The President Muhammadu Buhari-administration is committed to providing the best energy installations across the country, Nigeria’s Minister for State for Power, Mr Goddy Agba, has said.
According to him, renewable energy, such as solar hybrid mini-grids and solar home systems, was helping to close the electricity gap in Nigeria.
“In order to optimise these technologies to power communities and improve socio-economic status of communities across Nigeria, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and Ministry of Power would continue to drive the mandate of the Federal Government while opening up the sector to quality investments,“ he said.
Mr. Agba said this last Friday during the inauguration of the 60kwp Solar Hybrid Mini-Grid in Ikangha Mkpansi Community at the Ikom Local Government Area in Cross River State.
Mr. Agba enjoined the community to take full ownership of the project by ensuring its security and sustainability. According to him, the project has no political undertone but is purely in the interest of the rural dwellers for their wellbeing.
He assured them that more electricity projects would come to more communities in the local government and the state at large.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, REA, Engr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, said the project and others across the country were a testament to the electrification efforts of the Federal Government.
“It is a continuous process that has shown great promises. Therefore, we plan to do all that it takes to ensure that Nigeria’s massive renewable energy resources are efficiently utilised and evenly deployed across the nation,” he said.
Mr. Anohobi said the community had already set up mechanisms to ensure full ownership of the electricity project.
“We want to assure you that our community has taken ownership of the project and crafted measures to sustain it,” he concluded.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
South Africa’s power utility company, Eskom, has suspended a Senior Manager in its Coal Procurement Division for engaging in corruption.
This follows investigations after a whistle blower’s tip off to the management of Eskom about the activities of the suspended manager.
In a statement, Eskom said investigations by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) revealed that the said manager was in control of a bank account with a balance close to R12 million(US$ 853,329.68).
Investigations revealed that the funds had been deposited into the account by some suppliers of Eskom.
The bank account has since been frozen, pending a full investigation and criminal charges and prosecution.
The company warned that corruption and fraud have no place and would not be tolerated within the company.
“The utility would do everything possible it can to weed out corrupt elements from within its workforce and suppliers,” the statement noted.
Top U.S. fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline has shut its entire network, which supplies fuel from U.S refiners on the Gulf Coast to the eastern and southern United States, after a cyber-attack that industry sources said was caused by ransomware.
The company transports 2.5 million barrels per day of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined products through 5,500 miles (8,850 km) of pipelines, and transports 45% of East Coast fuel supply.
Colonial shut down systems to contain the threat after learning of the attack on Friday, it said in a statement. That action has temporarily halted operations and affected some of its IT systems, the company said.
While the U.S. government investigation is in its early stages, one former U.S. government official and two industry sources said the hackers are most likely a highly professional cybercriminal group.
Investigators are looking into whether a group dubbed “DarkSide” by the cybersecurity research community is responsible.
DarkSide is known for deploying ransomware and extorting victims, while selectively avoiding targets in post-Soviet states.
The malicious software used in the attack was ransomware, two cybersecurity industry sources familiar with the matter said. Ransomware is a type of malware that is designed to lock down systems by encrypting data and demanding payment to regain access. The malware has grown in popularity over the last five years.
Colonial has engaged a third-party cybersecurity firm to launch an investigation and contacted law enforcement and other federal agencies, it said.
Cyber security company FireEye (FEYE.O) has been brought in to respond to the attack, the cyber security industry sources said. FireEye declined to comment when asked if it was working on the incident.
Source: Reuters
Ghana’s utilities regulator, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) says it has concluded preliminary investigations into the power outages being experienced in parts of the West African nation.
According to the Commission, it is now in the process of ascertaining the liabilities incurred by consumers caused by the power cuts and possibly compensate affected consumers for the losses.
“Following the conclusion of the preliminary investigations, the Commission, in accordance with its regulatory processes, is ascertaining the liability and possibility of compensation to consumers in recognition of any loss occasioned by the erratic power supply,” the Commission said.
Since the beginning of 2021, parts of the country have consistently witnessed power cuts.
The power transmission company has blamed the situation on a number of factors including upgrading of their transmission network.
In a statement issued and signed by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mrs. Mami Dufie Ofori, it said the Commission established, through its regulatory monitoring, that the erratic power supply, coupled with low voltages especially during peak hours, was caused by a number of factors across the value chain of electricity supply.
The Commission said its investigation revealed that the blackout experienced in the country included, but are not limited to the following: technical challenges in the natural gas supply network; new transmission infrastructure being constructed on the National Interconnected ‘Transmission System (NITS), planned and unplanned maintenance activities on aspects of the NITS and reduction in reactive power support in the mid-portion of the country.
It also mentioned the emergency upgrade and modification works on the NITS to increase reactive power support and
improve voltages in the mid-portion of the country.
The Commission, in the light of these, encouraged consumers to report any case of damaged equipment to the nearest ECG/NEDCO office for the appropriate action, failing which the report would be forwarded to the PURC for redress,” the statement from the PURC added.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
A former Managing Director of Enclave Power Ghana, one of the independent power producers in the Republic of Ghana, Ing Norbert Anku has expressed the view that Ghanaians are ready to pay more for electricity despite the recent intermittent supply of power in parts of the West African country.
The West African nation has been experiencing power outages since the beginning of the year.
The development triggered media discussion with some suggesting that the country has returned to the era of power crisis, a position GRIDCo and the Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, have rejected.
GRIDCo has blamed the situation on a number of issues including upgrading of its transmission network.
Sharing his thoughts on the power situation in an exclusive interview, Ing. Norbert Anku, who is also a former Director at GRIDCo, noted that electricity business is highly capital intensive but said unfortunately, many people are not aware of that.
He said the country needs to build a number of transmission network so that in case there is a problem on one transmission line, other lines could be used to transmit power to avoid power outages.
“When we extended power to the North, the lines went from Kumasi to Techiman to Tamale to Bolgatanga on one single line almost 500 kilometres.
“Can you imagine what would happen if we woke up one morning and we realised that there was a problem on the line that took off from Kumasi? The whole of what we called the North is off…how do you prevent that,” he quizzed.
According to him, one way of preventing a situation where the transmission line transporting power to the Northern part of the country collapses and throws the entire area into darkness is to double the line.
He said this would come with a cost and Ghanaians would have to pay for it.
“We will need money to build a second line that may be used only one or two percent of the time. And somebody will have to pay for it,” he said.
In his view, the recent agitations by Ghanaians over the power outages are indications that they do not want a blink of electricity, stressing it is a signal that they want to pay more for electricity.
“Ghanaians have become too much used to electricity that they do not want even a blink for an outage. The signal that is giving us is that Ghanaians are also prepared to pay more for it. When human beings begin to behave this way, it means they are ready to pay more,” he argued.
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Ghana’s Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwasi Amoako-Atta has commended the West African nation’s leading Oil Marketing Company, GOIL, for its strategic decision to become a major player in the bitumen market.
Mr. Amoako Atta who toured the facility in Tema few days ago suggested to GOIL to consider offering reasonable discounts to Ghanaian contractors when the plant begins full operation.
The 35-million dollar project, which is a partnership between GOIL and SMB of Côte d’Ivoire and started two years ago, is about 82 per cent complete.
When completed, the plant will stock raw bitumen, production of Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB) and Emulsions.
The Plant is also expected to produce the required volumes and other bituminous products sufficient to the needs of Ghana’s road construction sector while reducing drastically the importation of bituminous products into the country.
Ghana imports its Bitumen mainly from Cote D’Ivoire and Brazil.
The bitumen plant currently under construction in Tema
The Group CEO and Managing Director of GOIL, Mr. Kwame Osei Prempeh, explained that GOIL’S entry into the bitumen market is part of a strategy to widen its portfolio and consolidate gains it has already chalked in the downstream Petroleum sector.
The Technical Consultant to the Group CEO & MD, Mr. Ben Torkornoo explained that GOIL will have a 60 percent stake in the project while SMB, which will provide the raw bitumen materials, will have a 40 per cent share.
The Head of Technical Services of GOIL, Mr. Alphonso Okai Jnr., said the PMB will be important to prevent road deformation and ensure the durability of roads and added that the highly recommended PMB product, which is a processed product of raw bitumen, possesses a resilient and long-lasting feature capable of sustaining and preserving roads for a longer period of time than the regular asphalted roads.
Angola’s National Oil, Gas and Biofuel’s Agency (ANPG) will on May 12, 2021 organize two question and answer sessions, aimed at investors globally to clarify information on its ongoing bid round for onshore oil and gas blocks in the Congo and Namibe basins.
The question and answer sessions, which will be hosted via webinar, will shine a spotlight on oil and gas blocks in the Congo and Namibe basins currently on offer in the ongoing bid round.
Agency personnel will be on hand to answer any questions pertaining to the ongoing bid round, whether they are technical, legal or otherwise.
The agency, which counts on Energy Capital & Power for support of its communication efforts, will host the two sessions on May 12.
The first session will be from 08:30 to 10:30 and the second one will be from 15:00 to 17:00.
Angola’s current licensing round – along with existing gas monetization and downstream initiatives – represents a rare opportunity for Asian and U.S. energy firms to expand their activities in sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest oil and gas market.
Through the bid round, Angola is inviting a new wave of explorers to take advantage of promising opportunities in its onshore basins, that are expected to yield commercial discoveries, expand existing datasets and increase geological knowledge of Angola’s hydrocarbon potential.
Given the associated lower exploration risk profile of the onshore basins on offer, Angola’s history of successful discoveries, and estimates that put the estimated recoverable resources at commercial quantities, demand is likely to be high.
Furthermore, Presidential Decree 6/19 incentivizes marginal field investment via attractive fiscal terms, the development of small-scale, unconventional resources and thus presents high-return opportunities for junior, independent and indigenous explorers.
Energy Capital & Power (ECP) has announced its strategic partnership with Equatorial Guinea’s Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons (MMH) for the highly anticipated U.S.-Africa Energy Forum (USAEF) and the Africa Energy Series: Equatorial Guinea 2021 investment report and documentary film.
Equatorial Guinea’s MMH will be participating actively in the USAEF, which serves as the premier event for taking U.S.-Africa energy partnerships to new heights.
H.E. Gabriel Obiang Lima, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, will speak at the forum’s 2021 event in Houston on October 4-5, 2021 and at the preceding networking function in Washington D.C. on July 12.
The MMH has fully endorsed the forum, and in recognizing the valuable role that U.S. companies involved in the Equatorial Guinea market play, the Minister is formally inviting all companies and investors to participate in this distinguished event through his official letter of endorsement.
“America is a preferred partner for Equatorial Guinea, and we are keen to engage with existing investors and new companies to further develop our energy sector. The USAEF is the primary venue to fulfill these goals,” stated H.E. Gabriel Obiang Lima, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, Equatorial Guinea in the letter.
ECP is also excited to announce its partnership with, and official endorsement by, the MMH to produce the Africa Energy Series: Equatorial Guinea 2021 special investment report and documentary.
The report will provide a comprehensive written analysis of Equatorial Guinea’s dynamic market through insightful interviews and in-depth articles and resources, produced both digitally and in print, and distributed to a wide network of international stakeholders.
The documentary offers a visual overview of the market and will be filmed by CNBC Africa and shown on the network, as well as on national television, online and at ECP events. In-country production of the book and documentary began today, and both initiatives will be officially launched in Houston at the USAEF by H.E. Minister Obiang Lima.
“Now is a critical moment to communicate and evaluate Equatorial Guinea’s successes and outlook to the world. The Africa Energy Series: Equatorial Guinea 2021 book and documentary will … be the official platform for the government and private sector of Equatorial Guinea to take a strong message to international investors and partners on our continued value creation and progress,” stated H.E. Minister Obiang Lima in his letter of support for the project.
Zambia’s capital city, Lusaka, will experience interruption in power supply on Saturday, May 8, 2021, from 05:00hours to 20:00hours, the country’s electricity company, ZESCO Limited, has announced.
This, according to ZESCO, is to facilitate line re-reconfiguration project works.
In a press statement, ZESCO Limited appealed to customers to use alternative sources of electricity during this period to avoid any inconvenience.
U.S. oil and gas supermajor ExxonMobil expects up to $200 million in charges related to job cuts in 2021, figured in previously in the company’s cost-savings plans.
ExxonMobil said in a securities filing on Wednesday that the company would get hit with $200 million in charges regarding job cuts. This means that the company will spend more money this year as workers exit than in 2020.
Also, the supermajor will see total cash outflows between $400 million and $600 million, versus $47 million in 2020. According to ExxonMobil, it set aside some money last year toward the costs. The severance cost estimate does not include job cuts related to changes in the company’s portfolio.
Reductions should be “substantially complete” by year-end, including voluntary and involuntary exits and the use of fewer contractors. In the first quarter, the company had before-tax charges of $39 million mostly from employee separation costs in Singapore and Europe.
The company has already announced its intentions to reduce staffing levels at its Singapore affiliate with about 300 positions expected to be impacted by the end of 2021. This is 7 per cent of the company’s more than 4,000 employees in Singapore.
According to ExxonMobil’s filing, before-tax workforce reduction savings from its global staffing, including employees and contractors, are estimated to range between $1 billion and $2 billion per year after program completion when compared to 2019 levels.
The African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) is calling on the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and BOST to publish the utilisation of the existing Margins on petroleum products to justify recent increment in margins.
The country’s downstream petroleum regulator, NPA, in a communiqué issued to the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC) to revise fuel prices, following the passing of Energy Sector Levies Act (ESLA) and Energy Sector Recovery Levy (ESRL), announced increment in BOST Margin, Primary Distribution Margin, UPPF and Fuel Marking Margin.
BOST Margin was reduced from 6 pesewas to 3 pesewas while UPPF was reduced from 30 pesewas to 29 pesewas.
Fuel Marking Margin levy was reduced from 8 pesewas to 5 pesewas with Primary Distribution Margin reduced from 11 pesewas to 10 pesewas.
The above increment pushed fuel prices to GHS 6.13 from GHS5.45 per litre.
That increment was, however, met with criticism, forcing the country’s Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, to invite officials of NPA, BOST, leadership of Association of Oil Marketing Companies and some civil society organisations in the energy sector to a meeting.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the NPA announced that “the 17 pesewas per litre increase in fuel margins it had previously announced had been reduced to 9 pesewas per litre effective Wednesday 5th May, 2021.”
Commenting on the issue, ACEP, in a statement, said the justifications provided are weak and present unnecessary burden on the consumer.
“NPA and BOST should immediately publish the utilisation of the existing margins to show cause for adjustment,” it said.
The statement further called on the NPA to deepen electronic tracking of petroleum product to save the consumer from the ineffective but expensive marking of petroleum products.
The statement also stressed that “NPA must investigate the coincidental adjustment of OMC margins and demonstrate to Ghanaians how it intends to prevent anticompetitive behaviour in the downstream sector.”
Meanwhile, a statement issued by BOST last week explained that it had efficiently utilised the exiting margin to repair nine (9) out of fifteen (15) decommissioned tanks, settled debts to suppliers and related parties down to $50 million, fully repaired Buipe Bolgatanga Petroleum Product Pipeline, repaired Tema Akosombo Petroleum Product Pipeline, 90% completed Bulk Road Vehicle Truck Park at Bolgatanga, outright settlement of debts owed domestic banks and successfully repaired all petroleum barges.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
The Institute for Energy Security (IES), an energy think thank in the Republic of Ghana has received a World Climate Clock – the first of its kind in Ghana, for its leading role in the fight against climate change.
The Founder and Chairman of Zoetic Global and goodwill ambassador for the Pan-African Parliament Jerome Ringo presented the World Climate Clock to IES in Accra, capital of Ghana.
It shows the amount of the world’s energy supplied from renewable sources, currently at 12 percent and slowly rising. A timer counts down the years, days and seconds that scientists estimate are left to reach net zero carbon emissions and avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.
So far, United States President Joe Biden and Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari are among recipients of the clock, with IES the second recipient in Africa and fifth in the world overall. A similar countdown is projected on Scotland’s Tolbooth Steeple, a landmark building in Glasgow. It will light up every night for the six months between Earth Day and the U.N. climate conference being held there in November.
“The clocks are meant to remind people of the limited time we have to fix this global problem,” Mr. Ringo said, adding that Africa suffers disproportionately from the effects of climate change.
Mr. Ringo, who is also the former chairman of the US National Wildlife Federation, plans to deliver similar clocks to the Emir of Qatar before the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament in the Arab country, as well as Burkina Faso.
He explained that the ultimate goal of bringing the climate clocks to Ghana and Africa is to promote home-grown energy-efficient and renewable energy solutions throughout the continent.
“This is a call for us to do more to safeguard our environment and planet,” says IES Executive Director, Nana Amoasi VII, said after receiving the clock. “It will encourage us to continue with what we are doing; advocate for right policies to curb climate change.”
He added that efforts to increase the uptake of renewable energy in the country from the current one percent are being frustrated by the ban on Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and misconceptions that renewables could threaten the viability of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
Rather, he said, an increase in renewables will not only make the ECG more efficient but put the country on the sustainable and reliable energy that is needed for economic growth and development.
Nigeria has approved N6.2 billion for the execution of various power projects across the West African nation.
The country’s Minister for Power, Eng. Sale Mamman revealed this to the press after a Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Mr. Mamman, contracts approved include those for procurement of transformers and vital spare parts for maintenance of power transmission equipment.
In a tweet, the Minister said: “The Federal Executive Council, today, approved six memos for the Ministry of Power.
“The first one is for award of contract for design, manufacturing and supply of critical spare parts for transformers, in the sum of N298, 339, 887.04.
“The second one is for award of contract for procurement of 50 sets of 400 Ah battery banks, and 30 110-volt battery chargers for sub-station use by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, in the sum of N644, 805, 953.10.
“The third contract awarded was for procurement of another 50 sets of 132KV Isolators for the transmission company, in the sum of $840, 650 plus N53, 900, 000.
“The fourth one is award of contract for design, manufacturing and supply of 360/66 132 power transformers and accessories as well as 15 number of 500KV transformers for the Transmission Company of Nigeria, in the sum of N1, 296, 953, 044. 55.
“The fifth one is for award of contract for design, supply and installation of Optical Ground Wire and Universal Optical Transportation Network System for some critical transmission lines, in the sum of 6, 800, 743.51 dollars plus N668, 843, 634.74.”
He added that the council approved upward review of the contract sum for design, manufacturing, installation and commissioning of 1×100 MVA 132/33KV power transformers at Ogba transmission sub-station, Lagos, at the cost of 648, 038.31 dollars plus N48, 342, 524.18.
Mr. Mamman said the materials were for upgrade of the nation’s transmission system in order to have sufficient power supply to all parts of the country.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
The Government of Ghana has retreated by reducing the margin of taxes imposed on petrol and diesel which pushed the price of fuel higher above GHS6 in the West African nation.
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA), in a directive issued to the Association of Oil Marketing Companies, last week, to revise the prices of fuel following the passing of Energy Sector Levies Act that saw the introduction of Sanitation and Pollution tax of 10 pesewas on both diesel and petrol and 20 pesewas Energy Sector Recovery Levy, revealed that the BOST Margin had been revised from 6 pesewas per litre of diesel and petrol to 12 pesewas.
UPPF also saw an increment from 27 pesewas to 30 pesewas, while Fuel Marking Margin levy increased from 3 pesewas to 8 pesewas with Primary Distribution Margin going up from 8 pesewas to 11 pesewas.
This development was met with stiff opposition from section of Ghanaians and industry watchers because of the coronavirus pandemic which has resulted in loss of jobs and dislodged incomes of many Ghanaians.
Immediately, the country’s Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, on Tuesday, invited officials of NPA, BOST, leadership of Association of Oil Marketing Companies and some civil society organisations in the energy sector to a meeting.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the NPA announced that “the 17 pesewas per litre increase in fuel margins it had previously announced has been reduced to 9 pesewas per litre effective tomorrow Wednesday 5th May, 2021.”
According to energynewsafrica.com’s sources, BOST Margin was reduced from 6 pesewas to 3 pesewas while UPPF was reduced from 30 pesewas to 29 pesewas.
Fuel Marking Margin levy reduced from 8 pesewas to 5 pesewas with Primary Distribution Margin reduced from 11 pesewas to 10 pesewas.
Per the decision by the government, a litre of both diesel and petrol is expected to be reduced from GHS 6.13 to GHS6.05 by tomorrow.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
This development was met with stiff opposition from section of Ghanaians and industry watchers because of the coronavirus pandemic which has resulted in loss of jobs and dislodged incomes of many Ghanaians.
Immediately, the country’s Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, on Tuesday, invited officials of NPA, BOST, leadership of Association of Oil Marketing Companies and some civil society organisations in the energy sector to a meeting.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the NPA announced that “the 17 pesewas per litre increase in fuel margins it had previously announced has been reduced to 9 pesewas per litre effective tomorrow Wednesday 5th May, 2021.”
According to energynewsafrica.com’s sources, BOST Margin was reduced from 6 pesewas to 3 pesewas while UPPF was reduced from 30 pesewas to 29 pesewas.
Fuel Marking Margin levy reduced from 8 pesewas to 5 pesewas with Primary Distribution Margin reduced from 11 pesewas to 10 pesewas.
Per the decision by the government, a litre of both diesel and petrol is expected to be reduced from GHS 6.13 to GHS6.05 by tomorrow.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com