Members of the Gas Tanker Drivers’ Association in the Republic of Ghana have called on the petroleum downstream regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to halt the piloting of the Cylinder Re-circulation Model (CRM) programme because it is failing.
The Government of Ghana, through the NPA, introduced the Cylinder Re-circulation Model programme to address rampant fire outbreaks at gas filling stations across the nation.
The initiative followed a gas explosion at Atomic Junction, a suburb of Madina in the capital of Ghana, on October 7, 2017.
Seven persons died in that incident with scores suffering varying degree of injuries.
In March, the NPA began piloting the first phase of the cylinder recirculation model in Kade in the Eastern Region and subsequently launched it at Obuasi and Yendi.
However, at a press conference in Tema, Chairman of the Gas Tanker Drivers’ Association, Shafiu Mohammed described the CRM programme as a complete failure.
Shafiu, who is also a member of the CRM Implementation Committee, urged the NPA to halt the ongoing piloting to avoid wastage of national resources.
He revealed that cylinders that the NPA used for the piloting exercise have been repainted and sent to Accra by some unscrupulous people.
“We wish to call on the NPA to stop the unnecessary dissipation of public funds by putting a complete halt on the launching of extra cylinder re-circulation pilots since the already launched pilots in Kade and Obuasi have completely failed,” he said.
Moses Kwaku Otoo, who is the Industrial Relations Officer for the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union, added his voice to calls on the NPA to halt the CRM piloting.
He urged the NPA to rather address the challenges associated with the existing policy.
Vice Chairman of the LPG Marketing Association, Gabriel Kumi, has also backed calls for the suspension of the piloting of the CRM.
“We have said let’s retreat because the two launched in Kade and Obuasi are not working.
“We have nothing against the government’s policy. We have been with the NPA in implementing this policy but we believe the way the NPA is going is completely wrong.
“You can’t adopt the same strategy that has failed. Go to Kade and Obuasi to check and you will see .We are now back to business as usual,” he argued.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
The Millennium Development Authority, (MiDA), the implementing agency for Ghana’s Power Compact II, has received equipment for a modern Meter Management System (MMS) being set up for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
A statement issued by the Communication and Outreach Unit of the Authority and copied to energynewsafrica.com, said the delivery of the equipment is the latest phase of a project designed to integrate ECG’s Smart Pre-paid Metering Platforms and enhance customer experience.
“When the equipment is commissioned later this year, ECG’s customers connected to the MMS will be able to buy Pre-paid Credits anywhere in the country and be credited in real time. The System, worth US$12 million, has been procured with funds provided by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), an Agency of the United States Government, under the Ghana Power Compact Program,” the statement read.
“The Meter Management System will have full redundancy – a Primary Site and a Disaster Recovery Site – with an online real time backup capability adding, the days for when customers cannot purchase Pre-paid Credit because a Pre-paid Server will soon be over,” it added.
The new equipment according to MiDA, comprising 17 servers in 6 racks, 40 Point-of-Sale devices, UPSs, laptops, printers have been delivered to two sites; the ECG Project Office and the ECG Legon District Office.
The Authority explained the system will contribute significantly to improving ECG’s revenue mobilization efforts and will give customers greater flexibility in paying for electricity, as it will enable customers to buy any amount of Pre-paid Credit even when they have travelled outside their regions.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
InfraCo Africa, a member of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), has signed an agreement with lead developer Joule Africa to provide $6 million of funding to the 143MW Bumbuna Hydro II initiative in Sierra Leone.
The funding forms part of a package involving the private sector and development finance institutions designed to ensure that Bumbuna Hydro II can go the “last mile,” reaching construction and operations to deliver year-round, renewable baseload power in Sierra Leone.
Bumbuna Hydro II is expected to begin construction in 2021.
Expanding about the role of the financier in the project development, InfraCo Africa’s CEO, Gilles Vaes said, “As part of the PIDG, InfraCo Africa is uniquely positioned to be nimble and flexible, providing timely development capital and expertise at any point in the lifecycle of a project.
“Often we are needed in the early stages to develop a concept or prove a pioneering model but, as in the case of Bumbuna Hydro II, we can also come in at a later stage to help with the critical and final push across the finishing line participating in the project’s steering committee, particularly in these challenging times. Bumbuna Hydro II is expected to have a tremendously positive impact powering sustainable economic development in Sierra Leone.”
The ambitious project is being delivered by experienced renewables developer, Joule Africa, through local project company, Seli Hydropower.
Located on the Upper Seli River, 230km North East of Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, the Bumbuna Hydro II project will enable distribution of significant additional power to the national grid.
Consumers will benefit from increased reliability of power and will also see cost savings via affordable tariffs and reduced reliance on expensive, polluting diesel back-up generation.
Paul Kunert, CEO of Joule Africa, added: “InfraCo Africa’s commitment to Bumbuna Hydro II and Joule Africa comes at a crucial stage for us as we enter the last lap in the development of the Project. With InfraCo Africa’s commitment and a respected equity partner shortly to come in, we now have the funding in place to reach financial close next year. We’ve been working with PIDG over a number of years and we’re delighted to be able to expand that relationship with InfraCo Africa today.”
According to InfraCo Africa, Bumbuna Hydro II exemplifies the capacity of the wider PIDG to engage with and support projects from concept to commercial reality. PIDG’s Technical Assistance (PIDG TA) supported the project’s early development via returnable and technical assistance grants to fund an embedded advisor to the GoSL.
The involvement of PIDG company, the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), has also been central to enabling the project to progress to this stage.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria has started the export of 950,000 metric tones of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), worth N354 billion to the global market.
According to data from the Nigerian Port Authority, the product was exported by 16 vessels to various ports around the world in the past few months.
The data showed that Sines Port in Portugal took delivery of 141,000 cubic meters of the product in addition to 315,900 cubic meters of LNG earlier shipped from Onne in the past six months.
Similarly, it stated that other vessels, including LNG Lokoja were delivered to China, Spain and the United States – 66,000 tons; Maran Gas Olympias, 70,000tons; LNG Cross River, 63tons; LNG Borno, 66,000 tons; LNG Bayelsa, 63,000 tonnes; Castillo De Caldelas, 70000tons; Valencia Knutsen, 70,000tons; LNG Bonny II, 72,000tos; Catalunya Spirit, 65,000 tons; LNG Finima II, 72,000 tons and LNG River Niger, 63,000 tons.
With its Train 6 plant, located in Bonny, Rivers State, Nigeria currently produces 22 million metric tons of LNG yearly.
The Train 7 plant under construction would on completion increase the production capacity from the current 22 million metric tons to 30,000 metric tons per year and creates over 12,000 jobs direct and indirect jobs.
The company would also generate additional revenue to the government in dividends, taxes and feed gas purchases and will further reduce the level of gas flaring in the country.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Members of the Gas Tanker Drivers Association in the Republic of Ghana, West Africa, have parked their Bulk Road Vehicles (BRVs) over myriads of challenges with key among them being the ban on newly built LPG stations by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
They further lamented on poor salaries, harassment and extortion by the police in Central and Western Regions, piloting of cylinder recirculation model policy and embargo on the opening of new LPG stations.
Addressing a press conference in Tema on Wednesday, the drivers noted that the NPA’s decision to ban newly constructed stations from operating has halted the wider penetration of LPG in the country.
“The embargo is also restricting job opportunities for us as drivers of LPG tankers. This is because the availability of stations to receive LPG products increases our employability and working times,” they said.
According the drivers, the development has put undue pressure and negatively impacting on their working conditions.
“We call on the NPA to lift the embargo immediately and process all such other station application for operation,” they said.
Speaking to energynewsafrica.com after the press conference, Moses Kwaku Otoo, who is the Industrial Relations Officer for the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU), said the drivers would not resume operation until their grievances were addressed.
He said it was about time NPA acted right by making sure that undue pressure on stakeholders in the downstream sector were lessened.
He said the drivers had written letters to the various stakeholders but all to no available.
In an interview with energynewsafrica.com, Chairman of the Gas Tanker Drivers Association, Shafiu Mohammed said the over 1,000 tanker drivers would not move their BRVs until NPA saw the need to address their grievances.
Meanwhile, National Vice Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Union of TUC, Alabi Sunday, who was at the press conference, said the national union is solidly behind the members.
He said if by Monday they do not see any action by the NPA to address the issue, they would have no other option than to declare a strike in solidarity with the aggrieved members.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Gas Tanker Drivers Association in the Republic of Ghana, West Africa, has parked their Bulk Road Vehicles (BRVs) over myriads of challenges with key among them being the ban on newly built LPG stations by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
They further lamented on poor salaries, harassment and extortion by the police in Central and Western Regions, piloting of cylinder recirculation model policy and embargo on the opening of new LPG stations.
Addressing a press conference in Tema on Wednesday, the drivers noted that the NPA’s decision to ban newly constructed stations from operating has halted the wider penetration of LPG in the country.
“The embargo is also restricting job opportunities for us as drivers of LPG tankers. This is because the availability of stations to receive LPG products increases our employability and working times,” they said.
According the drivers, the development has put undue pressure and negatively impacting on their working conditions.
“We call on the NPA to lift the embargo immediately and process all such other station application for operation,” they said.
Speaking to energynewsafrica.com after the press conference, Moses Kwaku Otoo, who is the Industrial Relations Officer for the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU), said the drivers would not resume operation until their grievances were addressed.
He said it was about time NPA acted right by making sure that undue pressure on stakeholders in the downstream sector were lessened.
He said the drivers had written letters to the various stakeholders but all to no available.
In an interview with energynewsafrica.com, Chairman of the Gas Tanker Drivers Association, Shafiu Mohammed said the over 1,000 tanker drivers would not move their BRVs until NPA saw the need to address their grievances.
Meanwhile, National Vice Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Union of TUC, Alabi Sunday, who was at the press conference, said the national union is solidly behind the members.
He said if by Monday they do not see any action by the NPA to address the issue, they would have no other option than to declare a strike in solidarity with the aggrieved members.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Giant oilfield services provider, Halliburton, has recorded a $1.7 billion loss in the second quarter, which the firm attributed to $2.1 billion in impairments.
Halliburton on Monday reported $3.2 billion of revenue during the second quarter, a 46 per cent drop compared to the $5.9 billion of revenue during the same period last year.
The company’s $1.7 billion loss was a night-and-day difference from the $75 million profit during the second quarter of 2019. If we look at the loss per share, the $1.91 loss is far from the earnings of 9 cents per share.
Adjusted net income for the second quarter of 2020, excluding impairments and other charges, was $46 million, or $0.05 per diluted share.
Halliburton stated that the second-quarter loss was due to writing down the value of $2.1 billion of the company’s assets.
It must be said that, during the first quarter, Halliburton also had to write down $1.1. billion worth of assets. This is also the third time in a row that Halliburton reported a loss in the billions. The first quarter of 2020 saw a $1 billion loss while the fourth quarter of 2019 saw a $1.7 billion loss.
Minus the write-downs and other charges, Halliburton reported earning $456 million of free cash flow, an increase from the $12 million reported during the first quarter. The company also has $1.8 billion of cash on hand.
Jeff Miller, chairman, president, and CEO of Halliburton, stated: “Halliburton’s second-quarter performance in a tough market shows we can execute quickly and aggressively to deliver solid financial results and free cash flow despite a severe drop in global activity.
“Total company revenue was $3.2 billion and adjusted operating income was $236 million. Despite the market headwinds, the margin performance of our Completion and Production and Drilling and Evaluation divisions and the $456 million of positive free cash flow generated this quarter show the speed and effectiveness of our aggressive cost actions.
“Halliburton is charting a fundamentally different course. The strategic actions we are taking will further boost our earnings power and ability to generate free cash flow as we power into and win the eventual recovery”.
“The Government of Ghana should let us know how it intends to settle all the debts it owe independent power producers in the country,” Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, CEO of CIPDiB has said.
Ghana’s Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to present the 2020 mid-year budget in Parliament on Thursday, July 23.
The mid-year budget will detail the government’s efforts for the past six months and how it intends to manage the country for the remaining half of the year.
The country’s energy sector is saddled with debts.
According to the Chamber of Independent Power Producers Bulk Distributors and Consumers (CIPDiB), cumulative indebtedness to its members as at 30th June, 2020, is about US$1.4 billion.
In a statement copied to energynewsafrica.com, the Chamber said its members have resorted to loans in order to sustain power generation to serve the country.
It said the situation is grim and could lead to shut down of power plants if it is not resolved immediately.
“As at 30th June, 2020, the cumulative indebtedness to the IPPs is about USD$1.4 billion and continue to accumulate, compelling the IPPs to contract costly loans to sustain their generations. This situation is grim and there is a real danger of IPPs shutting their plants if the situation is not resolved in the immediate term.
“The mid-year budget should include measures to ensure that the shortfall in ECG’s revenues are addressed as and when they occur to ensure that IPPs and others who supply products or services to ECG are paid on time.
“IPPs cannot be responsible for the government’s subsidies and other obligations,” the statement said.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
The Association of Oil Marketing Companies in the Republic of Ghana is seeking a review of the government’s tax policy, which requires OMCs to pay in full taxes on fuel products they have lifted but yet to be sold.
According to the Association, the nature of the policy is more or less pre-financing government, which in their estimation, is not the best.
Speaking to energynewsafrica.com in an exclusive interview, Industry Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer for the Association of Oil Marketing Companies, Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Duah described the current tax policy as inimical to the operations of the OMCs.
Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, CEO of Association of Oil Marketing Companies, Republic of Ghana
He mentioned that the policy, coupled with the impact outbreak of covid-19, has heavily affected a good number of OMCs.
He revealed that about 35 OMCs are currently not lifting fuel because of financial challenges triggered by the taxes and cost of operations.
“The main thing that we have in the industry still persists. That is, the issue of paying taxes on goods we have not sold. We pay taxes as we lift the product. So, assuming you lift 100,000 litres, you have to pay taxes whether you have sold it or not. So, assuming I sell 40,000 litres, its immaterial as I have to pay taxes on all. Moreover, the difficulty is how I get money to pay. It means you have to go to the bank and borrow to pay. Therefore, it is more or less like pre-financing the government.
“So what we are doing is that we are discussing with GRA and Ministry of Finance to see how we deal with the tax issue. We are not saying reduce the taxes, but we believe that if, for instance, it is pay as you sell, it will help all of us. If the money is not there and because you have the law on your side, I must pay at all cost then that is very bad,” he said.
Mr Agyemang-Duah, however, lauded the passage of the Insolvency Act, which he said would give businesses that are struggling or liquidated companies the opportunity to reorganise and bounce back.
“The Insolvency Act will help people in the situation of bankruptcy to really avail themselves and come back again. It is a good opportunity for us, but be it as it may, I think it is not operational yet so you cannot avail yourself for that opportunity.”
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Indian Oil Corp Ltd’s 300,000 barrels per day refinery located on east coast of the country will be shut down for three weeks to pave way for maintenance.
A top official of the company disclosed this to Reuters on Sunday.
“The Indian Oil refinery in Paradip will remain shut from July 25 to August 15 for maintenance,” said Sangram Keshari Mohapatra, the top bureaucrat in the district of Jagatsinghpur, where the refinery is located.
As per the company’s request, a shutdown order has been issued,” he said, adding the refinery was last shutdown completely in 2018.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has launched the pilot phase of the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM) in Yendi in the Northern Region of the West African nation.
This will lead to the rollout of a nationwide ‘door-to-door’ distribution of gas distribution in the country.
The pilot is the third after a similar exercise in the Eastern and Ashanti regions.
Speaking at the ceremony held under strict Covid19 protocols, Alhassan Tampuli, Chief Executive of the Authority, said Ghanaians would be encouraged to fully participate in the rollout.
He said the safety inspection division of the Authority would be at hand to assist with the required safety features of distribution outlets.
On the choice of Yendi for the pilot, Mr Tampuli said the municipality was selected because it links major towns such as Salaga and Bimbilla, which are commercially viable towns in the northern part of the country.
Chairman of the Pilot Implementation Committee, Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, who is also the Chief Executive of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies, was confident the team would continue to learn lessons from challenges picked from previous pilots programmes to ensure they are addressed.
“We do pilot to help guide us identify problems and fix them as we go along,” he said.
Chief Executive of Yendi Municipal Assembly, Alhaji Hammed Abubakari Yussif dispelled claims that the programme would disrupt the business activities of those in the sale of firewood.
“This is a safer way of addressing the associated health issues in the firewood business,” he said.
Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, Industry Coordinator and Chairman of the Pilot Implementation Committee
The Senate Committee on Power in the Republic of Nigeria,West Africa, has inspected the on-going 12.4KM Katampe-National Stadium 132kV double circuit transmission line project and the site of the new 330/132/33kV substation at new Apo as part of its oversight function in the power sector.
The on-going Katampe-National Stadium 132kV DC line originates from the 330/132/33kV Katampe Transmission Substation.
The new line comprises of 8.4KM underground armored cabling that terminates at Wuye district. From Wuye, the line would be strung overhead for 4kms on several towers to the 132/33kV Kukwaba Transmission Substation.
The new 330/132/33kV Transmission Substation at new Apo, funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) was designed to take additional bulk electricity to the FCT from Akwanga and also provide bulk supply redundancy in Abuja and environs, consistent with N-1 criteria.
The Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Gabriel Suswam, who led the delegation from the National Assembly, expressed delight with the level of work being done and pledged to support TCN overcome bottlenecks that may pose a challenge to the timely completion of the projects.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Hundreds of protesters demanding the government keep its promise to create jobs have shut down a key oil pumping station in southern Tunisia.
According to report filed by VOA, which quoted Reuters, the demonstrators closed in on the Kamour station despite the presence of soldiers guarding the installation.
The demonstrators were looking to pressure the Tunisian government into following through with a 2017 deal to create jobs in the oil industry and other infrastructure projects in the southern Tatouine region, where unemployment is said to be more than 30%.
Those who live there say the central government has ignored them.
Police clashed with anti-government protesters in Tatouine earlier this week after the government said the Tunisian economy had taken a beating from the coronavirus epidemic and sought debt relief from some lenders.
Tunisia’s economic woes come on top of government turmoil after Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh resigned Wednesday.
He stepped down over a possible conflict of interest involving government contracts with a waste treatment plant in which he allegedly held shares.
The prime minister said he sold his stake in the company. An investigation is under way, but Fakhfakh said he would stay on as a caretaker prime minister until a successor was named.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has advised against a swift relocation of tank farms from their current locations along Ijegun, Kirikiri areas in Lagos and other parts of the country in order to avoid a dislocation in the supply and distribution chain of petroleum products across the country.
The corporation made the submission at a hearing by the House of Representatives’ Ad-hoc Committee on Relocation of Tank Farms in Residential Areas of Ijegun, Kirikiri.
A statement issued by the NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, quoted the Managing Director of the corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari, as saying that NNPC was not averse to the relocation of the petroleum products tank farms and depots sited in residential areas.
However, it said the NNPC but rather expect some time to be allowed to achieve the full rehabilitation of the refineries and the completion of the Dangote Refinery to enable the nation exit fuel importation before their relocation.
The GMD who was represented by the corporation’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Umar Ajiya, told the committee that the tank farms and depots were a major artery for receiving and distributing imported petroleum products to all parts of the country.
He explained that their abrupt relocation would could trigger a crisis not only in the Downstream Sector but also in the nation’s economy in general.
“We are not opposed to the yearnings of the communities or the relocation of the tank farms and depots, but we want it to be done in phases because of the huge financial commitments by the stakeholders. If they are relocated abruptly, even the banking sector would be affected because of the loans they granted for the establishment of the depots”, the GMD stated.
Speaking earlier while inaugurating the Committee, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajiabiamila, said the Ad-hoc Committee was set up to investigate the concerns expressed by the residents in order to have a fair assessment of the situation.
Hon. Gbajiabiamila who was represented by the House Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Tobi Okechukwu, acknowledged that tank farms and depots were a critical component of the Downstream Petroleum Sector and assured that the House would look at the issue holistically and make a decision in the public interest.
He decried the inability of the NNPC to distribute petroleum products through the pipelines due to incessant vandalism which has made products distribution by tankers over long distances a hazard to the society.
The Committee was set up to receive petitions by the residents of Ijegun, Kirikiri and others areas in Lagos State on the dangers posed by the operations of depots and tank farms to their respective communities.
The Committee is chaired by Hon. Sergius Ogun.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
On the choice of Yendi for the pilot, Mr Tampuli said the municipality was selected because it links major towns such as Salaga and Bimbilla, which are commercially viable towns in the northern part of the country.
Chairman of the Pilot Implementation Committee, Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, who is also the Chief Executive of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies, was confident the team would continue to learn lessons from challenges picked from previous pilots programmes to ensure they are addressed.
“We do pilot to help guide us identify problems and fix them as we go along,” he said.
Chief Executive of Yendi Municipal Assembly, Alhaji Hammed Abubakari Yussif dispelled claims that the programme would disrupt the business activities of those in the sale of firewood.
“This is a safer way of addressing the associated health issues in the firewood business,” he said.
The Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Gabriel Suswam, who led the delegation from the National Assembly, expressed delight with the level of work being done and pledged to support TCN overcome bottlenecks that may pose a challenge to the timely completion of the projects.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
