The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has recovered a total of GHC6,525,642 (1,059,357.45) from customers who engage in power theft or illegal connection.
The above figure was realised through the efforts of the National Task Force and ECG’s Revenue Protection Section.
Managing Director of ECG, Mr Kwame Agyeman-Budu, who disclosed this, said the Task Force, together with ECG’s Revenue Protection Section, has visited over 12,730 customers.
He said the team unearthed 1,537 illegal connections and recovered GHS6, 525,645.
The Task Force was constituted by Ghana’s Ministry of Energy to halt illegal connections.
Mr Agyeman-Budu who appealed to the public to assist in fighting this canker of illegal connections said ECG has a handsome reward package for informants who would give tip-offs for illegal connections.
According to him, informants would be given six per cent of the total monies to be recovered as a result of their patriotic duty.
“We assure the general public that the identities of all informants will be strictly protected at all times,” he assured.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s leading indigenous oil marketing company, GOIL Company Ltd, has announced a further 15 pesewas reduction in fuel prices at all its retail outlets across the country effective December 7, 2021.
This means that a litre of Super XP (Petrol) and Diesel XP will both sell at GHC6.70 from the previous GHS6.85 per litre.
According to the company, the latest reduction in fuel prices is intended to assuage the pain of transporters.
“The truth is fuel prices have gone up in the world over but GOIL decided to further reduce the prices after reducing prices in the last window,” the company said.
The new development comes barely two weeks after GOIL had reduced fuel prices from GHC6.99 per litre to GHC6.85.
In a notice to all GOIL dealers sighted by energynewsafrica.com, it said: “The ex-pump prices on the dispensing pumps at all automated stations in all zones will be changed remotely at 6 am sharp.
“The automated stations are, therefore, advised to take stocks and meter readings by 6 am sharp,” it concluded.
Fuel prices have been rising since the beginning of this year.
Fuel consumers have been lamenting with a call on the government to reduce the tax component on the commodity to cushion Ghanaians.
On Monday, commercial transport operators embarked on a sit-down strike in protest against the high cost of fuel, leaving thousands of commuters stranded.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Commercial transport operators in the Republic of Ghana, on Monday, embarked on a sit down strike in protest of the high cost of petrol and diesel.
Currently, both petrol and diesel are sold at around GHC6.90 per litre.
This, the drivers say is making them operate at a loss coupled with the high cost of spare parts.
The strike action left thousands of commuters stranded at various bus terminals across the country.
A visit to some of the transport terminals by the energynewsafrica.com team revealed some interesting scenes.
While some drivers played cards, others turned their terminal into a football pitch.
When the energynewsafrica.com team got to the Ashaiman transport terminal, the drivers and their mates were seen playing football in the station.
One driver said: “We voted for this government but look at how they’re treating us. Life has become unbearable. We will play football the whole day.”
Another driver said: “You can see a lot of commuters along the road. Almost everyone is trying to get a vehicle. For the drivers here, they are trying to enforce the strike. When the other drivers with passengers get to the station, they instruct the passengers to alight. The situation at Nii Boye Town is not a very pleasant one. A lot of people are now in a fix.”
Drivers at the Lapaz bus terminal had to also disembark passengers in commercial vehicles in a bid to enforce their sit-down strike.
In the Northern Region, commuters travelling to Tamale or Yendi were stranded at the station due to the strike.
Fuel prices in 2021 started at about GH¢5 per litre and are now threatening to cross the GH¢7 mark.
There are seven taxes on petroleum products which amount to GH¢1.9 on each litre of fuel purchased.
Energynewsafricam.com understands that the leadership of the transport unions have been called to the Presidency for a meeting in the afternoon.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The petroleum sector workers in the Republic of Nigeria have suspended a planned industrial action, energynewsafrica.com can report.
The suspension of the planned industrial action follows a commitment by the Buhari administration to address their grievances.
The petroleum workers announced the suspension in a statement issued by Williams Akporeha, President of Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Afolabi Olawale, General Secretary of the union, last Thursday, December 2, 2021.
NUPENG issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government over issues including non-payment of workers’ salaries and title benefits.
On November 25, NUPENG extended the two-week ultimatum by seven days.
The union commended the management of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for taking steps to resolve the impasse.
“NNPC’s management has once again proven to the union and the nation that it can be trusted in matters of ensuring decency of employment and peaceful industrial relations in the Nigerian oil and gas industry,” NUPENG said.
The union said an agreement was reached on some of the issues that instigated the planned strike.
“Some of the resolutions from these engagements include the commencement of the processes to clear all backlogs of arrears of salaries and allowances owned contract workers of Oil Mining Licence 42 before the end of December,” it said.
“The agreement and firm commitment to pay N2.13 million to each of the former employees of the six big contractors whose terminal benefits were short-paid in 2012 following the closure of the contract.”
NUPENG said it would ensure that petroleum products are available nationwide during the yuletide.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, has met with H.E. Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of the Congo, to discuss accelerating regional energy cooperation among CEMAC member states and within the Global South.
The meeting addressed growing South-South cooperation and encouraged the establishment of a more robust regional energy sectorable to meet the needs of the citizens of Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) member states.
H.E. President Nguesso was also accompanied by Congolese Minister of Hydrocarbons H.E. Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua, who held his own bilateral meeting with H.E. Minister Lima. Both oil ministers participated in the CEMAC Energy Business Forum in Brazzaville, which took place in November 29-30 and seeking to foster discussions among regional stakeholders and accelerate sustainable, regional energy growth.
The Republic of the Congo is not the only country at the forefront of Equatorial Guinea’s campaign to expand cross-border cooperation. In September, H.E. Minister Lima met with Cameroonian President H.E. Paul Biya to boost cooperation in the hydrocarbons sector and enhance commercial exchanges between CEMAC member countries, with a view to driving economic development within the region.
Intra-African cooperation is being positioned as the key to unlocking Africa’s energy prosperity, able to increase investors’ confidence, trigger large-scale projects that individual countries could not support alone, and generate a more active African influence within the global energy community.
The CEMAC region, comprising six states including Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea, is home to prolific oil and natural gas resources and some of Africa’s largest energy developments.
Both the Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea are members of OPEC and represent the third- and sixth-largest oil producers on the continent, respectively. Both countries have embarked on ambitious reforms to make their national energy sectors more competitive on a global scale.
For Equatorial Guinea, this includes a revised Hydrocarbon Law announced in September and focused on attracting oil investment into the country’s sector, as well as the establishment of a regional Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) trade through its flagship Gas Mega Hub and LNG2Africa initiatives.
The Republic of the Congo’s Gas Master Plan also aims to maximize resources through LNG developments, in addition to driving oil developments.
The Management of Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company in the Republic of Ghana has hinted at dismissing ten of its staff at the Kumasi Depot in the Ashanti Region should they be found to have played a role in the recent fuel adulteration involving ten trucks.
Other staff who may not necessarily be dismissed will face other forms of punishment, Managing Director of the company, Edwin Alfred Provencal explained.
The ongoing investigations into the fuel adulteration incident is covering all staff who were on duty at Pump Station One and other vantage points or sections on the day of the incident at the depot.
Edwin Provencal, who was addressing petroleum transporters in Accra, said management was patiently waiting for the outcome of the investigations by the security agencies to act on their report.
He told the transport owners that fuel tampering in transit by tanker drivers in the industry is causing the nation several millions of US Dollars.
He urgently appealed to the fuel truck owners to immediately take measures to put a stop to the practice or lose their business contracts with BOST.
The Managing Director further disclosed that the National Security is to start monitoring the movement of petroleum products from the company’s depots to stop fuel tampering.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
French energy giant TotalEnergies has started production at the CLOV Phase 2, a project connected to the existing CLOV FPSO located in Block 17 offshore Angola.
Located about 140 kilometres from the Angolan coast, in water depths from 1,100 to 1,400 meters, the CLOV Phase 2 resources are estimated at around 55 million barrels of oil equivalent.
TotalEnergies, the operator, informed on last Friday that the tie-back project will reach a production of 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in mid-2022.
Block 17 is operated by TotalEnergies with a 38 per cent stake, alongside Equinor (22.16 per cent), ExxonMobil (19 per cent), BP Exploration Angola (15.84 per cent) and Sonangol P&P (5 per cent). The contractor group operates four FPSOs in the main production areas of the block, namely Girassol, Dalia, Pazflor, and CLOV, which started production off Angola in 2014.
The French company pointed out that this project, launched in 2018, was carried out within budget and planned execution duration, despite the challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Henri-Max Ndong-Nzue, Senior Vice-President Africa, Exploration and Production at TotalEnergies, said: “The start of the production of CLOV Phase 2, a few months after Zinia Phase 2, demonstrates our continuous efforts to ensure a sustainable output on Block 17. This project fits within the company’s strategy to focus its upstream investments on low-cost projects which contribute to lower the average GHG emissions intensity of its production.”
The production from the Zinia Phase 2 short-cycle project, also in Block 17, started in early May 2021 through the existing Pazflor FPSO.
Belarmino Chitangueleca, acting President of the Angolan National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG), commented: “CLOV Phase 2 start-up comes at the right time to sustain the national oil production. We value the performance of the operator and the contractor group to keep executing projects despite this crisis period.”
The update from TotalEnergies comes a week after BP started production at the Platina field in Block 18, which is located in the Angolan offshore, approximately 140 kilometres northeast of Luanda. The Platina field is expected to produce 30,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak and access an estimated 44 million barrels of oil reserves.
BP operates the field and holds a 46 per cent stake in Block 18, while China’s Sinopec has a 37.72 per cent stake and Angola’s national oil company Sonangol the remaining 16.28 per cent.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will continue with its supply adjustments for the oil market, the OPEC Secretary General said on Saturday.
“We will continue to do what we know best to ensure we attain stability in the oil market on a sustainable basis,” Mohammad Barkindo said in a webinar organised by Italian think-tank ISPI.
Oil prices fell on Thursday after OPEC and its allies stuck to their existing policy of monthly oil output increases despite fears a release from U.S. crude reserves and the new Omicron coronavirus variant would put renewed pressure on prices.
Barkindo said in terms of oil demand the estimate at the moment was for a growth of 5.7 million barrels per day.
“In 2022 we expect another 4.2 million,” he said.
He said the uncertainty and volatility on the markets was also due to extraneous factors such as the ongoing Covid pandemic and not necessarily the fundamentals of oil and gas.
“Now we are on course of returning the level of consumption in 2022 to pre-COVID levels,” he said.
Barkindo said that the forecast was for oil and gas to account for more than 50% of the global energy mix in 2045 or even to mid century.
“In all the pronouncements we had from Glasgow we have not yet seen any concrete road map or plans of how to replace this 50% … without creating unprecedented turmoil in the energy markets,” he said, referring to the Glasgow climate conference.
“Oil and gas will be needed for the foreseeable future.”
Liberia says it has made its upstream fiscal regulatory regime very flexible to encourage and woo investors into the country to explore its hydrocarbon.
The Ivorian neighbour has 33 offshore oil blocks readily available for prospective oil and gas investors and hopes to exploit these hydrocarbon resources for the development of the country.
The Director-General of Liberian Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA), Archie Donmo told energynewsafrica.com on the sidelines of the Africa Oil Week in Dubai UAE, that the country is seeking direct negotiation for these offshore oil blocks.
He said they are currently negotiating with two international oil companies who have shown interest in some of the blocks and hope to complete the negotiation by May 31, 2022.
Explaining how to acquire an oil block, Mr Donmo said the interested party or entities would first have to send a letter of intent (LoI) and “we will pre-qualify the bidder.”
Asked why Liberia has made its fiscal regime flexible, Archie Donmo noted that exploratory activities have become limited at the moment because of the energy transition.
With this in mind and because Liberia is a frontier country, Archie Donmo said investors are looking to invest in countries that are already producing “so when you are a frontier country, you don’t make things tough…you make things easier to encourage investors to come.
“We have reduced our fiscal terms to something appreciable to encourage investors,” he said.
He said investors are welcomed to Liberia, assuring them that the environment is conducive for business.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Two Nigerians have been convicted to three months and two years imprisonment for vandalising transformers and electrical cables belonging to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The two convicts namely; Yusuff Olatunji and Ademola Toheeb were charged at Grade A, Customary Court of Appeal, Ibadan, and Magistrate Court, Moniya, also in Ibadan on 15th October 2021 and 22nd November 2021 respectively.
A statement by the Management of IBEDC, which disclosed the conviction of the two vandals, said: “The convictions underscore our current stance of zero tolerance to all illegal activities within our network.”
IBEDC reiterated its commitment to sanitize its network from nefarious activities such as vandalism, energy theft and staff assault.
“We appeal to individuals and communities to collaborate with us to stall this menace, by reporting any of these illegal activities, via our Whistleblowing channels communicated on our website, social media pages, TV and radio programmes etc.
“In addition, customers can support us by monitoring electricity installations within their communities,” the statement concluded.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Manya Krobo Traditional Authority in the eastern part of the Republic of Ghana has condemned protests by some youth of the area against Ghana’s southern power Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The youth group has been demanding the ECG to cancel the debt the residents owe for over four years.
The youth claim their ancestors were promised free electricity when the country was building the Akosombo Dam, the country’s source of hydropower.
However, this claim has been denied by the Volta River Authority (VRA), operator of the 1040 MW Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam.
Last week, over 7000 residents of Manya Krobo, led by the United Krobo Foundation, hit the streets to demand the ECG to vacate the town. They wanted the VRA to supply electricity to the area.
However, Nene Sakite I, Konor of Manya Krobo and President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, has issued a statement that nobody has the right to proclaim any ban on a legally constituted public establishment in Ghana from operating in the Krobo land.
It said the activities of the group was a threat to national security, adding that during the past four years, the Manya Krobo Traditional Council engaged them and advised the leaders to stop their nefarious activities against the state but they clandestinely continued to operate, inciting the public.
“It was through one of such demonstrations that a few innocent people lost their lives through their encounter with the police in 2019, in Somanya and Odumase, yet they could not relent,” it stated.
The Council, therefore, appealed to the National Security apparatus to investigate the circumstances leading to the activities of the group and its leadership as well as their motives.
The Council described as false the assertion from the leadership of the youth group that the chiefs of Manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo purportedly signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Ghana for Krobos to start enjoying free electricity, 50 years after the construction of the Akosombo Dam.
They also called on the ECG to expedite the resolution of all outstanding issues with the Krobo customers to bring sanity into the area.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s largest independent power producer, Sunon Asogli Power Ltd, has commissioned an ultra-modern fire station on the company’s premises in Kpone in the Greater Accra Region.
The station has been equipped with the needed fire and office equipment that will help the fire brigade in their daily activities.
Commissioning the facility, the General Manager of Sunon Asogli Power, Mr Zhengyi said the station was constructed to aid the Sunon Asogli Fire brigade in their daily work and is going to be the official office and fire station of Sunon Asogli Power fire department.
According to him, safety is at the core of the company’s operations and, therefore, takes steps to ensure that all staff are safe.
“The company is committed to promoting a responsible Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) culture and the operation principle of safety first by adhering to the strictest safety and environmental standards.
“This culture has been embedded in the staff of Sunon Asogli Power and they, therefore, take safety seriously,” he said.
Mr Zhengyi stated that since the inception of the power plant, there has been no record of personal injury or casualty.
He said Sunon Asogli chose this day to inaugurate the fire station to mark the end of the fire safety month of November.
ACFO I Doris Lamptey, Tema Regional Fire Officer, stated that power generation comes with an inherent risk of fires due to the type of fuel used, so it is important to take measures to mitigate this risk.
She applauded the management of Sunon Asogli for taking steps to train fire wardens who would be the first line of emergency response at the plant, and also to construct a befitting fire station for their use.
ACFO I Doris Lamptey hinted that the new fire station would not only serve the needs of the company but also the entire Kpone community.
She mentioned that her office would be open for consultations for refresher training for the fire wardens and collaboration in the procurement of a fire tender that meets Ghana’s standard to aid in the ease of the work of the fire wardens.
She concluded by appealing to other corporate organizations to support the Ghana National Fire service in achieving its mandate since fire safety and prevention is a shared responsibility.
The commissioning ceremony ended with a tour of the new fire station.
Also present at the event were DO1 Raymond Nyamasekpor, District Fire Officer, DO3 Ebenezer Sam, Staff Officer, Tema Region, DO3 Samuel Fiifi Oppong, Acting Operation Officer- Tema Region, Nana Offei Asamani I, Nkosuohene for Akwamu State and the Management and Staff of Sunon Asogli Power.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG) has held a three-day capacity building workshop for selected Ghanaian journalists who report on the country’s energy sector.
The workshop, which began on Tuesday, November 30, 2021, will end on Thursday, November 2, 2021.
The journalists were drawn from both the state and private media houses and are members of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
Ghana is looking to introduce nuclear power into its energy mix and it is currently at the second phase of the criteria by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The West African nation expects its first nuclear power plant by 2030 as part of efforts towards clean energy, energy security and industrialization.
To this end, Nuclear Power Ghana has been engaging various stakeholders including the media, to build their capacity for them with relevant knowledge about nuclear power.
Delivering a welcome address at the workshop, Ms Bellona-Gerard Vittor-Quao, Manager, Public Affairs at the Nuclear Power Ghana, noted that nuclear power is promising and its benefits to Ghana are enormous.
Ms Bellona-Gerard Vittor-Quao, Manager in-charge of Public Affairs at the Nuclear Power Ghana
She said NPG needed the support of the media to realise the country’s dream of constructing the first nuclear power.
“NPG cannot do it alone: we need a concerted effort between government, industry, and civil society and you our media to put in place what is needed to build Ghana’s first Nuclear Power Plant, accelerate industrial development with a sustainable, reliable, and affordable source of electricity.
“Together with you, the media, we can reach this new society with clean, fair and abundant energy for everybody,” she said.
According to her, NPG is keen on establishing a steady and well-bonded relationship with its stakeholders through the media as a special purpose vehicle to reach all corners of the country for effective involvement and engagement.
Ms Bellona-Gerard Vittor-Quao said the workshop will provide “all of you with the opportunity to refresh your knowledge improve your capacity and equip you to support Ghana’s Nuclear Power efforts.”
The very interactive workshop saw presentations from the Executive Director of Nuclear Power Ghana, Dr Stephen Yamoah, and Ing. Jonathan Amoako Baah, immediate past Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo).
Dr Stephen Yamoah, Executive Director of Nuclear Power GhanaSource: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Managing Director of Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited ( BOST) in the Republic of Ghana, Mr Edwin Provencal has asked transporters whose trucks were involved in the recent fuel adulteration incident at its Kumasi depot in the Ashanti Region to produce the drivers who are on the run or be prosecuted.
He hinted that transport owners and their companies, as well as their subsidiary companies, would also be banned from doing business with BOST.
Mr Provencal was speaking at a stakeholder meeting with transport owners in Accra, Tuesday, November 30, 2021.
He told the transport owners that BOST does not have business contracts with the tanker drivers and that it is the responsibility of the owners who have entered into contracts with BOST to produce and surrender the said drivers to the police for prosecution.
He said if this is not done by January 2022, the company would be compelled to commence prosecution against the transport owners.
It would be recalled that a few weeks ago, ten tanker trucks were allegedly found to have adulterated the petroleum products they had loaded from the BOST depot in Tema to the Kumasi depot.
Unfortunately, the drivers of the trucks bolted and their whereabouts are not yet known.
The incident was reported to the police and investigation is still ongoing.
While some drivers played cards, others turned their terminal into a football pitch.
When the energynewsafrica.com team got to the Ashaiman transport terminal, the drivers and their mates were seen playing football in the station.
One driver said: “We voted for this government but look at how they’re treating us. Life has become unbearable. We will play football the whole day.”
Another driver said: “You can see a lot of commuters along the road. Almost everyone is trying to get a vehicle. For the drivers here, they are trying to enforce the strike. When the other drivers with passengers get to the station, they instruct the passengers to alight. The situation at Nii Boye Town is not a very pleasant one. A lot of people are now in a fix.”
Drivers at the Lapaz bus terminal had to also disembark passengers in commercial vehicles in a bid to enforce their sit-down strike.
In the Northern Region, commuters travelling to Tamale or Yendi were stranded at the station due to the strike.
Fuel prices in 2021 started at about GH¢5 per litre and are now threatening to cross the GH¢7 mark.
There are seven taxes on petroleum products which amount to GH¢1.9 on each litre of fuel purchased.
Energynewsafricam.com understands that the leadership of the transport unions have been called to the Presidency for a meeting in the afternoon.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
ACFO I Doris Lamptey, Tema Regional Fire Officer, stated that power generation comes with an inherent risk of fires due to the type of fuel used, so it is important to take measures to mitigate this risk.
She applauded the management of Sunon Asogli for taking steps to train fire wardens who would be the first line of emergency response at the plant, and also to construct a befitting fire station for their use.
ACFO I Doris Lamptey hinted that the new fire station would not only serve the needs of the company but also the entire Kpone community.
She mentioned that her office would be open for consultations for refresher training for the fire wardens and collaboration in the procurement of a fire tender that meets Ghana’s standard to aid in the ease of the work of the fire wardens.
She concluded by appealing to other corporate organizations to support the Ghana National Fire service in achieving its mandate since fire safety and prevention is a shared responsibility.
The commissioning ceremony ended with a tour of the new fire station.
Also present at the event were DO1 Raymond Nyamasekpor, District Fire Officer, DO3 Ebenezer Sam, Staff Officer, Tema Region, DO3 Samuel Fiifi Oppong, Acting Operation Officer- Tema Region, Nana Offei Asamani I, Nkosuohene for Akwamu State and the Management and Staff of Sunon Asogli Power.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 
“Together with you, the media, we can reach this new society with clean, fair and abundant energy for everybody,” she said.
According to her, NPG is keen on establishing a steady and well-bonded relationship with its stakeholders through the media as a special purpose vehicle to reach all corners of the country for effective involvement and engagement.
Ms Bellona-Gerard Vittor-Quao said the workshop will provide “all of you with the opportunity to refresh your knowledge improve your capacity and equip you to support Ghana’s Nuclear Power efforts.”
The very interactive workshop saw presentations from the Executive Director of Nuclear Power Ghana, Dr Stephen Yamoah, and Ing. Jonathan Amoako Baah, immediate past Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo).
