The African Development Bank has approved a $57.67 million loan to Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd, South Africa’s public electricity utility—and Africa’s largest— to harness battery storage technology that will increase electricity generation from reliable and efficient renewable energy sources.
The Bank’s financing, a concessional loan, will come from the Clean Technology Fund, a multi-donor trust fund under the Climate Investment Funds.
The pioneering Battery Energy Storage Systems Project is being co-financed with the World Bank and the New Development Bank.
The project involves the development of 200MW of battery storage with four hours of energy storage capacity per day, or 800MW in total, at seven sites in South Africa’s Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
Once onstream, Eskom will be able to dispatch electricity sourced from variable renewable energy that would otherwise have been wasted, reducing reliance on fossil fuel-generated electricity at peak times of the day.
The African Development Bank’s Acting Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Dr. Daniel Schroth, said: “The approval of the Climate Technology Fund facility reflects the African Development Bank’s strong commitment to support South Africa’s Just Energy Transition plans, prioritizing investment in new low-carbon generation capacity and new technologies such as battery storage. This comes at a critical moment as the world is gearing up for action at COP26.”
The large utility-scale battery storage project, the first of its kind in Africa, is expected to contribute to a reduction in CO2 emissions of as much as 0.292 million tons. It will also inform the roll out of similar projects across the continent. Many African countries are implementing an energy transition as they strive to meet net zero emissions targets.
The project also contributes to South Africa’s ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution, part of compliance with the Paris climate agreement.
The $5.4 billion Clean Technology Fund promotes low-carbon technologies with significant potential to reduce long-term greenhouse gas emissions. The African Development Bank has been an implementing entity of the Climate Investment Funds since 2010.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Tullow Ghana Limited, operator of Jubilee and TEN oil fields, has constructed a 16-unit dormitory block for Nsutaman Catholic Senior High School in the Sekyere Central District in Ashanti Region of the Republic of Ghana.
The project formed part of Tullow’s US$10 million commitment towards the provision of educational infrastructure to support the Government of Ghana’s policy of providing free access to quality senior high school education.
The dormitory block is expected to accommodate about 416 boys out of the over 2,200 student population of the school.
Speaking at the commissioning of the dormitory block, the Deputy Managing Director of Tullow Ghana Limited, Cynthia Lumor said: ‘’This 16-unit dormitory block will add to the existing educational infrastructure in the region and benefit more than 500 students annually, who will ultimately add to the contributions this region is making towards the development of Ghana.”
She added: ‘’These students are the future of this country, and Tullow is happy to play a role in harnessing their creative, innovative skills and talent for maximum future impact.”
She was hopeful that the new dormitory block would enable the school to adequately accommodate the students with proper spacing to avoid the spread of any virus, especially the Covid-19.
Earlier this year, Tullow commissioned a similar 16-unit facility at the Nsein Senior High School in the Western Region.
It currently accommodates about 570 female students.
”This has reduced overcrowding in the dormitories. The school has further increased enrolment by 28 per cent as a result of the additional infrastructure,’’ Mrs Lumor said.
Mrs Cynthia Lumor, Deputy Managing Director of Tullow Ghana Limited speaking at the commissioning of the 16-unit Dormitory Block
Mrs Lumor reiterated Tullow’s commitment to high-ambition leadership in the area of capacity building through education and skills development in STEM; strengthening local and national economies and developing shared infrastructure in Ghana now and in the future.
She said Tullow remains committed to working with stakeholders to complete ongoing projects in identified schools to promote education in Ghana.
The Deputy Minister for Education, Hon. Gifty Twum Ampofo, who commended Tullow, said the gesture would go a long way to benefit not only the chiefs and people of the community but all other students in the country who would be attending the school to pursue various courses for their future.
Hon Gifty Twum Ampofo, Deputy Minister for Education
She noted that private sector actors like Tullow keep supporting the development of the country in all forms, thus leading to the holistic development of Ghana.
“This gesture by Tullow is to complement the infrastructure needs of people and help the government manage its budget.
“Until the introduction of the free SHS concept, only 800,000 students could go to SHS yearly due to the cut off points introduced by the GES and also due to the lack of accommodation space in the schools.
“The successful introduction of the free SHS initiative is substantively the tracking system that led to the current 1.2 million students in our second-cycle institutions. That is why we have seen the growth of 50 per cent in the intake to our second cycle institutions,” she observed.
According to her, the Government of Ghana is focusing on the development of STEM to ensure the training of critical minds for the industrial sector which holds the key to industrialization in the country.
She added that “the Government is also revamping TVET sectors to train skilled manpower for the future.
“I would like to encourage everyone to contribute to the development of education in the country as Tullow is doing since it is the most important asset for our children,” she advised.
Hussein Abdul Rashid, Deputy Director, Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council
On his part, the Ashanti Regional Minister, in a speech read for him by Hussein Abdul Rashid, Deputy Director, Regional Coordinating Council, also commended Tullow Ghana’s commitment to the progress of education and other sectors of the economy.
He suggested that a committee comprising of officials of the district assembly, the school and private sector be established to ensure that the facility is well-maintained to last long.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Volta Region, has commenced an exercise to clamp down illegal connections by visiting and surcharging customers who engaged in power theft across its operational areas in Volta and Oti Regions.
The exercise, which began on Friday, 29th October saw the ECG monitoring team, led by the General Manager, Mr Emmanuel Lumor visit households, hostels, hotels, cold stores, pubs, restaurants, institutions and surcharge customers caught using stealing power, thereby, depriving the company of the needed revenue.
Speaking to the media after the exercise, the General Manager of ECG in the Volta Region, Mr Emmanuel Lumor indicated that “following the inauguration of the national task force against illegal connection on 14th September 2021, by the Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the region has also commenced a special exercise to support the activities of the task force to help the company curb the menace of illegal connections.”
He added that the exercise, which was conducted in all the eleven districts of the region, was to audit the electricity connections and check the integrity of meters and service cables used by customers.
The General Manager further disclosed that “some of the illegalities uncovered during this exercise included meter bypass, unauthorized and direct connections and meter tampering.”
Mr Emmanuel Lumor bemoaned how illegal connections by some customers affected the financial strength of the company and prevents the company from undertaking projects that would inure to the benefits of customers.
“As a company, we have to pay our suppliers like GRIDCO, VRA and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) when we purchase power from them to distribute to our cherished customers, hence, consuming power illegally prevents the company from getting money to pay these key players on the electricity supply-chain,” he said.
According to Mr Lumor, illegal connections affect the distribution system by overloading transformers which eventually lead to the breakdown of transformers and outages.
“When people connect to the national grid illegally, it overloads our transformers and leads to low-voltage and interruption of power supply to our customers.”
He cautioned the general public to do the right thing through prompt payment of bills and desist from illegal acts such as meter bypass as it is a criminal and a dangerous act that can cause fire outbreaks and the loss of lives through electrocution.
Mr Lumor announced that the company has the authority to prosecute persons engaged in such illegal acts within the ECG’s network by an Executive Instrument (EI) 38 of the Appointment of Public Prosecution Instrument (2010).
He called on the general public to help the company in its fight against illegal connections by reporting people who engage in such an act to the nearest ECG office or call the national task force via the telephone number 0551444011.
The financial reward for the whistle-blower, he said “is six per cent commission of any amount we recoup. This is an incentive for anyone who gives us reliable information to unearth any illegality.”
The ECG Volta Regional Office has eleven districts namely: Jasikan, Nkwanta, Dambai, Kpando, Hohoe, Kpeve, Ho, Sogakope, Akatsi, Keta and Denu.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
ZEN Petroleum has participated in the 2021 edition of the Forecourttech Conference in Alicante, Spain, being the only Oil Marketing Company (OMC) operating in Ghana to have taken part in the conference.
ZEN’s participation is a crucial step towards bolstering the international standards that have defined its operations and set the company apart in Ghana’s petroleum downstream sector.
The annual technology-focused conference brings together a qualified audience of delegates representing major oil companies, large independent retail operators and global providers of technologies from around the world to discuss topics focused on technologies and solutions that optimize operations around the mobility hub, convenience stores and the enhancement of customer experience.
Among those in attendance at the conference were Tesla Europe, Sprint, Rydpay and BigBrother International.
Representing ZEN Petroleum at the conference, Retail Director, Prince Awuley intimated ZEN’s ongoing efforts to operate above international standards, while maintaining the highest standards of customer experience across its operations.
He said, “As part of our efforts to stay current with global advancements in the provision of quality fuels and customer service to the Ghanaian and to represent Ghanaian excellence on the global stage, it was important for us to ensure that the country had a presence at the prestigious Forecourttech Conference.”
He added, “The customer is the reason ZEN exists, and it is with them in mind that we continue to maintain growth and continued efforts to stay up-to-date with what is happening around the world.”
ZEN continues its expansion across the country with its newest station at Mallam Gbawe, in Accra, the capital of Ghana, which boasts of double-wall tanks, leak detection, overfill prevention, flame arrestors, oil separators and other key safety features, while providing priority access and parking for persons with disabilities.
ZEN Petroleum continues to maintain a holistic, compliant operations model in creating a world-class retail network, driven by a diverse local team of passionate experts.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Trina Solar Co., Ltd. has been awarded as bankable by all survey respondents in the 2021 PV Module and Inverter Bankability report issued by BloombergNEF.
With this report, Trina Solar is now the only module manufacturer to be rated as bankable for 6 consecutive years by 100% of the industry respondents participating in the annual BloombergNEF survey.
The BloombergNEF report says that a company’s financial health, record of its modules in the field and manufacturer warranties are important indicators for financial institutions in their evaluation of PV manufacturers’ bankability.
It contacts banks, EPCs, independent power providers and technical advisers worldwide and conducts in-depth interviews with quality inspectors and technology experts.
The survey coverage is thus wide and the evaluation is open and transparent. As one of the most credible third-party research institutions in the global new energy market, the report is seen as an invaluable reference for business credit at many financial institutions.
The BloombergNEF 2021 Module and Inverter Bankability Report also cited the annual photovoltaic module reliability scorecard report issued by the internationally authoritative certification body PV Evolution Labs.
The PVEL report affirmed the outstanding performance of Trina Solar’s modules in terms of reliability and power generation capacity. The company was once again named the world’s Top Performer module manufacturer.
Antonio Jimenez, Managing Director and Vice President, Trina Solar Middle East & Africa Region, commented: “The MEA region is experiencing strong growth in solar projects, thanks to the increasing adoption of renewable energy. Solar energy is now perceived as the most competitive form of power generation, helping countries move towards achieving their respective renewable energy targets.”
“Big projects require a reliable partner; Solar bankability represents how the PV system performs over time in association with financial risks. Their choice of a high-bankability manufacturer improves reliability of the PV systems, hence reducing the risks of solar system investment in the long run. As a Tier 1 manufacturer, Trina Solar is the provider of choice for PV and smart energy solutions.” added Antonio
From 2020 to 2021, Trina Solar has launched the Vertex 210mm 410W, 510W, 555W, 605W and 670W modules, leading the industry into the new era of 600W+. The Vertex series has been widely recognized by customers globally, opening a new channel to reduce the cost of electricity and guarantee the long-term stable returns of power plants.
As the world’s leading provider of PV smart energy and energy solutions, Trina Solar is committed to bringing its product advantages into working with global partners to accelerate the global application of smart energy and create a new world of carbon-free energy.
OPEC+ headed for a clash with the U.S. as more members rejected President Joe Biden’s call for the group to raise oil production faster and help reduce gasoline prices.
On Monday, Kuwait said the cartel should stick with its plan to increase output gradually because oil markets were well-balanced. That followed similar statements from other key members in recent days, including Iraq, Algeria, Angola and Nigeria.
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies — led by Saudi Arabia and Russia — met on Thursday with pressure from oil consumers mounting as prices climb toward $85 a barrel. American gasoline is at a seven-year high of $3.70 a gallon.
The U.S., India, Japan and other importers are waging a campaign to force the group to ease last year’s pandemic-triggered supply curbs more quickly.
While Biden declined to say how he would react if OPEC+ doesn’t change tack, analysts have speculated the U.S. might sell some of its strategic petroleum reserves.
OPEC+’s plan of boosting daily production by 400,000 barrels each month “is working well and there is no need to deviate from it,” Angola’s oil minister, Diamantino Pedro Azevedo, said Sunday.
Many members, including Saudi Arabia, have argued they shouldn’t pump crude any faster because the pandemic is still sapping demand. Some are already struggling to reach their higher output quotas after last year’s deep cuts, and say bringing production back more rapidly would make their task even more difficult.
“We are not yet out of the woods,” Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman told Bloomberg Television on Oct. 23. “We don’t take things for granted, we still have Covid.”
OPEC+ has said that increasing crude exports would do little to bring down power prices, which have soared in parts of Europe and Asia due to shortages of natural gas and coal.
Still, OPEC+ has often surprised the market with sudden changes of policy. And while Riyadh and Moscow have both praised the group’s strategy, neither has directly addressed Biden’s comments in public, giving themselves room for maneuver.
The dispute comes as world leaders convene for the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow. The U.S has said it will push for more action to fight climate change while also trying to ensure the global economic recovery isn’t derailed by higher energy prices.
Source:Bloomberg
Vaalco Energy, Houston-based oil and gas firm says it has completed two well workovers at the Etame field offshore Gabon, adding more crude oil to its production.
The firm reported on Monday that the work done on these two wells added a total of approximately 1,050 gross barrels of crude oil per day (540 net BOPD to Vaalco).
Commenting on the development, George Maxwell, Vaalco’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We are pleased with the results from these workovers, in particular, the 1,050 gross BOPD of additional production. We purchased the mobile hydraulic workover unit earlier this year to allow us to quickly and efficiently react to ESP failures and to proactively prevent ESP failures as we deemed necessary.”
Vaalco’s mobile hydraulic workover unit, purchased in early 2021, was utilized to rapidly mobilise and replace electrical submersible pump (ESP) units cheaper and more efficiently compared to using a drilling rig. The company completed the workover of EEBOM-2H well to replace and upgrade the longest producing ESP unit at the Etame field.
This increased production from about 500 gross BOPD (255 BOPD net) prior to the workover to approximately 1,400 gross BOPD (715 BOPD net) in mid-October. The firm replaced both upper and lower ESP units and reconfigured the ESP design at ET-12H well.
The production was restored to 1,800 gross BOPD (920 BOPD net) in late October, which is an increase of approximately 150 gross BOPD (80 BOPD net) compared to the average rate prior to the workover.
“This allows us to maximize production and even incrementally increase production, which is particularly attractive in the current price environment. We will continue to efficiently operate at Etame which generates strong cash flow to fund our accretive strategic initiatives,” added Maxwell.
When it comes to recent developments on the field, Vaalco revealed in September that the Etame co-venturers had approved the bareboat contract and operating agreement with World Carrier Offshore Services.
Namely, Vaalco signed a binding letter of intent with World Carrier Offshore Services in late August to provide and operate the Cap Diamant, a double-hull crude tanker built-in 2001, as an FSO, which would replace the existing FPSO Petroleo Nautipa on the Etame Marin field. The FPSO is expected to be replaced by the FSO in September 2022 following the expiration of the FPSO charter.
Vaalco is the operator of the Etame Marin field, located offshore Gabon, with 58.8 per cent working interest and 63.6 per cent participating interest. Other partners are Addax Petroleum and PetroEnergy, while Vaalco increased its interest in the field through the acquisition of Sasol’s interest this year.
Energy Think Tank, African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), has proposed a two-way approach to turn around Ghana’s debt-ridden premier refinery, Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
The 45,000 barrels per stream day (BPSD) refinery constructed by the Italian oil and gas major, Eni, during the regime of the West African nation’s first leader, the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah, is currently having a cumulative outstanding debt portfolio of over GHc5.5 billion.
This comprises GHc2.8 billion with ESLA Plc and GHc2.3 billion in the company’s books.
This is despite many efforts at paying down the debt and raising loans to retool the operations of TOR over the years, according to ACEP.
In a document titled “Plugging The Two Decade Leak Strategic Options for the sustainability of Tema Oil Refinery” and presented by Kodzo Yaotse, Policy lead, petroleum and conventional energy, ACEP said it appears that Ghana is holding on to a company that generates no value to the taxpayer.
ACEP identified political inference, operational inefficiencies and inadequate investments as the major causes of the poor state of the country’s only refinery.
Citing political interference as breaking down corporate governance in TOR, ACEP observed that this has resulted in overstaffing of the refinery from 350 in 2003 to 950 including 350 contract staff as of 2020.
“At the same time, the company’s output has reduced from 45,000 bpsd to about 25,000 bpsd. TOR’s staff strength is comparable to refineries with capacities of about a 2.2million BPD. The high level of overstaffing increases operational and administrative costs, which contribute to the company’s annual losses over the period. Beyond the numbers, the quality of recruitments is also a significant concern. Recruitment as a political reward has, over the years, descended from the top management to lover levels, creating political groupings in the business environment and breeding internal saboteurs to the success of the company,” ACEP observed.
The West African nation’s premier refinery was recently in the news after the three-member Interim Management Committee (IMC) interdicted fourteen top management executives for various acts which they deemed have caused financial loss to the company and by extension the state.
The ICM was constituted after the Managing Director of the refinery, Francis Boateng, and his deputy, Ato Morrison, were relieved of their posts in June.
To address the current situation at TOR, ACEP recommended an appointment of a new Managing Director with industry experience who can show strategic pathway profitability and the repayment of the existing debts and be held strictly accountable to an agreed set of key performance indicators (KPIs).
ACEP wants the management of the refinery to be given free hand to restructure the company including staff strength, to an optimal level that leads to profitability.
ACEP’s second approach to addressing TOR’s challenges was for the government to consider privatising the state refinery.
This option, according to ACEP, is the most suitable given the uncertainties around political behaviour associated with a change in governments.
“Privatisation provides the opportunity to offset some of the debt and free debt accumulation to allow ESLA to address the existing debt situation,” ACEP said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Kenya’s electricity distribution company, Kenya Power, has returned to profitability reporting Sh1.5 billion (US$13,475,827.50) in net earnings as of June 30, this year.
Last year, the firm lost Sh939 million (US＄8,435,868.02).
According to a report filed by https://www.the-star.co.ke, the firm’s profit, before tax, stood at Sh8.2 billion for the period under review, representing a 216 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth compared to a loss before tax of Sh7.04 billion.
The company attributed the strong performance to growth in sales and revenue, as well as a double-digit reduction in costs and expenses.
“Unit sales for the year under review recorded a five per cent growth from 8,171 GWh to 8,571 GWh which was mainly driven by 716,206 new customer connections, who contributed an additional 400 GWh, and a rebound of the economy from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“All customer segments recorded growth, with commercial and industrial growing by 4.8 per cent, the small commercial by 5.1 per cent, domestic customers by 4.9 per cent and street-lighting by 10.2 per cent.
“Revenue recorded an 8.2 per cent jump from Sh133.3 billion the previous year to Sh144.1 billion, mainly due to an expanded customer base, and heightened revenue protection activities driven by increased field presence,” the reports said.
The Chairperson of Kenya Power, Vivienne Yeda said the strong performance was a credible indicator that the turnaround strategy rolled out the previous financial year was on course.
The strategy focuses on five core focus areas namely, improving customer experience, growing sales, enhancing revenue collection, enhancing system efficiency and prudence.
“As a company, we are pleased with this set of results because it is a clear demonstration that the investments we have made in driving a strong performance by the core business lines are beginning to bear fruits,” Yeda said.
She added that they are cognizant of the fact that a lot more needs to be done to fully transform Kenya Power into a 21st-century organisation.
In the year under review, the company also undertook greater cost management and resource optimisation initiatives.
As a result, operating expenses dropped by 17 per cent from Sh47.8 billion to Sh39.9 billion mainly due to a reduction in provisions for trade and receivables from Sh3.27 billion the previous year to Sh354 million, which was mainly driven by accounting for revenue and enhanced revenue collection initiatives.
Finance costs also registered a 27 per cent reduction from Sh12.5 billion in FY2020/21 to Sh9 billion due to a decrease in interest on loans and overdrafts, as a result of an Sh20.26 billion repayment of commercial loans which included the partial conversion of overdrafts into a term loan.
System losses, which had risen to 25.21 per cent in the first half of the year, were reduced to 22.7 per cent in the second half.
This followed the deployment of a focussed approach premised on the timely metering of customers, replacement of faulty meters, curbing electricity theft arising from meter by-passes and illegal connections, as well as the deployment of data analytics to identify and deal with electricity theft in the large power customer segment.
Overall system efficiency stood at 76.05 per cent as of the end of June 2021.
To further improve system efficiency, the company is planning to increase the coverage of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project, which presently covers 6,718 or 80 per cent of large power customers to full coverage by the end of 2022.
Plans are also underway to expand SME coverage, which stands at 54,272 SMEs, by a further 67,000 during this financial year. The company has also completed the regional border metering project and is stepping up the implementation of feeder and transformer metering, currently at 33 per cent and 95 per cent completion respectively, to aid in identifying high loss feeders for targeted interventions.
The company is primarily purchasing green energy, which currently accounts for more than 92 per cent of Kenya’s total energy mix, making it one of the best ratios in the world.
“Affordable storage will enhance our efficiencies which will, in turn, increase our reliability and result in more affordable power. As an organization, we are well-positioned to take a leadership role in these developments to improve customer satisfaction, and ensure the sustainability of our business,” the chairperson added.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
One person is reportedly dead after a gas explosion at the premises of the Ministries branch of Zenith Bank in Accra, capital of Ghana.
The explosion left one person in critical condition and another suffering minor injury.
It is unclear what caused the blast.
However, an Accra-based Citi News source indicated that the deceased and the critically injured person, both welders, were engaged to dismantle a garbage container within the premises of the bank when their cylinders exploded in the process.
The third victim, an Uber driver, driving on the nearby road, was caught in the explosion.
The remains of the deceased had been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary while the injured had been conveyed to the 37 Military Hospital, also in the nation’s capital.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria’s new Minister for Power, Engr Abubakar Aliyu, has unveiled the action plans designed by the country’s ministry to address the daunting challenges hindering the effective performance of the sector and achieve stable and uninterrupted power for the people.
According to a media report, Eng. Abubakar Aliyu, in a statement he issued to mark his first 50 days in office titled: ‘Our Reform Agenda for the Power Sector, said he was very upbeat about the future of the Nigerian power sector and expressed strong hope that the sector would soon witness a turnaround.
The Minister summarised the sector’s challenges under two headings: service quality and illiquidity and explained that the focus is on improving the service, creating liquidity as well as promoting competition in the sector, adding that new policies have been initiated to achieve that.
The new policies, according to him, include: accelerating the progress and completion of key projects of the Ministry and its partners, especially such as the Kashimbilla 40MW power station,Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project, and several others around the country; systematic implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) of this administration; reinvigorating important policies and regulations, especially the Eligible Customer and related regulations; strengthening the regulator to ensure that all sector players and stakeholders work according to the rules and guidelines especially in dealing with customers, etc.
The Minister said, “Against the backdrop of the reality that the delivery of electric power is a multi-sectoral undertaking, specific areas of conflict and tensions within the power industry value chain are being harmonised for greater synergy which will bring about a wholesome alignment of responsibilities within the governance system of the power sector. It is this new mindset of cooperation for optimal performance that we are bringing on board.
“So far, I am happy to inform you that everyone is in alignment with this mentality. There are ongoing conversations within the power value chain. Stakeholders are talking and cooperating and in so doing, bridging the observed disconnect within the sector.
“It must be clearly stated that within this value chain, some responsibilities are by the EPSRA performed by our private sector partners and other agencies of Government. These partners are being more closely monitored and sometimes given the needed nudge in the right direction to achieve our objectives.
“We are determined to deal with some policy issues, the legal and regulatory bottlenecks, and the human factors involved in the implementation and coordination of the power sector’s road map. Though a work in progress, let me assure you that the viability of the sector is not in doubt. As much as it is a capital-intensive sector and currently in need of a massive injection of fresh capital, we are making steady progress.”
Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has rejected claims by the Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency in the Central Region, Cassiel Ato Forson, that it is engaging in some form of illegalities.
The legislator is said to have accused the NPA of acting with impunity by receiving revenues through the collection of unified Petroleum Price Fund (UPPF), Bulk Oil Storage and Distribution (BOST) and Fuel Marketing Margins.
However, reacting to the claims, NPA, in a statement issued by the Corporate Affairs department, stated categorically that it is acting legally contrary to claims by the legislator.
“The NPA wishes to state that its mandate to collect, charge or receive revenue with respect to the UPPF, BOST and Marketing Margins is derived from the NPA ( PPPF), Regulation 2012, LI 2186,” the statement said.
In line with LI 2186, the UPPF, BOST and Marketing Margins are distribution margins and were not just increased in 2021 but have seen periodic increments since 2009 due in part to the increases in the cost of operation of these activities over the years, the statement said.
It further explained that legislation 9 and 13 of the LI 2186 determines how to review the PPPF which states “that the pricing formula must include the three margins and the Authority shall indicate these margins to take care of the intended costs accordingly”.
The UPPF margin is a margin incorporated in the pricing buildup of petroleum products to compensate transporters who move petroleum products from the depots to the retail outlets across the country and to ensure that there is equal pricing of petroleum products in the country irrespective of one’s geographical location.
The BOST Margin is a margin also incorporated into the buildup of petroleum prices used to cover the cost of maintenance and operations of BOST depots across the country and to undertake its support expansion programmes of the depots but this is collected by BOST but not NPA, the statement explained.
The fuel margins are incorporated in the price buildup of petroleum products to pay for the marking of the products to prevent tax revenue loss, smuggling and adulteration of petroleum products.
The statement indicated that It is without a doubt that the absence of these margins in the pricing buildup would have hindered the achievement of the objectives for which the margins were incorporated into the PPPF.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana will be attractive to investors who want to build industries just like India, Malaysia and China if the country produces cheap and affordable electricity.
This is according to Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo, Director at the Bui Power Authority (BPA).
The cost of electricity in Ghana appears high and many businesses see it as a disincentive.
Making a presentation on behalf of Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, Chief Executive Officer of Bui Power Authority (BPA) at the Ghana Economic Forum last week, the Director said, “I believe strongly that with the appropriate electricity tariff structure and investment in the least cost electricity production options such as nuclear demand for electricity could increase significantly to support job creation and stimulate economic growth.”
According to him, renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass would also play a role in the short to medium long-term particularly when it comes to ensuring access to electricity in the off-grid communities.
Click to watch the videoSource: https://energynewsafrica.com
Senegal’s Minister of Petroleum and Energies, H.E. Sophie Gladima announced her support for the upcoming MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2021, organized by Energy Capital & Power.
H.E. Minister Sophie Gladima noted that the stakes for the conference were particularly high because this is the first high-level energy sector conference to be held in Senegal since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister Gladima emphasized that the event would be an economic boost for all participants and that a large number of delegations from countries in the sub-region, IOC’s and NOC’s would all be coming to Dakar to attend the conference.
Another important aspect highlighted by H.E. Sophie Gladima over the course of the press conference was that Senegal must continue to support the successful training and capacity-building initiatives conducted by institutions in Senegal including the INPG and the National Petroleum and Gas Institute, as well as other programs put in place by the Ministry of Employment to better facilitate the integration of Senegal’s youth into the oil & gas industry, with a focus on local content.
“We currently have a number of Senegalese workers whom we would like to be able to participate more in the development of oil & gas exploration and production in Senegal. But oftentimes these Senegalese nationals do not have a great deal of expertise in the oil & gas sector. At this point it is important for Senegal to draw upon the experience of the many experts coming to MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2021, so that Senegal can learn from the experience of others. We must make this knowledge available to our country,” she said.
Asked about the number of participants expected, Minister Sophie Gladima noted that Senegal expects a significant amount of people and companies to attend, not just from countries in sub-Saharan Africa but also from the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and that several hundred invitation letters had already been sent.
“Don´t forget that people like coming to Senegal and we are going to mobilize all of our cultural assets to encourage them and can assure you that all those wishing to come to our country will receive a very warm welcome.”
Climate Change
One of the issues discussed at length over the course of the Q&A with local media was that of the numerous challenges arising from the global fight against climate change and how to achieve a balanced energy transition.
H.E. Minister Gladima stated that: “Senegal will show solidarity in any effort geared towards fighting the negative impact of climate change and we support those international efforts. But it is important to note that Africa has contributed far less to global warming than many industrialized nations, yet we have still borne the brunt of the adverse impact of global warming on our economies and sectors such as agriculture.”
Senegal has embraced a policy of replacing coal fired power generation plants with natural gas, which is a fuel that pollutes far less than coal. Minister Gladima stated that “re-converted coal power plants fired by natural gas will be better not only for the environment and also enable Senegal to generate electricity that is more affordable.”
On the topic of the role of countries such as Senegal in the ongoing energy transition, Minister Gladima noted that some IOC’s and NOC’s around the world are already making plans to progressively decrease their overall reliance on energy derived from fossil fuels, from 80% to 60%.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
According to her, the Government of Ghana is focusing on the development of STEM to ensure the training of critical minds for the industrial sector which holds the key to industrialization in the country.
She added that “the Government is also revamping TVET sectors to train skilled manpower for the future.
“I would like to encourage everyone to contribute to the development of education in the country as Tullow is doing since it is the most important asset for our children,” she advised.
He suggested that a committee comprising of officials of the district assembly, the school and private sector be established to ensure that the facility is well-maintained to last long.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 
The General Manager further disclosed that “some of the illegalities uncovered during this exercise included meter bypass, unauthorized and direct connections and meter tampering.”
Mr Emmanuel Lumor bemoaned how illegal connections by some customers affected the financial strength of the company and prevents the company from undertaking projects that would inure to the benefits of customers.
“As a company, we have to pay our suppliers like GRIDCO, VRA and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) when we purchase power from them to distribute to our cherished customers, hence, consuming power illegally prevents the company from getting money to pay these key players on the electricity supply-chain,” he said.
According to Mr Lumor, illegal connections affect the distribution system by overloading transformers which eventually lead to the breakdown of transformers and outages.
“When people connect to the national grid illegally, it overloads our transformers and leads to low-voltage and interruption of power supply to our customers.”
He cautioned the general public to do the right thing through prompt payment of bills and desist from illegal acts such as meter bypass as it is a criminal and a dangerous act that can cause fire outbreaks and the loss of lives through electrocution.
Mr Lumor announced that the company has the authority to prosecute persons engaged in such illegal acts within the ECG’s network by an Executive Instrument (EI) 38 of the Appointment of Public Prosecution Instrument (2010).
He called on the general public to help the company in its fight against illegal connections by reporting people who engage in such an act to the nearest ECG office or call the national task force via the telephone number 0551444011.
The financial reward for the whistle-blower, he said “is six per cent commission of any amount we recoup. This is an incentive for anyone who gives us reliable information to unearth any illegality.”
The ECG Volta Regional Office has eleven districts namely: Jasikan, Nkwanta, Dambai, Kpando, Hohoe, Kpeve, Ho, Sogakope, Akatsi, Keta and Denu.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
He said, “As part of our efforts to stay current with global advancements in the provision of quality fuels and customer service to the Ghanaian and to represent Ghanaian excellence on the global stage, it was important for us to ensure that the country had a presence at the prestigious Forecourttech Conference.”
He added, “The customer is the reason ZEN exists, and it is with them in mind that we continue to maintain growth and continued efforts to stay up-to-date with what is happening around the world.”
ZEN continues its expansion across the country with its newest station at Mallam Gbawe, in Accra, the capital of Ghana, which boasts of double-wall tanks, leak detection, overfill prevention, flame arrestors, oil separators and other key safety features, while providing priority access and parking for persons with disabilities.
ZEN Petroleum continues to maintain a holistic, compliant operations model in creating a world-class retail network, driven by a diverse local team of passionate experts.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com 
