of demand growth were met by gas, the report read. While gas was always prevalent in northern Africa, it is becoming a more common energy source across the continent, the report added.
Domestically, there are plans to increase reliance on gas as a transition fuel to balance the electricity system as the country incorporates more renewables. Civil society organisations and other environmental activists have objected to and even legally challenged gas and oil exploration.
Most recently, West Coast fishing communities won a court battle to block a seismic survey off its shores.
However, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has spoken out against those objecting to the development of the oil and gas industry, which he believes will boost investment in South Africa.
The Ember report indicates that to limit global temperature rising beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, South Africa must rapidly transition out of coal generation, and northern African countries must rely less on gas power generation.
Globally wind and solar energy need to grow at 20% every year until 2030 – which equates to their average growth over the past decade.
Solar and wind are quick to deploy and are cost-competitive. Countries such as US, Germany, UK and Canada intend to shift their grids to be dependent on clean electricity within the next 15 years, the report indicated.
Source:News24.com
The world needs to rapidly accelerate its transition away from coal and other fossil fuels to avoid extreme climate change, according to a report by the U.N. climate science panel.
The report justifies the growing concern among scientists, activists and governments that promises to slash greenhouse gas emissions so far are inadequate to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius – the level at which researchers say climate change risks spinning out of control.
“In order to meet these targets, you need credible commitments on public policy, private investment, innovation, all happening quickly and then being sustained over several decades,” said John Bistline, a climate expert for the non-profit Electric Power Research Institute and a contributing author to the IPCC report.
To keep warming in check, global consumption of coal, for example, must drop by at least 67% by 2030 and 95% by 2050, while oil and gas use must also decline sharply, according to the report. That would mean retiring and replacing fossil fuel power plants and other facilities potentially decades earlier than planned and cancelling new construction.
“Without early retirements, or reductions in utilisation, the current fossil infrastructure will emit more GHGs than is compatible with limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C,” the report said.
The pace of the decline in fossil fuel consumption could be somewhat slower if facilities install carbon capture equipment to keep their emissions from reaching the atmosphere, the report said, while also acknowledging that the technology is not yet proven to be commercially viable at scale.
The rapid shift away from fossil fuels needed to limit warming poses a multi-trillion dollar risk to investors and resource-rich nations, because it could leave infrastructure idle and untapped resources in the ground.
“About 30% of oil, 50% of gas, and 80% of coal reserves will remain unburnable if warming is limited to 2 degrees C,” the report said, adding that the loss of wealth from such “stranded assets” could create risks for financial markets.
But there are economic opportunities as well, both for investors looking to profit from the growing solar, wind and other clean energy industries, and businesses keen to benefit from their falling costs and improved technology, it said.
The report said transitioning to low-carbon energy is already economical in some cases.
Despite decades of international climate negotiations, carbon emissions and fossil fuel energy demand have been rising steadily, with current emissions projections putting 1.5 degrees C well out of reach.
Tight global energy markets and high fuel prices, meanwhile, have led big energy consumer nations like the United States to call for increased oil and gas drilling in the near term – reflecting a shift in priorities from tackling climate change to shoring up energy security.
Source: Reuters
Kenya’s Pipeline Company (KPC) has assured consumers of sufficient fuel stocks across all their depots in the East African nation.
This comes on the back of reports of shortages of fuel in the country.
Reports suggest there are winding queues at most fuel stations in the country.
However, KPC, in a statement issued last weekend, stated that their current stock position at all their facilities indicate that there are over 69 million litres of super (petrol), more than 94 million litres of diesel, more than 13 million litres of kerosene and over 23 million litres of jet fuel available.
“Kenya Pipeline Company would like to confirm that there are ample stocks of petroleum products in our system throughout the country to meet demand,” KPC’s Managing Director, Dr. Macharia Irungu, said.
“Our global stock holding is adequate to serve the region with more ships in Mombasa queued for discharge,” he added.
Some Kenyans have been expressing their concerns with energynewsafrica.com and on social media and here are some of the comments:
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Drivers in the UK have been queuing for fuel in recent hours after several days of climate protests culminated on Monday with a blockade of an oil facility near Heathrow in London.
Some gas stations in London and the southeast of England are closed because they have run out of fuel, while drivers are queuing for hours at the stations that still sell gasoline and diesel.
A Tesco forecourt in the town of Saffron Walden, Essex, is closed, the supermarket chain said on Monday, replying to a question from a customer when fuel would be available.
“The Petrol filling station can’t advise when the next delivery will be at present,” Tesco’s customer service said.
Many drivers took to Twitter to say that some gas stations are sold out of all kinds of fuel.
The lack of fuel at gas stations is the result of several days of protests by climate activists.
On Monday, campaigners from Extinction Rebellion and from Just Stop Oil blocked the entrance to the Esso West oil facility near Heathrow Airport in London. The facility is operated by U.S. supermajor ExxonMobil.
“This is the fourth day in a row in which oil facilities across the UK have been blocked as part of ongoing action by Extinction Rebellion and the Just Stop Oil coalition. Over the weekend Just Stop Oil continued to block oil depots in Grays, Purfleet, Buncefield, Tamworth and Central Birmingham,” Extinction Rebellion said on Monday.
“We will continue to block oil facilities until the government agrees to stop all new fossil fuel investments immediately,” the group added.
“Right now, governments are choosing to exploit the crisis in Ukraine to hand out oil licences and continue the fossil fuel economy that’s destroying us,” Andrew Smith from Extinction Rebellion said in a statement.
Despite the UK’s net-zero pledge and its ambitious renewable electricity targets, the country will continue to rely on oil and gas from the North Sea. After Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February, the UK doubled down on its commitment to net-zero by 2050, but it also reiterated its support for its domestic oil and gas resources.
Source: Oilprice.com
Ghana’s leading indigenous Oil Marketing Company, GOIL Company Limited, has slashed its fuel prices at the pump, energynewsafrica.com can report.
Petrol price has been reduced from Gh¢9.60 per litre to Gh¢9.35 per litre, representing a 25 pesewas reduction while diesel has been reduced from Gh¢10.40 to Gh¢10.20, representing a 20 pesewas reduction.
The reduction follows the government’s decision to cushion consumers against the rising cost of fuel by reducing taxes on fuel by 15 pesewas on both diesel and petrol.
GOIL has forfeited part of its margins in a bid to also cushion consumers.
Checks by energynewsafrica.com show that most of the OMCs are yet to adjust their pump prices.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The World Bank’s Board of Directors has approved $55 million for a second Djibouti-Power System Interconnection Project.
The project aims to enhance regional connectivity through improved low-cost and clean electricity transmission between Ethiopia and Djibouti.
The operation will support the construction of a second double-circuit high voltage electric power transmission line to connect the high voltage substation at Galafi, at the border with Ethiopia, to the Nagad substation, near Djibouti-Ville.
This new electricity line will help to stabilise power flows and make the systems more reliable.
The project, limited to the Djiboutian side of the interconnection line, will be financed in parallel by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Djibouti and Ethiopia.
The 60 largest banks in the world poured as much as $742 billion in fossil fuel financing in 2021 alone, a new report by environmental groups showed this week.
Since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, the world’s largest commercial and investment banks have financed fossil fuels with a cumulative $4.6 trillion, according to the annual Banking on Climate Chaos report from Oil Change International, Rainforest Action Network, BankTrack, Indigenous Environmental Network, Reclaim Finance, Sierra Club, and Urgewald.
Banks have come under increased pressure and scrutiny over the past years to stop funding fossil fuels.
JPMorgan Chase “remains the world’s worst funder of climate chaos, with JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Mizuho, MUFG, and all 5 Canadian banks among those that increased their fossil financing from 2020 to 2021,” the authors of the report said.
Overall, fossil fuel financing remained dominated by four U.S. banks, as JPMorgan Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America together accounted for one-quarter of all fossil fuel financing over the last six years.
Fracking received $62.1 billion in financing last year, and was dominated by North American banks with Wells Fargo at the top, funding producers like Diamondback Energy and pipeline companies like Kinder Morgan.
Coal mining financing was led by Chinese banks, the report said, with China Merchants Bank and Ping An Group leading financing for the sector in 2021.
In coal financing alone, between January 2019 and November of last year, commercial banks globally funneled a jaw-dropping $1.5 trillion into the coal industry, a previous report by environmental organizations found earlier this year.
This week’s ‘Banking on Climate Chaos’ report showed that Citi and JPMorgan Chase provided the most financing for offshore oil and gas in 2021. In total, big banks channeled $52.9 billion into offshore oil and gas financing last year, the report noted.
“With Wall Street banks leading the charge, these financial institutions are directly complicit in undermining a climate stable future for us all and must immediately end their support of any further fossil fuel infrastructure expansion,” Alison Kirsch, Research and Policy Manager at Rainforest Action Network, said, commenting on the report.
Source: Oilprice.com
Energy experts say the growing oil crisis across the globe is a wake-up call for the African continent to be become less dependent on foreign oil supplies.
The cost of fuel has risen sharply, with Brent crude oil hitting a 14-year high in recent weeks. It remains firmly above $100 per barrel at the time of publication.
With the military conflict in Ukraine, concerns have arisen around the world’s ability to meet its energy needs. The United States and the United Kingdom have banned Russian oil imports, with the European Union under pressure to follow suit.
“Nobody really anticipated needing to grow significantly,” Vicki Hollub, chief executive of Occidental Petroleum said during a recent conference in Texas (https://nyti.ms/3NCxrG3). “That’s the challenge now. If you didn’t plan for growth, you’re not going to be able to achieve growth today.”
Regardless of the outcome, the squeeze is being felt across the globe. Some governments have decided to subsidise their citizens’ energy bills, or to reduce the cost of public transport, as has been the case in New Zealand (https://bit.ly/3NDe5QQ).
What about Africa?
“African countries are re-evaluating their energy mix options,” says Paul Sinclair, vice president of energy for Africa Oil Week (Africa-OilWeek.com/Home), the continent’s leading energy conference.
“There are untapped oil and gas reserves in Africa which we believe should be developed with good carbon management strategies. Oil and gas offer solutions to regional and international energy demand” says Sinclair.
“Whilst the world transitions to low carbon it is imperative that Africa develop its upstream capabilities alongside renewable energy solutions which will result in a win-win for all”
Sinclair says African countries are re-thinking their approach to energy.
“I expect we will see a major shift in policies in many countries to address their energy needs, amidst this crisis, when heads of state, ministers, business leaders and stakeholders gather at Africa Oil Week 2022 in Cape Town, October 3rd – 7th.”
Sinclair says Africa’s energy requirements need to factor in the economic imperatives of the continent.
“According to the United Nations (https://bit.ly/3IUviBN), an estimated 490 million people live below the poverty line and less than half of African countries have experienced inclusive growth in over twenty years,” says Sinclair. “By adding an energy crisis to the mix, I have little doubt that we will see a strategic review in this sector.”
However, oil and gas are not the only options for Africa. The Green Energy Africa Summit, also in Cape Town October 3rd – 7th, will be delivered alongside Africa Oil Week to ensure the overall energy mix is addressed from nation to nation. The events together will allow delegates to get a 360-degree view of the sector during a time of disruption.
Only 18 (https://bit.ly/3DslCgE) of Africa’s 55 nations currently produce oil, led by Nigeria, Angola, Algeria and Egypt. Together, they produce less than 10% (https://bit.ly/36YlcCH) of the world’s output.
“When you study the numbers, you can see that Africa has no choice in the current circumstances to increase its energy security,” says Sinclair.
This is already happening. South Africa has been exploring potential gas deposits off its coastline, while the Gambia is looking to license two oil-exploration sites in coming months.
Mozambique and Tanzania have reportedly discovered crude oil, while exploration (https://bit.ly/373AWEk) has been undertaken in some other African countries, such as Chad, Sudan, and Namibia.
Approximately 2 400 hydrocarbon deposits (https://bit.ly/3tUuNUj) have been discovered in Africa, 700 of them large enough for significant exploration.
“2022 will be a significant year in the African energy sector” predicts Sinclair. “The continent knows it needs to expand its production of hydrocarbons and renewable energy production if its economies are to remain competitive. We expect this will be an area of high investment,” he says.
About Africa Oil Week and the Green Energy Africa Summit
The Africa Oil Week offers 4 days of pioneering insights, from ministerial panels to strategic outlooks designed to drive investment into the African upstream for the benefit of the continent. At the heart of the event are some of the most compelling insights into the upstream strategies of governments from across the continent.
These extensive and varied networking opportunities have resulted in an unprecedented return of delegates year after year.
AOW is globally renowned for bringing the most senior delegates together each year. In 2021, AOW welcomed 30+ Ministers and Government Leaders, 2,000+ C-level delegates, representatives, and hundreds of SVPs and VPs of Africa, Exploration and New Ventures – making the event the most influential energy conference in Africa.
Whilst Africa Oil Week will retain its own identity as a pure-play Hydrocarbons event to advocate upstream development. The Green Energy Africa Summit will also play its role in driving enabling environments to ensure foreign direct investment is deployed into game-changing projects that will reduce the energy deficit and provide energy access for all across the continent.
Source: Africa Oil Week
A South African court has halted oil giant Shell’s seismic testing for oil and gas along the country’s eastern coastline, pending a final ruling.
The decision has been hailed by environmentalists who fear that the sound blasting will harm marine life.
Shell said it had “paused” operations while it reviewed the judgement.
South Africa’s Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe had condemned the project’s critics, saying they wanted to deprive Africa of energy resources.
In his ruling, High Court Judge Gerald Bloem said that Shell’s right to explore the waters near the Wild Coast “was awarded on the basis of a substantially flawed consultation process”.
The 250km (155-mile) stretch of coastline in Eastern Cape province is known for its natural beauty and marine life.
Campaigners argued that many sea creatures – including whales, dolphins and seals – would be affected by the seismic testing.
Local communities, who were also represented in the case, said that their customary rights to the land and fishing had not been respected.
Welcoming the ruling, local campaigner Nonhle Mbuthuma said: “As coastal communities we have relied on the sea for centuries – and we are glad that the judge has recognised that our ocean livelihoods must not be sacrificed for short term profit.”
Seismic surveys are carried out as a means of mapping what lies beneath the seafloor.
Shockwaves fired from an air gun – like a very powerful speaker – are blasted down towards the seabed. The sound that returns reveals whether there is, for example, oil locked in the rock beneath.
Shell had begun surveying the 6,000-sq-km area at the beginning of December after an earlier court judgment said it could go ahead. In that case, the judge said that those who wanted to prevent the survey had not provided enough evidence to show the environmental harm.
In Tuesday’s ruling, Justice Bloem said that experts had testified to the damage the testing could cause and Shell had not sufficiently challenged that.
Katherine Robinson from the non-governmental organisation Natural Justice said the ruling was a “huge victory”, but added that the “struggle is not over”.
“This decision is just the interdict. We understand that the proceedings will continue,” she was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
In its response, Shell said: “We respect the court’s decision and have paused the survey while we review the judgment.”
Shell had earlier warned that if the case went against it, it might cancel the entire operation, losing the chance to extract millions of dollars worth of oil and gas.
Source: The Star
Tullow Ghana, a subsidiary of Tullow Oil Plc., has completed its 12th Sustainable Kindergarten project at the Aboadze-Abuesi Basic School in the Shama District of the Western Region.
The new Aboadze-Abuesi KG block is a two-classroom with a playground, a canteen and a washroom.
The project in Aboadze-Abuesi, like the previous projects, included the training of teachers in the Montessori training style.
Since 2011, Tullow Ghana has embarked on the Sustainable Kindergarten Project designed to help communities with basic education.
The project is the pre-tertiary component of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative which forms part of Tullow’s larger educational support programme that spans from kindergarten through university education.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the facility, Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of Tullow Ghana, Cynthia Lumor, stated that the construction of these kindergartens and the training of teachers formed part of Tullow’s pledge to positively impact communities through educational development initiatives.
“Over the last ten years, we have in line with our shared prosperity programme focused on educational development initiatives that are intended to positively impact communities, especially the ones within our operational area. This has taken us on a journey to construct 11 other kindergartens in Western and the Central Regions, trained 31 KG teachers in GES approved pedagogy, equipped 12 headteachers with skills in the management of the Montessori system of education and graduated over 2200 from all 12 KGs; just because we believe that a successful educational career is dependent on our children having solid foundations,” she said.
She emphasised that the educational initiatives are geared toward developing interest and skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education from the kindergarten level to the tertiary level.
While acknowledging the role and support of the community in the construction of the two-classroom KG facility, Cynthia Lumor encouraged all in the community to “demonstrate positive maintenance culture by supporting with the fixing of little things on this facility when the need arises.”
The DMD also expressed gratitude to its partner, Sabre Education for putting up a beautiful edifice for the community.
According to her, Tullow Ghana’s partnership with Sabre Education has proven to be valuable.
On his part, the Member of Parliament for Sekondi Constituency and Deputy Minister for Energy, Andrew E. Mercer, who served as the special guest of honour at the occasion commended Tullow Ghana for implementing a project that would give Ghanaian children a head-start in STEM education.
“This facility will not only be a place to study but to help them nurture and develop an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics related careers. Ghana’s energy sector needs more engineers and technicians with the requisite knowledge to contribute to its development. In cognizance of this, the government under the leadership of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic, has rolled out the free Senior High School policy to give every child across the country the opportunity to possess quality education.
“The Tullow Sustainable Kindergarten project is, therefore, in line with the government’s objective to build capacity and enhance access to basic education in the country. With a carefully planned layout of the school and a robust pedagogy, I am confident that teaching and learning in this facility will be exciting and insightful.
”I also seize this opportunity to thank Tullow Ghana and its partners for the support they are giving to the free SHS policy through the construction of modern classroom blocks in selected Senior High Schools in Ghana. Other initiatives like the construction of the Jubilee technical training centre and Takoradi Technical Training University and the continuous collaboration of government institutions to provide training to businesses in the oil and gas sector is a clear indication of Tullow Ghana’s commitment to the development of talents and human capacity in the country,” he indicated.
The Minister also used the opportunity to urge other organisations to emulate Tullow’s commitment to working with the government to develop the talent and the capacity of the country.
The Executive Director at Sabre Education, Tony Dogbe, described the facility as Tullow’s gift to the community and thus urged the local authorities and the community to maintain the complex and keep it in good shape.
Headmistress of the school, Mrs Vida Nana Bentum expressed gratitude to Tullow Ghana and Sabre Education when she said: “The names of Tullow and Sabre will forever be indelibly imprinted in the minds of children in particular and the community as a whole for this kind gesture. You have demonstrated that you care. I, therefore, wish to appeal to you, to adopt us and provide us with other facilities such as an ICT centre and Science lab that could enhance teaching and learning.”
Present at the commissioning of the facility was the District Chief Executive of Shama, Ebenezer Dadzie, Tony Aidoo, staff of Aboadze-Abuesi Basic School, a representative from the District Education Office, officials of Tullow Ghana and Sabre Education.
The 12 completed kindergartens are located in the following communities; Abuesi Aboadze Community in the Shama District, Ayensudo (Komenda Municipality)-Cape Coast, Akwidaa, Ahanta East District, Punpuni, Ahanta East DistrictKrisan/Sanzule, Ellembele District, New Bankata, Ellembele District, Ehunyame, Nzema East Metropolis, Domunli, Nzema East Metropolis, Benin, Nzema West District, Amenano, Shama, Shama District, Holy Child Teachers Training College, STMA and Nkontompo community in STMA.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) has restored the power supply to Koblimahigu, a suburb of Tamale, after several days of keeping the residents in darkness.
The restoration of the power supply follows a request by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to the power distributor after Ya-Naa Abukari II, the King and Overlord of the Dagbon State, made a passionate appeal for the power to be restored.
NEDCo cut power supply to the area following recent attacks on its staff by some residents of the area.
A statement issued by Edward Kingstony Boduah, Northern Regional Manager of PURC to NEDCo, said: “The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission requests NEDCo to immediately restore electric power to the community to smoothen the ongoing engagement process for installation of the Split Meters.”
In a speech read by His Royal Highness Zangbalun Naa Yakubu II, Paramount Chief of Zangbalun Traditional Area, on behalf of King and Overlord of Dagbon State, Ya-Na Abukari II, on Tuesday, he condemned the attacks on the staff of NEDCo by some of the residents of Korblimahigu.
The King, who frowned on the actions of the residents, also expressed unhappiness about NEDCo for disconnecting the community from the national grid because of the misconduct of a few people in the area.
“I call on the Managing Director of NEDCo, as a way of urgency, to immediately restore power supply to Korblimahigu area without any further delay,” he stated.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Millennium Development Authority, MiDA, has inaugurated a Utility Geographic Information System at a cost of US$8.5 million at the project office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in Accra to support the company’s operations.
The project is part of modernising the Utility Operations Activity, one of four project activities making up the ECG Financial and Operational Turnaround Project (EFOT).
The utility GIS provides a digital platform and tools for ECG to plan, manage and efficiently operate its network to meet global utility management standards.
With the GIS, ECG’s operations are expected to improve since the company currently relies on manual and stand -alone computerized systems to locate and identify assets and customers in the field and to design, construct and operate it’s network for planning and service delivery purposes.
This approach to service delivery and operations is time consuming and inefficient.
In a speech delivered on her behalf at the inauguration of the GIS, Board Chair of MiDA, Prof Yaa Ntiamoah-Baidu said while the BSPs and LV Bifurcation projects have focused on improving the quality of power supply and customer experience, the GIS project supports ECG to become operationally more efficient.
“This Utility GIS will provide a digital platform and tools for ECG to plan, manage and efficiently operate its network to meet global utility management standards.
“ECG’s services to the customer will improve from the reliability and quality of the power supplied to the time it takes to connect new applicants, read and deliver electricity bills, and respond to customer concerns,” she explained.
The System will also enable ECG to increase the efficiency with which it collects its revenues, reduce technical and commercial losses, and plan and construct its networks.
“We on the MiDA Board are hopeful that the System will be put to use and that the expected benefits from this massive investment will be realized,” she stressed.
Prof Ntiamoah-Baidu expressed MiDA’s gratitude to the United States Government for their US$316m investment, which has been provided through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), to improve Ghana’s power sector.
Board Chairman of ECG, Mr Keli Gadzekpo who outlined the benefits of GIS commended MiDA, MCC and Government of Ghana for the continuous support to ECG.
He said ECG contributed about US$1.5 million towards the project.
Ghana’s Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh in a speech read for him by Mr Solomon Adjetey, Director for Power at the Ministry noted that with the Ghana Power Compact II, the country has witnessed important projects such as the Meter Management Systems (MMS), Construction of Substations / Bulk Supply Points(BSPs)(Pokuase and Kasoa), the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) amongst others which have enhanced the reliability of electricity distribution.
The Minister noted that the GIS would help ECG attain an accurate asset inventory with electric poles, transformers, cable lines, substations and other electric utility assets if properly managed.
Dr. Matthew Opoku charged ECG to address a plethora of challenges faced in the power distribution, including poor customer data handling/management, unsatisfactory responsiveness to customer complaints, high level of distribution losses , inadequate manpower to ensure efficient operations especially in remote areas and low collection rate contributing to recurrent financial losses.
Dr. Samuel Kobina DeSouza, Board Member of MiDAMr. Solomon Adjetey, Director for Power at the Ministry of EnergyMr Keli Gadzekpo, Board Chairman of ECGSource: https://energynewsafrica.com
Six people have been confirmed dead after a fuel tanker explosion in Lagos, Nigeria, last Sunday, March 27, 2022.
According to BBC, a motorbiker was caught in the flames.
The explosion occurred after the fuel tanker collided head-on with another truck, resulting in the blaze which destroyed both vehicles.
Nigeria has seen frequent deadly road accidents and explosions involving fuel tankers in recent years.
Road accidents in Nigeria are mostly blamed on bad roads, disregard for traffic regulations and poor maintenance of vehicles.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
“The Tullow Sustainable Kindergarten project is, therefore, in line with the government’s objective to build capacity and enhance access to basic education in the country. With a carefully planned layout of the school and a robust pedagogy, I am confident that teaching and learning in this facility will be exciting and insightful.
”I also seize this opportunity to thank Tullow Ghana and its partners for the support they are giving to the free SHS policy through the construction of modern classroom blocks in selected Senior High Schools in Ghana. Other initiatives like the construction of the Jubilee technical training centre and Takoradi Technical Training University and the continuous collaboration of government institutions to provide training to businesses in the oil and gas sector is a clear indication of Tullow Ghana’s commitment to the development of talents and human capacity in the country,” he indicated.
The Minister also used the opportunity to urge other organisations to emulate Tullow’s commitment to working with the government to develop the talent and the capacity of the country.
The Executive Director at Sabre Education, Tony Dogbe, described the facility as Tullow’s gift to the community and thus urged the local authorities and the community to maintain the complex and keep it in good shape.
Headmistress of the school, Mrs Vida Nana Bentum expressed gratitude to Tullow Ghana and Sabre Education when she said: “The names of Tullow and Sabre will forever be indelibly imprinted in the minds of children in particular and the community as a whole for this kind gesture. You have demonstrated that you care. I, therefore, wish to appeal to you, to adopt us and provide us with other facilities such as an ICT centre and Science lab that could enhance teaching and learning.”
Present at the commissioning of the facility was the District Chief Executive of Shama, Ebenezer Dadzie, Tony Aidoo, staff of Aboadze-Abuesi Basic School, a representative from the District Education Office, officials of Tullow Ghana and Sabre Education.
The 12 completed kindergartens are located in the following communities; Abuesi Aboadze Community in the Shama District, Ayensudo (Komenda Municipality)-Cape Coast, Akwidaa, Ahanta East District, Punpuni, Ahanta East DistrictKrisan/Sanzule, Ellembele District, New Bankata, Ellembele District, Ehunyame, Nzema East Metropolis, Domunli, Nzema East Metropolis, Benin, Nzema West District, Amenano, Shama, Shama District, Holy Child Teachers Training College, STMA and Nkontompo community in STMA.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 
The System will also enable ECG to increase the efficiency with which it collects its revenues, reduce technical and commercial losses, and plan and construct its networks.
“We on the MiDA Board are hopeful that the System will be put to use and that the expected benefits from this massive investment will be realized,” she stressed.
Prof Ntiamoah-Baidu expressed MiDA’s gratitude to the United States Government for their US$316m investment, which has been provided through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), to improve Ghana’s power sector.
Board Chairman of ECG, Mr Keli Gadzekpo who outlined the benefits of GIS commended MiDA, MCC and Government of Ghana for the continuous support to ECG.
He said ECG contributed about US$1.5 million towards the project.
Ghana’s Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh in a speech read for him by Mr Solomon Adjetey, Director for Power at the Ministry noted that with the Ghana Power Compact II, the country has witnessed important projects such as the Meter Management Systems (MMS), Construction of Substations / Bulk Supply Points(BSPs)(Pokuase and Kasoa), the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) amongst others which have enhanced the reliability of electricity distribution.
The Minister noted that the GIS would help ECG attain an accurate asset inventory with electric poles, transformers, cable lines, substations and other electric utility assets if properly managed.
Dr. Matthew Opoku charged ECG to address a plethora of challenges faced in the power distribution, including poor customer data handling/management, unsatisfactory responsiveness to customer complaints, high level of distribution losses , inadequate manpower to ensure efficient operations especially in remote areas and low collection rate contributing to recurrent financial losses.
Dr. Samuel Kobina DeSouza, Board Member of MiDA
Mr. Solomon Adjetey, Director for Power at the Ministry of Energy
