Fénix Benin, a subsidiary of Fénix international, a supplier of domestic solar systems, has signed a partnership deal with Canal+ Benin, a subsidiary of the French group Canal +, specialised in the distribution of pay-tv channels.
The two companies will distribute solar home kits accompanied by decoders, Canal+ satellite dishes and a “special package”.
The agreement will also enable the populations of this West African country to benefit from a one-year subscription to a Canal+ “special package” of 120 TV and radio channels.
This is a new challenge for the Engie Fénix Benin Company created in November 2018. The group has already provided more than 70,000 Beninese households with access to electricity.
It is the “Fénix Power TV+4″ solar kit, marketed in 2019 by Engie Fénix Bénin, which will be associated with the various products of Canal+ Bénin? The solar system consists of four lamps, two shades, a 125 WH battery, a 24″ or 19” TV + antenna and three solar panels with a combined capacity of 50 W.
According to 24heures au Bénin, the new offer from Engie Fénix Benin and Canal+ Benin costs 360,000 CFA francs (nearly 549 euros).
The solar kit distribution company in Benin intends to use pay-as-you-go (pay-per-use) to facilitate the distribution of this new product to households in urban, semi-urban and rural areas.
The company also indicates that the offer can be purchased on credit with payment spread over one or two years depending on the means and possibilities of payment of the purchaser.
A few months earlier, in July 2020, the Canal + group signed a similar agreement with the British home solar kit supplier Bboxx.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has recorded an increased trading surplus of ₦20.36billion in July 2020 compared to the ₦2.12billion surplus in June 2020 in its operations.
Dr. Kennie Obateru, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the corporation, in a release in Abuja, explained that details of the figures captured in the July 2020 NNPC Monthly Financial and Operations Report (MFOR) indicated that the 858 per cent overall upswell in performance was largely due to the 178 per cent rise in the surplus posted by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), NNPC’s flagship Upstream entity.
The release stated that the NPDC’s impressive result was bolstered by the continuous improvement in global crude oil demand for the third consecutive month.
Similarly, the report said the corporation’s fortune was further enhanced by the 739 per cent increased profit posted by the Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL) and a 51 per cent growth in performance by Duke Oil Incorporated, both companies of NNPC.
Returns from NNPC Retail Limited and Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) during the period under review also grew by 28 per cent and 24 per cent respectively, owing to increased sales and improved debt collection.
In the Gas sector, Gas production in July 2020 increased by 2.19 per cent at 236.34Billion Cubic Feet (BCF) compared to output in June 2020; translating to an average daily production of 7,623.98Million Standard Cubic Feet of gas per day (mmscfd). Likewise, the daily average natural gas supply to gas power plants stood at 707mmscfd, equivalent to power generation of 2,421MW.
For the period July 2019 to July 2020, 3,079.64BCF of gas was produced, representing an average daily production of 7,812.11mmscfd during the period.
Period-to-date Production from Joint Ventures (JVs), Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) and NPDC contributed about 70.88 per cent, 20.37 per cent and 8.75 per cent respectively to the total national gas production.
In the Downstream Sector, to ensure continuous stability in Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) supply and effective distribution across the country, 1.02billion litres of PMS translating to 32.95mn liters/day were supplied for the month.
The July NNPC MFOR stated that the corporation has continued to diligently monitor the daily stock of PMS to achieve smooth distribution of petroleum products and zero fuel queue across the Nation.
The report noted that during the period under review, 36 pipeline points were vandalized, representing about 9 per cent increase from the 33 points recorded in June 2020.
Atlas Cove-Mosimi and Aba-Enugu network accounted for 28 per cent each, while PHC-Aba and the other locations recorded 14 per cent and the remaining 31 per cent respectively.
NNPC in collaboration with the local communities and other stakeholders continuously have strived to reduce the menace of pipeline vandalism.
The July NNPC MFOR is the 60th edition in the series meant to sustain effective
communication with stakeholders.
www.energynewsafrica.com
Like an elderly man wobbling into a party and trying to fit in with young kids by using “hip new lingo”, General Motors – days after seeing its partnership with Nikola come under fire – has now come out and said it is going to now be exploring options in the “aerial taxi” market.
This is, of course, a market that hardly exists. But it certainly sounds cool, doesn’t it?
GM will be looking at potentially building the “aerial cars” as part of a broader initiative looking for growth in related transportation markets, according to CNBC.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra alluded to the idea on Monday of this week, claiming that the production of such vehicles could fit with the company’s plans to develop electric vehicles and its Ultium electric battery. She said at the RBC conference: “We believe strongly in our EV future and not just for vehicles.”
She continued: “The strength and flexibility of our Ultium battery system opens doors for many uses, including aerial mobility.”
The news was also followed on Wednesday by GM announcing it would be building EV systems and motors in a push to vertically integrate itself with other automakers.
Air taxis are also called vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. They use electric motors instead of gas powered jet engines and are designed specifically to avoid traditional runways. They fly shorter, low level routes and could alleviate congestion on roads in crowded areas.
GM’s push into the market is part of a broader plan to look at “other transportation markets for growth”. The company’s initiative is being headed up by Alan Wexler, who reports directly to Mary Barra.
Perhaps he has noticed that competitor Hyundai has already teamed up with Uber in January of this year to develop electric air taxis. Hyundai has also pledged $1.5 billion to developing urban air mobility by 2025.
Toyota has also looked at the idea, entering into a $590 million investment round with air taxi startup Joby in January. Daimler and Geely have both invested in Volocopter, based in Germany.
By Zerohedge.com
On October 8th will, unite key experts from Operators, geos, governments and more to discuss new ventures and opportunities in the region, with quickfire data presentations and ample opportunity for audience Q&A. The Speakers include:
• Hon. Fafa Sanyang, Minister of Energy & Petroleum, The Gambia
• Dr. Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune, COO, Oando Energy Resources
• Christine Roche, Manager, New Ventures AMME, PGS
• Eugene Toukam, Commercial Director – Sub Sahara Africa, Baker Hughes
• Chris Hindle, Director, Critical Resource
•
Digital technologies are likely to be a key talking point, with the COVID-19 pandemic having accelerated their adoption in the oil and gas space.
PGS’ Christine Roche commented: “Many areas [in West Africa] are relatively under-explored with abundant opportunities. Using the latest acquisition and imaging technology, new datasets will improve knowledge of the subsurface petroleum systems and reduce exploration risk”.
Fellow speaking company, Baker Hughes, also has a wealth of data and experience to share on which current technologies are helping to boost production and enhance oil recovery in West Africa. The E&P tech company was recently awarded contracts on BP’s Greater Tortue Ahmeyim natural gas project offshore Mauritania and Senegal.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, gas is also likely to emerge as a key discussion point.
Participating speaker and Oando Energy Resources COO Dr. Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune certainly sees it playing a significant role in Africa’s energy transition.
He recently commented: “It’s interesting that we hold 500 tcf of gas and are not the industrial hub of the world.
China does not hold that much gas in reserves, we certainly do”.
With huge announcements regarding the Train 7 project and AKK pipeline recently coming from Nigeria, there is certainly a lot of ground to cover.
Brought to you by Africa Oil Week (AOW), AOW Virtual (https://bit.ly/33hfpTf) (7-8 October 2020) is a free to attend online conference aimed at reigniting African oil, gas and energy. True to AOW’s roots, the conference will be packed full of strategic outlooks, debates, and a much-anticipated government bidding round. It will offer AOW’s global oil and gas audience a platform to discuss insights, challenges and opportunities post COVID-19.
Hundreds of C-level executives from across the value chain are expected to attend, as well as government representatives from countries including Somalia, The Gambia, South Africa and the USA. Plus, AOW Virtual is CPD certified, so attending sessions will count towards your continuing professional development. Register now for free (https://bit.ly/33hfpTf).
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
“Flatten the curve.” Do you remember that phrase? It was on everyone’s lips back in the spring, when the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began rampaging across the world in earnest.
At the time, the idea was that the best way to combat the germ known as SARS CoV-2 was to go home and stay there long enough for hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities to build up the capacity needed to handle the expected flood of new patients.
Most of us expected that this departure from routine would be a temporary thing. We hoped it wouldn’t last long — that we’d be able to return to our normal routines after a brief disruption, with confidence that all necessary safeguards were in place.
Of course, it didn’t turn out that way. We spent far more time than we expected sheltering in place, unable to visit friends and family, attend school, or go to work in the usual manner. Many of us lost our jobs and saw our businesses fail, and the cumulative result of all these individual disasters was that the global economy took a sharp downward turn.
We Still Need To ‘Flatten the Curve’ … But How?
Along the way, of course, we’ve learned quite a bit more about SARS CoV-2 — how it makes people sick, how to treat it more effectively, what kind of resources our medical providers need most, and so on. But we’ve also stopped talking about “flattening the curve.” Even in places where hospitals and clinics have been able to build up their stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and other necessities, we’ve moved on to other topics.
In my view, this is a mistake. I’d like to explain why I think so.
It’s not because our understanding of the virus has changed over time.
It’s not because we’ve seen infection rates rise after the lifting of lockdown orders.
It’s not because we don’t have a vaccine yet. It’s not because the idea of “flattening the curve” seems callous when more than 900,000 people out the nearly 28 million infected around the world have already died of COVID-19.
It’s because we need to rethink the idea of what “flattening the curve” means.
And I believe President Macky Sall’s call for African debt relief is a good place to start that rethinking.
The President’s Perspective
First, let’s look at what President Sall has to say. In late August, the Senegalese leader urged members of the G20 group of countries to continue helping African nations balance their obligations to creditors with their obligations to their own citizens in the face of a deadly pandemic. Speaking to a group of business leaders at the French Entrepreneurs’ Conference, he noted that the group had taken up his call for a moratorium on the collection of debt from impoverished countries in Africa and elsewhere in April. He suggested that this moratorium be extended into 2021 rather than allowed to expire at the end of 2020.
“For the most part, and for all African countries, internal efforts will not be enough to lessen the shock of COVID and revive economic growth,” he said. “We need more financial capacity, which is why, with other colleagues, I have made a plea for substantial relief of Africa’s public debt and private debt on terms to be agreed upon.”
What the President’s Words Mean
Sall’s statements reflect the fact that the emergence of SARS CoV-2 was not a one-off event that sparked a short-term crisis, but rather the start of a struggle that will take a long time to resolve. They recognize that the outbreak is likely to be a drag on the world economy for years to come — and that the countries battling COVID-19 outbreaks need time to build up their capacity to fight back.
What’s more, the president’s words advance the idea that African states will be in a better position to meet their financial obligations in the future if they take the time and the trouble to address the public health situation first. Indeed, he made a point of stressing that Africa takes its financial commitments seriously, since he mentioned debt relief and not debt forgiveness. (He also suggested that members of the G20 group offer debtors the same kind of breathing room they have granted themselves, such as temporary exemption from rules limiting debt to 3% of GDP or less.)
In other words, Sall is asking the G20 group to give Africa time and space to flatten the curve. He may not have used those exact words, but that appears to be his goal. He is hoping creditors will agree to suspend business as usual so that African states can build up their capacity for economic growth, just as regular citizens of many countries around the world agreed to disrupt their usual routines of work and school and leisure activities so that hospitals could build up their capacity for patient care.
Sall also understands that this flattening of the economic curve is not a simple process. He knows it will take more than one round of deferred payments to compensate for the economic consequences of the pandemic, and that is why he has now asked the G20 to extend the debt moratorium, which was originally due to expire at the end of 2020, into next year.
Compensating for the Setbacks of the Last Six Months
And make no mistake: Africa needs that extra time. The continent has suffered enormously over the last six months.
On the economic front, the pandemic has triggered a global recession that has caused millions of salaried African workers to lose their jobs. Meanwhile, many more millions have seen their livelihoods dwindle or disappear because restrictions on movement have stifled the informal sector and forced the closure of small businesses. Additionally, the continent has experienced shortages of fuel and other essential goods as a result of disruptions in the supply chain.
Some parts of Africa have also weathered political disruptions. Mali suffered a coup in mid-August, following more than two months of anti-government demonstrations. Libya’s civil war, pitting the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli against Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), has continued to grind on, effectively crippling the country’s lucrative oil industry. Investors in liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Mozambique have grown more nervous since a militia with ties to the Islamic State group, also known as Daesh, seized control of a key port in Cabo Delgado state.
Under other circumstances, African fossil fuel producers might have been able to use their reserves to help build up the cash needed to cope with the consequences of COVID-19. After all, as I explained in my latest book, Billions at Play: The Future of African Energy and Doing Deals, the oil and gas industry has the potential to serve as a springboard, amplifying and accelerating economic growth. It can create opportunities for economic diversification and — through petroleum companies’ research and investments — help pave the way to the creation of a renewable energy sector.
Unfortunately, though, world oil prices crashed earlier this year, partly because of the competition between Russia and Saudi Arabia for market share and partly because the pandemic undercut energy demand. Prices hit historic lows in late April. And since they have yet to recover completely, African producers will need more than oil and gas to compensate for the setbacks they have experienced this year.
A Necessary Step: Debt Relief
That’s where debt relief comes in.
Debt relief will help African states weather the storms caused by the pandemic.
Debt relief will help African states take the steps needed to help people go back to work or build up their businesses.
Debt relief will help African states re-establish stability following political disruptions.
Debt relief will help African states make up for the sharp decline in oil and gas revenues and begin building renewable energy sectors.
Debt relief is necessary to flatten the curve. It’s what will give Africa time and space to start carving out a path towards recovery — to take the steps necessary to bring new investment to the oil and gas industry, to build Africa’s sustainable energy sector, to expand business and residential consumers’ access to electric power, to revive small businesses, to promote innovation and entrepreneurship, to foster job creation, and to remove red tape and regulatory obstacles.
Asking for More: Debt Forgiveness
Senegal’s president understands this — and I hope the leaders of the G20 group’s members do, too. I hope they can see how reasonable it is for impoverished countries in Africa and other regions to ask for what they need to flatten the curve.
But I’d also like to take it a step further. I’m going to ask for more.
I’m going to ask for debt forgiveness. I’m going to suggest that members of the G20 group agree to forego payments from African debtors — specifically, from eligible African debtors. And by eligible debtors, I mean countries that commit themselves to a forward-looking agenda that includes wide-ranging and market-oriented reforms, as well as safeguards for economic freedom, good governance, free trade, and investment in education.
All of these points are in line with the ideals that have helped most G20 member states achieve so much with respect to economic growth. What’s more, they are exactly the sort of things that African states ought to do in order to maximize their chances of building up the momentum lost as a result of the pandemic — and to extend their recovery far into the future, beyond the point when vaccines, cures, and more effective treatments remove the threat of COVID-19.
I hope that G20 lenders to Africa will see it my way. I hope they will agree to help Africa do as much as it can to flatten the curve.
Source: NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber
The Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana Ltd in the Republic of Ghana has denied claims by the largest opposition party, NDC, that the government is scheming to bring them back to take over the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
According to a source within PDS, the claim by Adams Mutawakilu, Ranking Member of Mines and Energy Committee in Parliament of Ghana, is false.
The Government of Ghana entered into a concession agreement with PDS for the latter to take over the management of the business aspect of ECG for a period of 20 years, effective March 1, 2019.
However, barely five months after the deal, the Government of Ghana cancelled the agreement, citing what it described as fundamental and material breaches of the agreement.
PDS has since sued the Government of Ghana for terminating the deal.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Adams Mutawakilu alleged that the government intends to enter a weak defence in a recent suit by the PDS which will make it easier for the company to be reinstated.
“Recently, the Ministry of Information came out and said that PDS has taken the government to court. And if you read between the lines, you recognise the agenda they (NPP) have if they are to be voted for on December 7, 2020, general election. They have now restructured PDS, planned it and asked the company to take the government to court. So they put up a strong defence to take over ECG again. So it is clear that they still have an agenda to take back ECG, our strategic asset, so that the family and friends will once again come and take over.”
Reacting to the claims, an official of the PDS told energynewsafrica.com that the move by the opposition is just an attempt to draw PDS into a propaganda war because of the upcoming elections.
“They are trying to draw us into their propaganda war because of elections; we refuse to be a part,” the source said.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s largest power generation company, Volta River Authority (VRA), has sent some relief items to persons who have been affected by floods in the Upper East Region in the Republic of Ghana.
Thousands of residents in the Upper East Region of the West African nation have been badly hit by floods, following the spillage of the Bagre Dam by Ghana’s northern neighbour, Burkina Faso.
VRA, which is the implementing agency for the construction of the Pwalugu Multi-purpose Hydro and Irrigation Dam with solar facility in both the Upper East and North-east Regions, thus, found it needful to support the victims to relieve them of their pain.
Dr Osman Ayuba, Managing Director of NEDCo
The items, which cost the state power generation company thousands of Ghanaian cedis, was presented by the Managing Director of Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Dr Osman Ayuba, on behalf of the VRA, and they included 260 bags of rice, 210 gallons of oil, 260 cartons of milk, 210 boxes of sugar and tin of tea beverage.
Speaking to the media in Bolgatanga, the Senior Government and Public Relations Officer for the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam Project, David Prah mentioned that the food items to the flood victims formed part of VRA’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) which is enshrined in its motto of ‘Adding Value to Lives’ especially at the areas the VRA operates.
Ghana’s largest power distribution company, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has been awarded as the best company in the energy sector for contributing immensely to the growth and development of Ghana.
The award was conferred on the power distribution company by The Business Executives, organisers of the Ghana Development Awards.
The Awards ceremony, which took place in Accra, capital of Ghana, was under the theme: ‘Intensifying The Implementation of SDGs for Ghana’s Socio-Economic Recovery Amidst Coronavirus’.
The awards aim at identifying and publicly recognising individuals and both public institutions and private enterprises that have contributed to Ghana’s socio-economic development in pivotal ways, as well as foreign institutions that have proved to be exemplary development partners.
Per the assessment of the organisers, the strategies put in place by ECG to address the challenges of covid-19 worked effectively. And this, to the organisers, ensured the stable supply of power during the lockdown in some parts of the country and after.
The organisers noted that ECG activated all the covid-19 protocols and ensured that its offices were opened to attend to customers, despite running a weekly shift system in its entire operational areas as part of effort to ensure social distancing at the work place.
The organisers also noted that, ECG’s performance, prior to the emergence of Covid-19 and during the pandemic, had improved significantly translating into a huge jump in revenue mobilisation.
Similarly, the organisers honoured the Managing Director of ECG, Kwame Agyeman-Budu, for his exceptional leadership that has resulted in efficiency in the management of the power distribution company.
The organisers noted that under his leadership, ECG deployed some innovations including the internal development of ECG Power App which enables electricity consumers to buy credit using their Smart Meters at the comfort of their homes.
They also cited the replacement of non-Smart Meters to Smart Meters in ECG’s operations.
They also took into consideration how Mr. Agyeman-Budu ensured that there was smooth integration of restructured ECG staff and Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana staff without any agitations.
Additionally, the organisers noted that he used his good office, lobbying skills and transparent leadership to ensure that government settles its indebtedness to the ECG to the extent that Government now has a credit balance with the company.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Italian oil and gas player Eni has made a new gas discovery in the Great Nooros Area, located in the Abu Madi West Development Lease, in the conventional waters of the Nile Delta, offshore Egypt.
Eni is the operator of the Block located in the Mediterranean Sea and BP is a contractor member.
Announcing the new discovery on Wednesday, Eni said that it was achieved through the Nidoco NW-1 exploratory well.
The well is located in 16 meters of water depth, 5 km from the coast and 4 km north from the Nooros field, discovered in July 2015.
According to Eni, the Nidoco NW-1 exploratory well discovered gas-bearing sands for a total thickness of 100 meters, of which 50 meters within the Pliocene sands of the Kafr-El-Sheik formations and 50 meters within the Messinian age sandstone of the Abu Madi formations, both levels with good petrophysical properties.
In the Abu Madi formations a new level, which was not yet encountered in the Nooros field, has been crossed proving the high potential of the Great Nooros Area and the further extension of the gas potential to the North of the field.
The preliminary evaluation of the well results, considering the extension of the reservoir towards the north and the dynamic behaviour of the field, together with the recent discoveries performed in the area, indicates that the Great Nooros Area gas in place can be estimated in excess of 4 Tcf.
Eni, together with its partner BP, in coordination with the Egyptian Petroleum Sector, will begin screening the development options of this new discovery benefitting of the synergies with the area’s existing infrastructures.
Eni, through its subsidiary IEOC, holds a 75 per cent stake in the license of Abu Madi West Development Lease, while BP holds the remaining 25 per cent stake.
The operator is Petrobel, an equal joint venture between IEOC and the state company Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC).
The new discovery is located in 22 meters of water depth, 11 km from the coast and 12 km North-West from the Nooros field and about 1 km west of the Baltim South West field, both already in production.
The discovery of Bashrush further extends to the west the gas potential of the Abu Madi formation reservoirs discovered and produced from the Great Nooros Area.
Source:www.energynewafrica.com
Solar hybrid system supplier Mada Green Power has started construction work on a 17 MW solar hybrid power plant in Andranotakatra, in the Mahajanga district of Madagascar.
The plant is expected to be commissioned in 2021.
The hybrid system, ordered by the Malagasy government, will have a capacity of 17 MW. It will be located in Andranotakatra, in the Mahajanga district of Madagascar.
“The solar-hybrid plant will be interconnected with the grid of Jirama, the national water and electricity company, and will produce hybrid electricity, improving the country’s production and reducing the cost of electricity in Mahajanga,” says Maurille Mananjara, regional director of Jirama in Boeny.
Earthworks and fencing have already been carried out on the 42-hectare construction site.
The development of Andranotakatra’s hybrid solar power plant will take place in three stages. In the first stage, Mada Green Power will install a 1.2 MW hybrid system that will be operational within two months.
The second phase will provide an additional 10.8 MW to Madagascar’s electricity grid by March 2021. The last phase will produce 5 MW before the end of 2021.
The Express de Madagascar reported that Mada Green Power, Canadian, Malagasy and Mauritian investors are the main backers of the Andranotakatra hybrid solar power plant project.
The installation should improve the rate of access to electricity in Madagascar.
The authorities indicate that barely 15% of the population has access to electricity, including 5% in rural areas.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
The Government of Burkina Faso has launched the construction of two 30 MWp photovoltaic (PV) solar power plants as part of its World Bank-supported Power Sector Support Project (Pasel).
The installations will be located in the cities of Koudougou and Kaya.
The government of Burkina Faso is stepping up initiatives to increase the country’s electricity production.
At the beginning of September 2020, the National Electricity Company of Burkina Faso (Sonabel) launched a call for tenders for the construction of four 9 MWp photovoltaic solar power plants.
This time, the government of the West African country plans to equip the towns of Koudougou and Kaya with two 30 MWp solar photovoltaic power plants.
The works were launched on September 10th, 2020 by the Burkinabe Minister of Energy, Bachir Ismaël Ouédraogo.
The cities of Koudougou, in the province of Boulkiemdé and Kaya, in the province of Sanmatenga will have solar power stations of 20 MWp and 10 MWp respectively. The Burkinabe Ministry of Energy indicates that the construction of these installations will cost 41 billion CFA francs (more than 62.5 million euros).
According to the same source, the work in progress is part of the Electricity Sector Support Project (Pasel), financed by the Burkinabe government with a World Bank loan.
In addition to the construction of the solar power plants, the Burkinabe government plans to strengthen three inter-urban links through electricity distribution stations.
According to Sonabel, a 225 kV transmission line will be built between the city of Pâ and the city of Diébougou, over a distance of about 83 km.
A second 225 kV transmission line will be built to link the town of Ziniaré and Kaya, over a distance of 60 km.
The final 90 kV transmission line will link Wona and Dédougou, over a distance of 60 km.
The total length of the transmission lines to be built is approximately 203 km.
Sonabel explains that, once the work is completed, the various facilities will make it possible to inject 48.86 GWh into its electricity network, thereby reducing the electricity needs of Burkinabe citizens by 2.5%.
The construction contract for the photovoltaic solar power plants was won by Engie.
The transmission lines and associated substations will be built by Engie’s subsidiary Ineo Energy & Systems and five other companies, including Mohan Energy Corporation Pvt. and Unitech Power Transmission. Ltd, Tebian Electric Apparatus (TBEA) CO., Shandong Taikai Power Engineering CO. and the consortium IMPSDI (Inner Mongolia Electric Power Survey & Design Institute Co.) – Kesec, the Engineering Society of Kenya.
“The latter have between 12 and 14 months to complete the work,” says Bachir Ismaël Ouédraogo, the Burkinabe Minister of Energy.
Oil consumption in India will stop rising in five years, BP has said in its influential annual energy outlook.
The oil and gas firm also predicted that the global demand for the commodity may never return to pre-Covid levels.
India’s oil demand is expected to start plateauing in 2025 after rising to 6 million barrels per day (mbd) from 5 mbd in 2018 under BP’s two scenarios named the ‘Rapid’ and ‘Net Zero’.
By 2050, the demand is forecast to contract to 5 mbd and 2 mbd, respectively under the two scenarios.
Under the third scenario, called the ‘Business-as-Usual’, Indian oil demand is forecast to continue to rise from 6 mbd in 2025 to 10 mbd in 2050. In all three scenarios, India stays the third-biggest oil consumer in 2025 and 2050, behind the US and China, as it is now.
Global oil consumption is forecast to fall to 94 mbd by 2025 under both ‘rapid’ and ‘net zero’ courses from 97 mbd in 2018. By 2050, the demand is predicted to contract to 47 mbd under ‘Rapid’ and 24 mbd under ‘Net Zero’. Under ‘Business-as-Usual’, the demand would be 98 mbd by 2025 and fall to 89 mbd by 2050.
Three scenarios have been built assuming varying levels of government policy measures for meeting climate targets. The ‘Rapid’ scenario assumes policies resulting in a sharp increase in carbon prices while the ‘Net Zero’ reinforces ‘Rapid’ with major shifts in societal behaviour.
“The demand for liquid fuels in ‘Rapid’ and ‘Net Zero’ never fully recovers from the fall caused by Covid-19, implying that oil demand peaked in 2019 in both scenarios,” BP said in its energy outlook. “The falling demand is concentrated in the developed world and China, with consumption in India, Other Asia and Africa broadly flat over the Outlook as a whole in ‘Rapid’”.
The expected decline in demand would also hurt refinery runs and companies’ plans to set up new refineries. “Refinery runs in ‘Rapid’ never fully recover to pre-Covid levels and fall by more than 45 mbd to less than half of their 2018 levels by 2050,” BP said in its outlook.
Under ‘Business-as-Usual’, refining runs are forecast to recover to close to pre-Covid levels over the next few years and remain there until the early 2030s.
“The excess refining capacity that emerges in both ‘Business-as-Usual’ and ‘Rapid’ leads to increasing competition and the eventual shutdown of the least competitive refineries,” the outlook said.
The refining capacity that will likely be the most resilient would be those that are aided by strong domestic demand, access to advantaged feedstock, high levels of upgrading, integration with petrochemicals and, in some regions, government support, as per the outlook.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Private sector participation in the energy sector, small-scale hydro and mini-grid opportunities, desalination as an option to secure water security and helping SSMEs with a toolkit are just some of the highlights of the Digital African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa agenda in November.
The programme forms part of the upcoming ‘Digital Energy Festival for Africa’ which unites African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa, Africa Energy Forum and the Oil & Gas Council’s Africa Assembly under one banner, offering an unprecedented five-week tour de force of quality content and engagement on the continent’s largest, all-encompassing digital energy platform.
The ‘Digital Energy Festival’ takes place from 20 October to 26 November 2020. The digital platform will allow attendees to access content and networking offerings across all three market-leading events with one point of entry, making it the largest ever energy event for the African continent marketed to a combined energy database of over 200,000.
Post-pandemic impact on energy sector
Amidst the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the energy sector in Africa, the organisers of the ‘Digital Energy Festival’ seek to address critical issues such as pivoting to digital, new financial models and innovative power generation sources to allow attendees to make decisions and formulate recovery plans.
“It is inspiring to be part of such a unique joint venture with two other leading players in the energy events sector,” says Chanelle Hingston, Power & Energy Group Director at Clarion Events Africa, the organisers of the award-winning African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa conference and exhibition for the last 20 years. “Each one of us as event organisers has a strong team with a different and distinctive focus on the many-faceted energy sector. For example, we are well known for always gathering world-class experts for our water-focused discussions as part of our event.”
She adds: “Since the start of the pandemic we have had to postpone our live event twice but, along with our partners and customers, we have fully embraced the digital tools available to us to keep the conversation going. As we proclaimed recently: “The show will go on,” and being part of the ‘Digital Energy Festival’ is a continuation of celebrating and supporting our continent’s power and energy professionals, projects and pioneers. We look forward to engaging with our long-standing partners online again and also welcoming new faces to our platform.”
Topic and speaker highlights of Digital African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa programme include:
Tuesday, 24 November, 2020:
• Opening Keynote Address: Private sector participation in the African power sector
• Host ministerial address: Fireside discussion with Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, South Africa
• Host utility address: Fireside discussion with André de Ruyter, Group Chief Executive, Eskom, South Africa
• Small scale hydro opportunities in East Africa
Wednesday, 25 November, 2020:
• Building resilient incomes to ensure sustainable business models
• Decentralised desalination versus a centralised water system
Thursday, 26 November, 2020:
• Utility guide for pivoting to digital
• How do you start a career or decide areas to upskill during this period of flux?
The programme is available on the event website: https://www.african-utility-week.com/digital/virtual-programme
The full programme for the ‘Digital Energy Festival for Africa’ will be available on 24 September.
Multi-award-winning events
The next live, in person edition of African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa will take place from 11-13 May 2021 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Clarion Events Africa is a multi-award-winning Cape Town-based exhibition and conference producer across the continent in the infrastructure, energy and mining sectors. Other well-known events include the Utility CEO Forums, Future Energy East Africa, Future Energy Nigeria, Nigeria Mining Week, Africa Mining Forum and DRC Mining Week.
Clarion Events Africa is part of the UK-based Clarion Events Group’s Clarion Energy Series, which runs over 40 events that cover the oil, gas, power and energy sectors, making it one of the group’s largest portfolios.
African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa dates and location:
‘Digital Energy Festival for Africa’: 20 October-26 November 2020
Digital conference and matchmaking: 24-26 November 2020
Venue: Online Live, in-person conference and exhibition: 11-13 May 2021
Venue: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa
Website: https://www.african-utility-week.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfricaUtilities
Linkedin: African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa
Media contact:
Senior Communications Manager: Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone: +27 21 700 3558
Email: [email protected]
The United Nations Development Programme has released a roadmap to unlock the potential of Sudan’s renewable energy and expand energy access.
The roadmap, entitled ‘Empowering Sudan: Renewable energy addressing poverty and development’, was developed through a series of consultations organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
This was in response to a request by the government of the Republic of Sudan for technical support to identify and fast-track sustainable energy initiatives and investments.
Energy use in Sudan is growing rapidly. Traditional biomass provides most of the population’s energy use, especially for people in the countryside. Ironically, electricity use is growing at about 13% annually, despite only 47% of the country’s rural population currently being connected to the national grid, according to the International Energy Agency.
Sudan is challenged by high electricity subsidy levels and climate changed induced droughts reducing their hydroelectric generation negatively by 4% every year. Thus improving access to modern and affordable energy is a development need for the northeast African country.
The roadmap report was launched digitally by Sudan’s acting Minister of Energy and Mining, Khairy Abdelrahman Ahmed, alongside youth climate activist and journalist Lina Yassin, Sudan general director of renewable and alternative energy Yasir Saeed Abdalla and sector leaders.
Khairy Abdelrahman Ahmed explained energy plays a central role in poverty reduction, women empowerment, sustainable development and public health: “The time is right to move from pilot projects to a full scale-up of these technologies. We look forward to working with international partners, the private sector and others to achieve Sudan’s renewable energy future.”
With 60% of Sudan’s total population lacking access to electricity, findings highlighted in the report include shining a light on the high potential for wind energy in the Northern State, River Nile and Red Sea plus Sudan’s high level of solar irradiance, which offers opportunities to mitigate the threat of climate change.
A policy suggestion made in the report is the development of a National Solar Fund to serve as a mechanism to pool funds from national banks, federal and state-level government, the UNDP and international donors to ensure low-cost solar technology loan are commercially available. Another suggestion is to improve energy-related data held by government agencies to allow for better decision-making about energy resources.
UNDP Sudan resident representative, Dr Selva Ramachandran, explained Sudan faces many development challenges because of their high electricity subsidy level, the negative impact of climate change on their hydroelectric capacity, fossil fuel shortages and, more recently, the impact of the COVID-19.
“Renewable energy and further steps towards expanded use are critical to unlocking Sudan’s development potential, particularly in agriculture, tackling poverty and gender inequality and empowering a new Sudan. Steps like a National Solar Fund are a concrete way to achieve this,” she explained.
The report focuses on three broad strategic themes and is framed against a background of the strong linkages between energy, poverty and gender in Sudan. It points out “the lack of access to energy services is both a cause and outcome of poverty.
“As a cause of poverty, the lack of access to energy means that income generation potential is severely limited for poor households; as an outcome of poverty, the lack of access to energy means that poor households are unable to afford goods and services that others enjoy.
“Moreover, the relationships between energy and poverty have distinct gender overtones as poor women, many in female-headed households, spend much more time than their male counterparts on energy-related activities such as firewood gathering, water fetching and cooking.”
The report suggests 69 specific recommendations to provide renewable energy services for sustainable development, focused across three themes and nine strategic areas. The three themes are:
• Increase access to sustainable energy services for poverty reduction and empowerment of women;
• Accelerate structural transformation of the energy sector as a means of sustainable development; and
• Promote energy service as a key enable for building resilience and sustainable recovery to all forms of development shocks.
Source:Esi-Africa
General Motors CEO Mary Barra alluded to the idea on Monday of this week, claiming that the production of such vehicles could fit with the company’s plans to develop electric vehicles and its Ultium electric battery. She said at the RBC conference: “We believe strongly in our EV future and not just for vehicles.”
She continued: “The strength and flexibility of our Ultium battery system opens doors for many uses, including aerial mobility.”
The news was also followed on Wednesday by GM announcing it would be building EV systems and motors in a push to vertically integrate itself with other automakers.
Air taxis are also called vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. They use electric motors instead of gas powered jet engines and are designed specifically to avoid traditional runways. They fly shorter, low level routes and could alleviate congestion on roads in crowded areas.
GM’s push into the market is part of a broader plan to look at “other transportation markets for growth”. The company’s initiative is being headed up by Alan Wexler, who reports directly to Mary Barra.
Perhaps he has noticed that competitor Hyundai has already teamed up with Uber in January of this year to develop electric air taxis. Hyundai has also pledged $1.5 billion to developing urban air mobility by 2025.
Toyota has also looked at the idea, entering into a $590 million investment round with air taxi startup Joby in January. Daimler and Geely have both invested in Volocopter, based in Germany.
By Zerohedge.com
The organisers noted that ECG activated all the covid-19 protocols and ensured that its offices were opened to attend to customers, despite running a weekly shift system in its entire operational areas as part of effort to ensure social distancing at the work place.
The organisers also noted that, ECG’s performance, prior to the emergence of Covid-19 and during the pandemic, had improved significantly translating into a huge jump in revenue mobilisation.
Similarly, the organisers honoured the Managing Director of ECG, Kwame Agyeman-Budu, for his exceptional leadership that has resulted in efficiency in the management of the power distribution company.
The organisers noted that under his leadership, ECG deployed some innovations including the internal development of ECG Power App which enables electricity consumers to buy credit using their Smart Meters at the comfort of their homes.
They also cited the replacement of non-Smart Meters to Smart Meters in ECG’s operations.
They also took into consideration how Mr. Agyeman-Budu ensured that there was smooth integration of restructured ECG staff and Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana staff without any agitations.
Additionally, the organisers noted that he used his good office, lobbying skills and transparent leadership to ensure that government settles its indebtedness to the ECG to the extent that Government now has a credit balance with the company.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
