The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service in the Central Region of the Republic of Ghana has arrested Isaac Eshun, also known as Nana Nyeiku VII, the owner of Zen Filling Station in Mankessim, where a robbery attempt took place in the early hours of Wednesday.
The Central Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mrs. Irene Oppong, said preliminary investigations conducted at the crime scene by the Regional CID, in conjunction with the Crime Scene Management Team from the CID headquarters in Accra, found that the discharged cartridges retrieved from the were suspected to have been fired from the shotgun and pistol belonging to the suspect.
Speaking on an Accra- based Adom FM, DSP Oppong said a pistol and a shotgun belonging to Eshun had been retrieved and would be used as exhibits.
She said efforts were underway to arrest a second suspect to assist with investigation.
It would be recalled that the lifeless body of Lance Corporal (L/Cpl) Kingsley Kofi Boahen was found about 200 metres away from the Zen Filling Station near Closefield School in Mankessim, after a suspected robbery attack on the filling station was foiled by a police patrol team.
The body, which was found in a supine position in a pool of blood, was discovered about two hours after the robbery attack which also left two members of the patrol team injured.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria’s power generation companies (GenCos) in the past five years have lost a whopping N1.2 trillion(US$3.31billion) as a result of poor capacity utilisation and the country’s inability to transport over 21,184.62 megawatts of electricity to end users.
With a peak suppressed load of 25,790MW on the grid, while peak generation hovers around 5,375MW (indicating that about 21 per cent of the suppressed grid load is met), Nigeria’s power generation capacity might substantially remain stranded in the face of load rejection by electricity distribution companies (DisCos) due to infrastructure and collection problems.
According to the Guardian, statistics it obtained from the GenCos showed that since Nigeria’s power sector was handed over to private owners, average generation capacity in the country has stagnated around 3000MW, though available generation capacity went from about 4000MW in 2013 to above 7000MW in 2019.
In 2015, while available generation capacity was 6,616.28MW, average generation stood at 3,606.05MW, even as stranded generation was 3,010.24MW, bringing losses to N214.93 billion. Available generation capacity as at 2016 settled at 7183.59MW. Average generation stood at 3,266.79MW, while stranded generation was 3,916.80MW, thus creating a loss of N279.66 billion.
While available generation capacity was 6,995.37MW in 2017, average generation stood at 3,622.64MW and stranded generation was 3,372.72, creating a loss of N240.81 billion. In 2018, available generation stood at 7,384.37MW, average generation hovered around 3,864.15MW. A figure of 3,520.12MW was declared stranded while loss stood at N251, 34 billion.
Unless the never-ending importation of power generating sets for homes and industries is addressed, the prevailing reality would continue to bedevil the nation’s economic outlook, increase environmental challenges in the face of global warming, stagnate the entire power sector and limit investment in the sector despite growing financial liquidity.
Also, available generation stagnated at 7,381.00MW in 2019. Average generation stood at 3,782.00MW but 3,599.00MW was stranded, making investors lose N256.97 billion.
These development has triggered complaints from several industry players and consumers.
In an interview with the Guardian, Executive Secretary of the Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), Dr. Joy Ogaji, noted that GenCos were being owed an average of 68 per cent of their invoices every month.
“It is sad to know that increase in available generation capability was not met with increased average generation, i.e. GenCos were not fully dispatched. GenCos’ increased available generation capability has not translated to corresponding increase in power supply to consumers, so consumers in their generalisation believe the entire sector has failed.
“This has become a big challenge and an inhibitor to the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, defeating the effort of the GenCos in recovering unavailable capacities, considering the massive fixed charges incurred to keep such units available.
“DisCos’ remittances are still below 30 per cent and they consume more than 90 per cent of the power put on the grid. This is certainly not sustainable. So, in plain terms, every month GenCos are being owed an average of 68 per cent of their invoice,” Ogaji said in an interview with The Guardian.
She noted that the situation had created a lack of trust in the power sector as the manufacturing and sector and others were settling for self-generation. According to her, the sector is faced with financial, operational, construction, market, macroeconomic, contract and regulatory risks.
She added that since decisions about investments in power generating capacity depend on expected returns and costs, the illiquid state of the industry and the fact that all plants are performing below optimum do not encourage the discourse of capacity increase or expansion.
When electricity is generated, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is responsible for transmitting the electricity through networks to the distribution companies. The two arms of the market have repeatedly traded blame, pointing to a weak grid system and outdated distribution network as the reason for the non-utilisation of capability.
The Managing Director of TCN, Usman Mohammed, had vowed to push for the recapitalisation of DisCos this year, stressing that unless there is commensurable investment from the DisCos to match the level of generation, the sector might not work.
The Managing Director of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), Rumundaka Wonodi, blamed the prevailing situation on transmission and distribution inefficiencies.
“The deficiency in supply is hurtful to our economy and we also know that because of the stranded power, NBET is reluctant to enter or activate the agreement it has with the GenCos. This is because NBET might have to pay for capacity. The biggest losers are the generation companies who have paid but cannot monetise,” Wonodi said. The loss, according to him, would impact the revenue of the sector already heading towards bankruptcy and hurt the nation’s economic indices.
Wonodi, however, expressed optimism that the recent agreement signed between Nigeria and Siemens of Germany could reduce the challenge if properly implemented. “That is one of the greatest things this government has done; trying to unlock and take out the bottleneck, and make sure consumers get better service,” he said.
He further decried the sector’s leadership challenge and regulatory interference, especially from the National Assembly and the Federal Government.
Expressing concern about the fortune of GenCos, PricewaterhouseCoopers’s Associate Director, Energy, Utilities & Resources, Habeeb Jaiyeola, said: “Some power companies that could have used three to five turbines are running few because the system is unable to take on the load. Sometimes, they reduce generation from turbines because of the challenge. This affects the lifespan of the generators.”
According to him, Nigeria does not currently have power generation problem. Rather, the sector lacks the ability to use what is currently being generated.
Jaiyeola stated further: “While they’re ramping down periodically, the assets are losing value. The depreciation will keep increasing at a faster rate. Some of those assets are also reducing faster than they would if they were allowed to run without periodic ramping.”
Urging a sustainable solution, he asked the Federal Government to speed up its willing seller-willing buyer policy, to enable independent bodies to have direct access to the market.
According to him, government needs urgent solutions to bridge the infrastructure gap in transmission and distribution. “While we are having debate on new generation companies coming, they will also face all of these problems unless they are leveraging other ways,” he added.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Iraq is set to hold a fifth bidding round for exploration and development of natural gas fields in an eastern province of the country.
Iraq has approved contracts for exploration for the fifth round, Reuters quoted the government as saying in a statement.
In a previous bidding round in 2018, no international oil major won any exploration and development contracts in Iraq’s auction of 11 oil and gas blocks, as the bidding attracted just one—unsuccessful—bid by a major company, Eni, while other Big Oil firms decided not to bid.
Iraq awarded six of the 11 blocks to Middle East and China-based companies, while five of the exploration areas up for grabs failed to attract any bids.
The exploration contracts in the fifth round will be for fields in the province of Diyala in eastern Iraq, which are expected to produce over 750 million cubic feet of natural gas within three years.
Much of the gas and associated gas produced in oil wells in Iraq is currently being flared, which costs Iraq potential revenues from gas sales. Due to insufficient capacity to process its own gas, Iraq imports natural gas for its needs from its neighbor Iran.
Major Iraqi power plants are dependent on Iranian natural gas supply, and Iraq also imports electricity from Iran, as Baghdad’s power generation is not enough to ensure domestic supply.
Iraq may have serious problems in securing its energy needs if the United States doesn’t extend a waiver for an Iraqi bank to process payments for Iraq’s imports of electricity and natural gas from Iran, the head of the Iraqi bank told AFP earlier this week.
The U.S. has regularly extended the waivers for Iraq to continue buying natural gas and electricity from Iran, even after the U.S. slapped sanctions on Iran and continued to ramp up those sanctions over the past year.
The waiver for the Iraqi bank handling the payments to Iran in Iraqi dinars expires next month. If the U.S. doesn’t extend the waiver, the bank—Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI)—will stop processing payments, the head of the bank Faisal al-Haimus told AFP on Tuesday.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
A robbery incident that occurred at the Zen Petroleum Filling Station situated on the Gyedu-Mankessim stretch in the Central Region of Ghana in the Republic of Ghana, West Africa, left one police officer dead while two other officers who got shot are currently on admission.
Information available to energynewsafrica.com indicates that police officers who received a distress call and proceeded to the scene of the robbery incident on Wednesday dawn engaged in a gun battle with robbers who attempted robbing the filling station near Closefield School in Mankessim.
Our sources indicate that in the process of gun battle two of the police got injured forcing them to retreat.
The suspected robbers then took to their heels by entering into the bush.
The deceased Lance Corporal Kingsley Boahen, who was not part of the police patrol team and was in civil cloth was found dead in a pool of blood about 200 metres away from the crime scene.
The deceased who is said to be a popular police officer in Mankessim and had been regularly going for jogging exercises on that stretch is suspected to have been shot by the robbers upon seeing him jogging.
Ghana’s Inspector General of Police James Oppong Boanuh yesterday visited the crime scene and the family of the deceased.
He said senior investigators have been brought from the Police headquarters to join the regional investigation team to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to book.
“My team made up of other members of the police management board, we came down from Accra after hearing the incident that happened here in Mankessim. We learnt one officer was shot dead and two others are receiving treatment after getting injured.
“We have visited both crime scenes and investigations are being carried out. We had an initial crime team and another crime team has arrived from Accra to beef up and support the Regional crime team.
Investigations will proceed and whatever happens, we will let Ghanaians know. We have to wish the injured officers speedy recovery and to the family and friends of the deceased, we offer them our condolences.”
According to citinewsroom.com, owner of the Zen Oil Filling station who wished to remain anonymous said this is the second time in two months that his station has been robbed
“Around 1:03am, I received a distress call from my security that he has seen some unfamiliar movements at the station so I immediately called the Mankessim patrols team and at exactly 1:08am they got here and the robbers started firing at them so they had to back off. There were about five heavily armed men and this is the second time in two months this is happening to me”.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s downstream petroleum regulator, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is to receive technical support from India’s national oil company (IOCL) towards the implementation of the LPG Cylinder Recirculation Model Policy.
This follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two companies in India
Chief Executive Officer of NPA, Alhassan Tampuli and IOCL’s Chief General Manager (LPG Operations), LKS Chauhan signed the agreement on behalf their respective companies in India.
Cabinet directed the NPA to roll out LPG Cylinder Recirculation Model Policy following the atomic junction gas explosion incident in 2017.
Seven people including a cameraman with Net 2 TV died while 132 people sustained varying degree of injuries in that gas explosion incident.
The NPA CEO was accompanied by Ms Sheila Abiemo, Mr. Simon Tawiah; board member and some officials of the Ministry of Energy.
Among other things, the NPA is to receive technical support in the areas of Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Standards, Development of Licensing, Permit and Legal Framework, Development of economics for LPG Bottling Plants, Pricing Structure, and Communication Strategy, by India’s biggest oil company.
The NPA will also be assisted to improve infrastructure development for the new LPG value chain, support for upgrading capacities of institutions along with policy development and review.
The NPA is expected to commence the first phase of the Cylinder Recirculation Model pilot in the first quarter of 2020, following successful negotiation with the retail outlets.
Ghana’s High Commissioner to India Michael Ocquaye Jnr. was one of the key witnesses to the signing of the agreement.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO), on Wednesday, started the cleaning up and inspection of its pipelines from Lagos Beach Compressor Station in Nigeria, after a successful shutdown of the about 500 km pipeline from Lagos to Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana on Monday.
WAPCO launched its first ‘pig’ on Wednesday in Nigeria and the company is expected to receive it at their Takoradi Regulating & Metering Station in about seven days’ time.
In all, about seven of them are expected to be launched within 49 days.
A ‘pig’ in the pipeline industry is a tool that is sent down a pipeline and propelled by the pressure of the product flow in the pipeline itself.
In a statement posted on its website, WAPCO said the cleaning up and inspection of its pipelines is in consistent with regulatory requirements and also important maintaining the integrity of the pipeline to ensure efficient and reliable operations.
Takoradi Regulating & Metering Station (R&MS) in Ghana.
The statement added that in addition to cleaning the pipeline of debris, pigging will provide critical information on the condition of the pipeline to improve decisions on effective maintenance of the pipeline, prolong its lifespan and to improve safety of the pipeline operations.
The General Manager for Corporate Affairs Mr Kwasi Agyeman Prempeh told energynewsafrica.com that the exercise is currently going on smoothly.
“The ‘pig’ is on its way to Takoradi in the Western Region,” he said.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
The Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa says staff of the corporation would be paid their salaries for the month of January on Friday (January 24, 2020).
The troubled state-owned nuclear corporation has faced numerous financial and operational challenges, including the recent resignation of its remaining former board members, and the possibility of salaries not being paid on time.
Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe announced the appointment of a new board on Tuesday, which was roundly welcomed by various industry members, unions and Members of Parliament.
NECSA on Monday said that it was working with the department to ensure salaries would be paid for January.
Spokesperson Nikelwa Tengimfene has told South Africa -based Fin24 that the corporation would be able to pay its staff salaries on Friday and that it was on track to make the necessary payments for employee benefits thereafter.
“Salaries will be paid during the month. Nothing has changed since Monday. But salaries will be paid on time as committed to by the company.
“You pay service providers related to the service that they offer at a different time than you pay salaries. Those payments are only due later in the month and earlier in the following month,” Tengimfene said.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
An Oslo appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by two environmental bodies against the Norwegian government and its granting of new exploration licenses in the Arctic Barents Sea back in 2016.
The case was taken to the appeals court in April 2018 by Greenpeace and Norwegian environmental group Nature & Youth following a ruling by the Oslo District Court in favour of the Norwegian government in January of the same year.
The lawsuit had argued that the new oil licenses awarded in 2016 as part of the country’s 23rd licensing round violated both the Paris Climate Agreement and paragraph 112 of the Norwegian Constitution, which commits the government “to safeguard the people’s right to a clean and healthy environment for future generations.”
Reuters reported on Thursday, January 23, 2020, that the appeals court , in a unanimous decision , had approved Norway’s plans for more oil exploration in the Arctic, dismissing the lawsuit by environmentalists.
Unlike the decision by the Oslo District Court, which found that the use of Norwegian oil by foreign customers was not relevant to the case, the appeals court found that such use abroad should in fact be part of the consideration. However, the argument was not enough for the court to find in favor of the environmentalists, Reuters reported.
Responding to the verdict on Thursday, Greenpeace said that, while the Norwegian Court rightly upheld the Constitution which guarantees everyone’s right to a healthy environment, it did not acknowledge the environmental boundaries breached by awarding 10 oil drilling licenses in the Arctic.
Greenpeace said it would appeal the judgement to the Supreme Court. It is worth noting that the groups’ request to take the case to the Supreme Court, following the ruling by the District Court in 2018, was denied.
“Still, the Court finds that the threshold for invalidating the oil drilling licences is not breached. The co-plaintiffs will appeal the judgement to Supreme Court, as it is clear that this necessitates further review by the judiciary,” said head of Greenpeace Norway Frode Pleym.
Greenpeace also said that the Court of Appeal additionally found that the case raises important principles pertaining to the environment and the living conditions for current and future generations. Thus it has ruled that Greenpeace and Nature and Youth do not need to bear the government’s costs from the District Court nor the Court of Appeal, Greenpeace said.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
British firm Bboxx, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to bring affordable, reliable and clean electricity to about 10 million citizens of DRC by 2024.
The MoU builds on Bboxx’s ongoing work in the country where it has already provided 200,000 people with access to electricity.
The agreement was signed by Eustache Muhanzi Mubembe, DRC’s Minister of Hydraulic Resources and Electricity and Co-founder and COO of Bboxx Laurent Van Houcke at the UK – Africa Investment Summit in London.
In a statement posted on the company’s website, Bboxx was of the view that access to electricity would trigger wider economic growth in the DRC, while helping to advance the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The company continued that delivering reliable, affordable energy (SDG 7), will drive the creation of 100,000 jobs and promote sustained, inclusive economic growth (SDG 8) as well as offset 4m tonnes of CO2e emissions to help combat climate change (SDG 13).
“With the DRC’s growing population, new grid connections are needed each year to keep the electrification rate constant. My ambition is to use decentralised and renewable energy solutions as a foundation to improve the country’s electrification rate from 9% to 30% during my presidency,” President Tshisekedi of DR Congo declared.
On his part, Mansoor Hamayun, CEO and Co-founder of Bboxx, said “It’s very encouraging to see the DRC’s ambitious vision to use the latest technology to improve the country’s energy access and to drive economic development.
“Bboxx has already had a tangible impact in the country and we look forward to strengthening our partnership with the government to continue to transform more lives. This agreement will be the key to unlocking the potential of underserved communities and to ensure a successful socio-economic impact on the Congolese population.”
Bboxx Ltd is a next-generation utility, is a British company that manufactures, distributes and finances decentralised solar powered systems in developing countries.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Police in Tema Region in the Republic of Ghana have begun investigations into the circumstances regarding how a 40- footer container said to be containing substandard electrical cables disappeared from the Tema Port.
The disappearance of the container load of the cables happened about three years ago.
Energynewsafrica.com‘s sources indicated that the owner of the consignment, James Emeka, who became alarmed over the disappearance of the container, accused officials of Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) of being complicit.
Our sources said Mr Emeka and his brother, one John Bosco, thereafter, started to be on the look out for the missing container.
According to John Bosco, who spoke to some journalists in Tema, they had information that a cable dealer at Tema Community 9, had received a container of electrical cables and was selling at a very low price, only for them to dash to the scene to realise that the cables being sold were the products of their consignment which were seized in 2017 by the GSA and handed over to the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
They, therefore, alerted the police who went to the scene but the owner of the shop, upon seeing the police, bolted.
Police have, since last Saturday, been guarding the shop, with the hope that the owner would return for them to grab him.
Energynewsafrica.com‘s sources indicated that police personnel, in collaboration with officials of the Ghana Standard Authority, have secured a court order and broken the seal of the container and consequently confirmed the content of the container as the missing substandard electrical cables.
Our sources indicate that the container has been conveyed to the regional command for safe keeping while investigations continues.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Tullow Oil has been given a one-year extension for the Second Renewal Exploration Period on PEL 37 license, located offshore Namibia.
Africa Energy, Tullow’s partner in the license, said in an operational update on Monday that the second renewal exploration period for PEL 37 was extended until March 21, 2021.
The company added that several operators in Namibia were planning nearby exploration wells this year which could de-risk PEL 37 prospects.
The PEL 37 covers 17,295 square kilometers in the Walvis Basin offshore Namibia approximately 420 kilometers south of the Angolan-Namibian border. Water depths over PEL 37 range from 400 to 1,500 meters.
Tullow is the operator in the license with a 35 percent interest. Pancontinental Namibia, ONGC Videsh, and Paragon Oil and Gas have 30, 30, and 5 percent stakes, respectively.
It is worth noting that Pancontinental Namibia is owned by Pancontinental Oil and Gas (66.67%) and Africa Energy Corp (33.33%).
Tullow Oil drilled the Cormorant-1 well in the PEL 37 license back in September 2018 using the Ocean Rig Poseidon drilling rig.
The well tested the oil potential of a mid-Cretaceous marine turbidite fan sandstone system. Unfortunately, Tullow encountered only non-commercial amounts of hydrocarbons at the Cormorant-1 well which was later plugged and abandoned.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
French oil major, Total, has announced that it will drill the Luiperd-1 well, located in Block 11B/12B offshore South Africa, in the second quarter of 2020, instead of its initial plan for the first quarter of the year.
Total is the operator and has a 45% interest in Block 11B/12B, while Qatar Petroleum and CNR International have 25% and 20% interests, respectively.
Africa Energy holds 49% of the shares in Main Street 1549 Proprietary Limited, which has a 10% participating interest in Block 11B/12B.
In July 2019, the joint venture entered into a multi-well drilling contract with Odfjell Drilling for the Deepsea Stavanger semi-submersible rig, the same rig that drilled the Brulpadda discovery in February 2019.
The contract value, including compensation for mobilization and demobilization periods, was estimated at being between $145-$190 million plus incentives.
The rig is currently under contract drilling production wells for Aker BP in the North Sea.
After the rig is released by Aker BP, it is expected to spend approximately two weeks at the Semco Maritime shipyard in Bergen, Norway for maintenance and modifications before mobilizing to South Africa, Africa Energy said in an update on Monday.
According to the updated rig release schedule, the Luiperd-1 well is expected to spud in the second quarter of 2020, the company said.
The well was previously planned for the first quarter of the year.
The joint venture plans to keep the rig on Block 11B/12B for almost a full year in order to drill up to three consecutive exploration wells.
Block 11B/12B is located in the Outeniqua Basin 175 kilometers off the southern coast of South Africa. The block covers an area of approximately 19,000 square kilometers with water depths ranging from 200 to 1,800 meters.
The Paddavissie Fairway in the southwest corner of the block includes the Brulpadda oil and gas discovery, as well as several large submarine fan prospects that have been significantly de-risked by the discovery and subsequent 3D seismic work.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Oilfield services provider, Halliburton, has reported a net loss of a whopping $1.7 billion in the fourth quarter of 2019.
The company’s revenue also dropped compared to the same period of 2018.
This compares to net income for the third quarter of 2019 of $295 million and net income of $664 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Halliburton’s adjusted net income for the fourth quarter of 2019, excluding impairments and other charges, was $285 million.
The company’s total revenue in the fourth quarter of 2019 was $5.2 billion, a decrease from revenue of $5.6 billion in 3Q of 2019, and a decrease from revenues of $5.9 billion in 4Q 2018.
Total revenue for the full year of 2019 was $22.4 billion, a decrease of $1.6 billion, or 7%, from 2018.
Reported operating loss for 2019 was $448 million, compared to a reported operating income of $2.5 billion for 2018. Excluding impairments and other charges, adjusted operating income for 2019 was $2.1 billion, compared to adjusted operating income of $2.7 billion for 2018.
These figures were contained in a statement issued by the company and posted on its website.
Commenting on the company’s performance Chairman, President, and CEO of Halliburton Jeff Miller, said: “I am pleased with how Halliburton executed for the fourth quarter and the full year. We optimized our performance in North America as the market softened, and our international business grew for the second year in a row”.
Jeff Miller, CEO of Halliburton
“We delivered over $900 million of free cash flow for the full year 2019, demonstrating our ability to generate consistent free cash flow throughout different business environments.”
“Our North America revenue decreased 21% sequentially in the fourth quarter and 18% for the full year as a result of reduced customer activity and pricing, and our decision to focus on returns over growth. We took swift actions in the fourth quarter making structural changes to adjust to the current market environment.
“While we expect customer spending in North America to be down again this year, we will continue executing our playbook, implementing our service delivery improvement strategy, and focusing on maximizing our returns”.
He was optimistic that the company would witness a turnaround in 2020.
“In 2020, we expect our international growth to continue. Increased activity, disciplined capital allocation, pricing improvements, and our ability to compete for a larger share of high-margin services should lead to improvement in our international margins in 2020.
“2020 opens a new decade and a new century for Halliburton. We will continue to focus on delivering margin expansion, industry-leading returns and strong free cash flow,” concluded Miller.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Kenya Power has rolled out a countrywide campaign to weed out illegal power connections and curb theft of electricity.
The campaign, which began on 16 January at Imara Daima estate in Nairobi, was jointly conducted by Kenya Power staff and security agencies including the police and Directorate of Criminal Investigations officers.
The crackdown comes about two months after the company rolled out the Know Your Meter initiative that is meant to increase customer satisfaction, ensure public safety and enhance its revenue protection initiatives.
Among the outcomes of the campaign so far is that, while Kenya Power customers are enjoying access to legally connected electricity, other individuals have opted to engage in criminal activities that undermine the quality of power supply such as illegal power.
“Today’s operation is meant to address these vices and mark a new dawn into how we will conduct our business moving forward. Our main focus is to ensure all power connections to our customers are safe and that the power is provided as required by law,” Kenya Power’s MD and CEO, Bernard Ngugi said in a press statement.
He continued: “We will do this through identification of the sources of illegal connections, discontinue these supplies and thereafter install lawful supplies that the customers can enjoy. We will intensify these crackdowns not just in Nairobi but the rest of the country with subsequent rollout of the campaign in all our regions.”
Ngugi highlighted that illegal power connections pose a danger of electrocution not just to the beneficiary but the public at large adding that such present a loophole for revenue loss to the company.
Ngugi also urged Kenyans to follow the right procedure in applying and paying for electricity connection “and desist from any illegal connections”.
“It is a criminal offence to steal electricity, tamper with meters or engage in illegal connections. Illegal connections are also unsafe as they are not subjected to the required standards and may cause harm or fatalities. Additionally, theft and vandalism of electricity supply equipment is an economic crime under the Energy Act with minimum fines Kshs 5 million or imprisonment of 10 years or both on conviction,” he concluded.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Cabinet directed the NPA to roll out LPG Cylinder Recirculation Model Policy following the atomic junction gas explosion incident in 2017.
Seven people including a cameraman with Net 2 TV died while 132 people sustained varying degree of injuries in that gas explosion incident.
The NPA CEO was accompanied by Ms Sheila Abiemo, Mr. Simon Tawiah; board member and some officials of the Ministry of Energy.
Among other things, the NPA is to receive technical support in the areas of Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Standards, Development of Licensing, Permit and Legal Framework, Development of economics for LPG Bottling Plants, Pricing Structure, and Communication Strategy, by India’s biggest oil company.
The NPA will also be assisted to improve infrastructure development for the new LPG value chain, support for upgrading capacities of institutions along with policy development and review.
The NPA is expected to commence the first phase of the Cylinder Recirculation Model pilot in the first quarter of 2020, following successful negotiation with the retail outlets.
Ghana’s High Commissioner to India Michael Ocquaye Jnr. was one of the key witnesses to the signing of the agreement.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com 
