The Convention People’s Party (CPP), one of the opposition political parties contesting upcoming general elections in the Republic Of Ghana, has promised to merge the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited if elected to form the next government.
Speaking at the IES Energy Dialogue, Kwame Jantuah, who represented the CPP, said that the political party believes in setting a long-term development plan for the Ghana’s energy sector.
In view of this, he added that the CPP “seeks to increase the daily upstream of the production target to one million barrels of oil by 2030 by mainly focusing on indigenisation of the shallow water blocks in Ghana, to be owned and controlled by Ghanaians.”
He stated that the Petroleum Revenue Management Agreement Act would be revised to include long-term national development plans to ensure that the revenue derived onshore from oil locally produced, would be distributed properly to essentially lead to a cut in cost on imported crude products.
Mr. Jantuah, an Energy Analyst, also hinted on the party’s plan to determine in due course, whether two major state-owned enterprises, BOST and NPA, would have to be separately managed by a regulatory system that the CPP would employ or rather have them merged to produce better results.
He said, “We [CPP] will look at the NPA and BOST conundrum and see whether it is important to have those two institutions in place.”
He continued, “We will look at how best we can probably merge the two so that they can give good regulation.”
The National Petroleum Authority is the state regulatory agency established by an Act of Parliament (NPA Act 2005, ACT 691) to regulate, oversee and monitor the petroleum downstream industry in Ghana. As a Regulator, the Authority ensures that the industry remains efficient, profitable, fair and at the same time, ensuring that consumers receive value for money.
The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) was incorporated in December 1993 as a private limited liability company under the Companies Act,1963 (Act 179) with the Government of Ghana as the sole shareholder.
Its mandate includes developing a network of storage tanks, pipelines and other bulk transportation infrastructure throughout the country, to rent or lease out part of the storage facilities to enable it generate income, to keep strategic reserve stocks for Ghana, to own, manage and develop a national network of oil pipelines and storage depots among others.
The CPP’s plan to merge the two agencies remains one of its top energy policies as they go into the 2020 general elections.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Barely ten months into office as Chief Executive Officer of Eskom, South Africa’s power utility company, André de Ruyter is pushing ahead with the unbundling of the debt-ridden state power utility in a bid to attract private investment.
Speaking at the opening session of this year’s Africa Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa, which went virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, De Ruyter highlighted five key focus areas in his turnaround strategy.
These include full functional separation of the utility’s three divisions: generation, transmission and distribution by March next year. Provided that all regulatory approvals are obtained, De Ruyter hopes to have legal separation of transmission by December 2021.
“And that, I think, will be a very important milestone to attracting additional private investment into generation,” he said.
Having shifted from the private sector to public himself, De Ruyter noted challenges in the state-sphere.
“The pace of decision making and the number of permissions that you have to obtain to do anything is quite extraordinary, and that slows down the turnaround of Eskom quite significantly. We have, I think, persevered; we have badgered and pestered people in decision-making positions to make those decisions sooner. But something as simple as registering a subsidiary, which from the private sector would take maybe a week, takes much longer in the state-owned sector.
“And it’s due to the focus on good governance, which, given Eskom’s history, of course, is well warranted. But one has got to keep the focus on turning the business around, and I think sometimes the focus is not quite there.”
According to him, “By April, we should see a change. Other key focus areas are addressing the utility’s R450 billion debt burden, and obtaining “operational stability” with next April and September 2021 flagged as goal dates.
“The very negative impact of load shedding on the economy is well known and it’s something that we wish to put behind us as quickly as possible,” said De Ruyter.
“By April of next year, we should see a change in the reliability of our generation system. And then by September of 2021, we should see the risk of load shedding substantially reduced.”
To control costs, the utility has cut its workforce by 2000 people.
“We have, already over the past 10 months, said goodbye to 2000 employees,” said De Ruyter.
“So we are making some progress. There’s more to come. And that’s, of course, without resorting to forced retrenchments.”
In addition, Eskom management would not receive increases or bonuses this year.
“Very important is to address the legacy of capture and corruption and turning around the morale of our people.
“You can imagine that morale is low, people are feeling quite despondent. We have taken a decision not to give any increases to management this year. Also, in order to contain our costs, there will be no bonuses.”
On the global shift to renewable energy, De Ruyter said Eskom’s just energy transition (JET) project office would navigate the utility’s move away from coal in a way that does not “jeopardise” livelihoods.
“I think moving away from a model that’s been around for 97 years, which is how long Eskom has been in existence, to something that is different, is always regarded as potentially threatening by a variety of stakeholders,” he said.
“Obviously, as we make the energy transition, increasingly moving to renewable energy, you can imagine that that provokes alarm amongst the ranks of communities and workers who’ve invested generations in coal as a commodity, whether it’s mining or whether working in a coal fired power station. And we, therefore, have to address those very legitimate concerns as we make the transition,” he concluded.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
The Chamber of Independent Power Producers, Distributors and Bulk Consumers in the Republic of Ghana has rejected an assertion by the Akufo-Addo-administration that the Chamber is being used as a pressure group to create an unnecessary tension in the country.
The Deputy Minister for Energy in charge of Power and Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre South, Hon. William Owuraku-Aidoo had accused the IPPs’ Chamber of acting like a pressure group and hounding the government, following a warning notice to the CEO of Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) of shutting down their plants over unpaid invoices to the tune of US$1 billion.
However, a statement issued by the Chamber and signed by Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, said, “We wish to assure the government and the public that we have no political motives for the timing of the communication that IPPs may be forced to shut down.
“This is based purely on commercial exigencies we currently face and not any political agenda. On average, IPPs, since 2017, are paid just barely 40 percent of power invoices on a monthly basis which is not enough to sustain operations, especially when these low payments have persisted for so long.”
The statement said their members have had to resort to loans in order to keep their operations going but at the cost of crippling debt service obligations which have become unsustainable, hence, the demand for the prompt payment of overdue invoices to the tune of $1.44 billion as at 30th September, 2020.
“This is against the backdrop of the recent US$1 billion Eurobond issue which we expected to be used to pay these outstanding invoices.”
Cash Waterfall Mechanism
The statement also set the record straight regarding the implementation of the Cash Waterfall Mechanism (CWM), saying it began on 1st April, 2020, and not 2019 as incorrectly put out by the Deputy Minister.
“The object of the policy was to ensure a more equitable and fair allocation of ECG’s collections per time to generators going forward. Based on our understanding, it was not meant as a solution for the payment of outstanding invoices owed IPPs which amount to US$1.44 billion as at 30th September, 2020.”
According to the Chamber, the government’s failure to settle its indebtedness is the cause of the Energy Sector debt to IPPs ballooning from US$124 million at the end of 2016 to US $1.180 million as at 30th September, 2020.
“Clearly, this is unsustainable and poses serious economic and financial risks to our members. This is why we are being compelled to serve notice to Ghanaians about the possibility of a forced shutdown due to lack of funds to maintain our operations.”
Below is the full statementCIPDiB Press Statement 22112020
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has donated medical supplies to victims of the recent gas explosion incident at the Mighty Gas Filling Station in Ho, in the Volta Region.
The medical supplies included 25 gauze roll, 50 examination gloves, 100 bed mats, 50 cotton roll, 10 savlon (five litres), 50 crepes and 50 gauze bandages.
The donation, made through the Ho Teaching Hospital, was presented on behalf of the Authority by Madam Natasha Boakye Amoah, Senior Manager with the Corporate Affairs Department and was received on behalf of the victims by the management of the Ho Teaching Hospital.
Donating, the Communications Officer of NPA, Benjamin Sekyere Owusu remarked that both management and employees of the Authority wished the injured speedy recovery and also mourned with the family of the deceased in these difficult times.
“Our deepest sympathies and prayers are with those who perished or were injured, and with their loved ones.
“We, along with all stakeholders, must keep safety at the forefront of all we do to ensure we mitigate the effects of gas explosions, and take all necessary steps to prevent the occurrence of such incidents,”
The Communications Officer further commended the medical team at the Ho Teaching Hospital for rising to the occasion by providing critical care to the victims.
Receiving the items on behalf of the victims, the Chief Executive of Ho Teaching Hospital, Dr. John Tampouri commended NPA for the donation and called on other companies to emulate the gesture, either in kind or cash to enable the hospital deliver befitting care to the gas explosion victims.
He was particularly grateful for the specific pharmaceuticals and medical supplies donated, as that they met the real needs of the fire victims.
He assured the NPA that the Hospital would use the drugs judiciously to reduce pain and suffering of the fire victims.
Dr. Affram Nelson, Head of Surgical Department at the Hospital, said all the 14 patients that were rushed to the hospital were in critical condition. “Three of the victims died, two were transferred to Ridge Hospital in Accra and the remaining nine victims are currently receiving treatment at the Ho Hospital.”
He appealed to the general public to support the hospital construct a Burns Centre, adding that, “The ideal place to treat the victims is at a Burns Centre where we could give them some form of live support.”
The Nigerian automobile company, Stallion Motors, has hinted of putting its new model electric car assembled in the West African country on the country’s market before the end of 2020.
According to the company, the ‘Hyundai-Kona’ electric vehicle would contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
This 100 percent electric car is assembled on site by Stallion Motors.
Presented on November 13, 2020, by Stallion Motors, the vehicle can travel 482km after 9.35 hours of charging.
Once the Hyundai-Kona is on the road, Stallion Motors plans to sensitise the population to a change in behaviour.
The aim of the Nigerian company is to help protect the environment by reducing CO2 emissions.
“Currently, Nigerian electricity consumers living in R1 category dwellings are charged only 4 naira per kW (over US$0.010). This means that when the Hyundai-Kona goes on sale in Nigeria, its owner will only have to pay 316 Nigerian naira (about US$0.83) for a full charge if he plugs the car into the public power grid,” Stallion Motors said.
The presentation of the Hyundia-Kona comes in a particular context in Nigeria.
This West African country wants to reduce its carbon emissions by 179 million tonnes per year by 2030 through the adoption of renewable energy and decarbonised mobility.
At the end of 2018, the Nigerian government signed a memorandum of understanding with Volkswagen for the construction of a car assembly plant in the country.
The partnership also concerns the creation of a training academy in collaboration with the German government and the “broader” technical training of the community in the field of automotive skills.
“A complete network of Volkswagen vehicles and services will also be developed in Nigeria, subject to its commercial viability,” Volkswagen indicated after the signature of the agreement in 2018.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa-Akufo-Addo, at Alavanyo-Abehenease, in the Volta Region, on November 21, 2020, commissioned the first micro power generating station
The 45kW Tsatsadu Micro-hydro Generation Station was built by the Bui Power Authority.
Energynewsafrica.com brings you exclusive photos from the event.
His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cutting the tape to officially commission the 45kW Tsatsadu Micro-Hydro Power Generating Station At Alavanyo-Abehenease in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region. With him are John-Peter Amewu (right), Togbuiga Tsedze Atakora (2nd right), Paramount Chief of Alavanyo Traditional Area and Prof. Aaron Mike Ocquaye (3rd left), Speaker of Parliament.
French independent power producer (IPP), Akuo Energy has commissioned its Kita solar photovoltaic power plant in the Republic of Mali.
With a capacity of 50 MWp, it is one of the largest photovoltaic installations in West Africa.
This project was implemented in partnership with Pash Global, an investor active in the renewable energy sector.
The independent power producer (IPP) now supplies 50 MWp to Mali’s national electricity grid.
The electricity produced is sold to the public company Electricité du Mali (EDM) under a 30-year power purchase agreement (PPA).
The solar power plant, which occupies a 100-hectare site, is made up of 187,000 panels and solar inverters capable of delivering 50 MWp, making it one of the largest solar parks in the West African sub-region.
Its power is capable of supplying up to 120,000 Malian households.
The installation is therefore an important part of Mali’s electrification process, which has been greatly delayed due to political and security instability, with more than 49% of the population still without access to electricity, according to the World Bank’s 2018 report.
Akuo Energy built the Kita solar power plant in partnership with the investment company Pash Global, which owns 49.9% of Akuo Kita Solar (AKS), the special purpose company created to operate the plant.
In addition to its energy contribution, the solar farm contributes to Mali’s sustainable development, as it will help avoid the emission of 52,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
“This large-scale project thus strengthens the country (Mali), a signatory of the 1995 Kyoto Protocol, in its commitment to fighting climate change and enables it to get closer to its national renewable energy objectives by 2030. Furthermore, the plant contributes to reducing the country’s dependence on hydropower, which is currently under threat from climate change, but also on imported fossil fuels and the use of wood fuel from natural inland forests,” Akuo Energy points out.
The implementation of this clean energy project required an investment of 53 billion CFA francs (80.7 million euros). Its financing gave rise to an unprecedented mobilisation of development partners.
These include the West African Development Bank (BOAD) and Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), managed by Investec Asset Management. The Netherlands Development Finance Corporation (FMO), the National Agricultural Development Bank of Mali (BNDA), Green Africa Power (GAP) and GuarantCo are also supporting this project, which also has a social component.
Fuel prices in the Republic of Ghana have witnessed a marginal reduction across the country.
GOIL, Total and Shell, which are the market leaders, are now selling gasoline at GHS4.67 from GHS4.77 previously while gasoil is selling at GHS4.67 from GHS4.77.
Meanwhile, Zen, So, Goodness, Frimps, Puma and Star Oil are top five OMCs selling lowest priced fuel across the country.
Niger’s Minister of Petroleum Foumakoye Gado has been named by the African Energy Chamber as one of the top 25 leaders to watch for 2021.
This highlights the growing importance of Niger as an oil producer in Africa.
Every year, the Chamber recognises 25 individuals who are set to play a major role in the development of the African oil & gas and energy sectors in the coming year.
These leaders have demonstrated effectiveness in enabling major projects to be realised, and are expected to play a key role in the transformation of the oil and gas in their countries or the region.
Niger remains one of Africa’s most attractive onshore energy frontiers, significantly de-risked by previous exploration programmes carried out by Chinese operators. Niger holds 150m barrels of proven oil reserves and this figure is likely to increase with more exploration in the coming years.
The ongoing construction of the $4.5bn Niger-Benin oil export pipeline will be opening up a new route to monetize such reserves and could result in a profound transformation of Niger’s economy by as soon as 2025.
The pipeline has a capacity of 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) and could catapult Niger’s overall daily production from currently over 20,000 bpd to 110,000 bpd.
Minister Gado’s nomination is also in response to his efforts in securing FID for the all-important pipeline, and overseeing London-based Savannah energy’s exploration success with five discoveries from five exploration wells drilled.
The minister will therefore be in charge of building the Sahel’s most important oil sector in the coming years, in a region whose economy remains deeply affected by droughts and security concerns.
Future developments will be closely watched globally as International Oil Companies seek to understand the viability of the sector in a region that has seen little oil and gas activity in the past.
The minister shall be responsible for shaping the industry in the country, in terms of local content regulation, attracting international service companies who have till date been absent in Niger’s oil and gas sector and ensuring that Nigerians benefit from the industry in terms of jobs, training and other derivatives that the sector is expected to bring.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Six companies, specialised in biomass valorisation, have teamed up to develop new business initiatives in South Africa using solid (woody) biomass.
The companies have formed a public private partnership (PPP) with the Dutch government, Netherlands Enterprise Agency and the Embassy of the Netherlands in South Africa.
“Beneficiation of biomass residues holds a major potential for South Africa in terms of waste minimisation, job creation, CO₂-reductions, and clean, secure and affordable household energy,” says Emiel Hanekamp, senior partner in Partners for Innovation, one of the companies involved in this initiative.
“We are looking for collaborations with municipalities and local companies to actually make this happen.”
Masterclass at #DAUW
The team will present an exclusive, free masterclass on “Biomass opportunities in South Africa” on 25 November at 12h30 SAST during the Digital African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa.
A previously mothballed pellet factory at Coega Development Zone near Port Elizabeth has already been acquired and will be refurbished to be operational again in the course of 2021. It will be known as the Coega Biomass Centre.
Emiel explains: “Municipalities can valorise the wood residues from their gardens and parks that otherwise end up in overcrowded landfills.
The collection of wood residues, especially the AIS clearing, and the pre-processing and transportation of this waste creates many local jobs. This is apart from the jobs created at the pellet factory itself. In total approximately 900 jobs will be created in the Nelson Mandela Bay area.”
If locally used in gasifier cookstoves, the wood pellets produced by the factory can provide up to 48,000 households with clean and affordable household energy.
Investment
“The Coega Biomass Centre is the first in a row,” Emiel adds, “as our ambition is to start similar initiatives in in South Africa. We expect to launch new initiatives for biomass residues beneficiation during next year. For South African companies, this means investment and collaboration opportunities in a solid infrastructure, creating new sustainable business models in a promising and expanding market. In addition, they can profit from a long-term collaboration with European companies and investors.”
With regards to the total investment in the project thus far, the partners will invest R50-million ZAR (€3-million) in the first phase which is the acquisition, refurbishment and recommissioning of the factory. Further investments in the factory are expected in the near future. For example, the investment in the drying and torrefaction technology and its integration in the existing plant is expected to be around R45-million.
Masterclass: “Biomass opportunities in South Africa”, 25 November at 12h30 SAST | 10h30 GMT
Host: Sebastiaan Messerschmidt, Consul-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Cape Town, South Africa
Moderator: Werner Euler, MD, iLive Sustainable Development
Speakers:
– Emiel Hanekamp, Senior Partner, Partners for Innovation, The Netherlands
– Joris Spaan, Project Manager, Yilkins, The Netherlands
– Ruben Walker, CEO, African Clean Energy, Lesotho
– Bart-Willem ten Cate, Low-Carbon Strategist, Finco Fuel Group, The Netherlands
Jordi Meijer, Managing Director, Control Union, South Africa
– Garth Barnes, Deputy Director: Risk and Strategic Partnerships, Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, South Africa
– Kees Kwant, Senior Expert Bioenergy and Liaison Circular Biobased Economy, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, part of Ministry of Economic Affairs, The Netherlands
Media briefing: Announcement of biomass initiative, 24 November, 12h45 SAST | 10h45 GMT
TO REGISTER for the masterclass, media briefing and the other upcoming sessions during Digital African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa: https://www.african-utility-week.com/digital/general-admission
President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has praised the Bui Power Authority and Ministry of Energy for working to ensure the realisation of the Tsatsadu Micro-hydro Power Project under his tenure.
According to the President, the project had been on the drawing board for over two decades but successive governments paid lip service to it, as well as developing other small and mini-hydro sites across the country.
“When we had the opportunity to come to power and Kufour appointed Prof. Aaron Mike Ocquaye as Minister for Energy, studies were done and about twenty-two sites were identified for the development. Unfortunately, before we could operationalise these, we lost the election of 2008. Many important initiatives by the Kufour government were abandoned by the Mills-Mahama government.”
He said upon his assumption of office in 2017, he directed the Ministry of Energy, together with the Bui Power Authority, to re-develop the hydro power generating stations, including that at Tsatsadu.
Speaking at the commissioning of the 45kW Tsatsadu Generation Station at Alavanyo-Abehenease in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region, President Akufo-Addo said the project is a demonstration of the commitment of his administration to develop the country’s energy resources.
The Tsatsadu project was initially designed as a 30kW stand-alone system, but was redesigned and upgraded to a 45kW grid-connection system based on the outcome of the additional studies.
The project was funded through BPA’s internally generated fund of US$400,000 with support from the Danish and Chinese governments through the Renewable Energy Technology Transfer (UNDP-RETT) Project.
The 45kW Tsatsadu Micro-hydro Generation Station was constructed by local young engineers of the Bui Power Authority.
According to President Akufo-Addo, it is his wish and desire that the skills on mini-hydro power plant development is transferred to develop the other potential mini-hydro potential sites in the region and beyond.
“I, therefore, declare to make the Alavanyo Tsatsadu Generation Plant a Centre of Excellence under Bui Power Authority for training young engineers in the development of mini-hydro plants across the country,” he said.
Touching on the passage of the Bui Power Authority (Amendment) Act 2020, he said the BPA is now mandated to expand the scope beyond the Black Volta and mandate to promote and facilitate the development of renewable and other clean energy options nationwide. The Amended Act also gives the Authority the legal mandate to execute and manage renewable energy and clean energy programmes on behalf of the state or that in which the state has an interest.
The Chief Executive Officer of Bui Power, Fred Oware thanked the President for the confidence reposed in him, assuring him that with the amendment of the BPA Act which has mandated them to develop other renewable projects on behalf of the state, the Authority would work hard to ensure that other sites identified for small and micro hydro projects are actualised.
The Paramount Chief of Alavanyo, Togbuiga Tsedze Atakora was full of praise for President Akufo-Addo and Minister for Energy John-Peter Amewu for the numerous development projects in the area.
He said the people were particularly happy that through his leadership and the support of other institutions the recurring problems of Nkonya Alavanyo clashes was not happening.
“Mr. President, the only two things God deprived me of are dancing and singing. If I had a beautiful voice and good dancing skills I would have sung and danced to appreciate you”, he added.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s second largest power generation company, Bui Power Authority (BPA), will today, November 21, 2020, officially commission its 45kW Tsatsadu Micro-hydro Generation Station, located at Alavanyo-Abehenease in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region.
A statement issued by Akua Sakyi, Corporate Affairs Manager at BPA, said the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would officially turn on the facility today.
It would be Ghana’s first Micro-hydro Power Generation Station constructed by the Bui Power Authority under the Ministry of Energy’s renewable energy initiative.
The project was co-funded by the Danish and Chinese governments through the Renewable Energy Technology Transfer (UNDP-RETT) Project.
The facility, which is situated on the Tsatsadu Waterfalls, is a run-of-river scheme, which did not require the formation of a reservoir to operate.
It consists of a concrete diversion weir, an intake structure, diversion channel, a forebay, steel penstock, a powerhouse and a transmission line which ties the electricity generated into the local distribution grid.
The weir diverts part of the river flows through an intake channel into the diversion channel.
The diverted water goes through a 300mm diameter penstock to the base of the hill where the powerhouse, which houses the turbines and the generator, is located.
John-Peter Amewu, Energy Minister, Fred Oware, Other officials of the Ministry of Energy inspecting the facility some few months ago
The water drives the turbines and flows out through the tailrace channel and back into the downstream of the waterfall.
The project, initially designed as a 30kW stand-alone system, was redesigned and upgraded to a 45kW-grid connection system based on the outcome of additional studies.
The 45kW Tsatsadu Micro-hydro Generation Station was constructed by local young engineers of the Bui Power Authority.
The Bui Power Authority collaborated with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the International Network on Small Hydro Power of China (IN-SHP) and Ghanaian Energy sector agencies to execute the project.
Bui Power Authority expresses its appreciation for the support from the Paramount Chief and people of Alavanyo and the Foyer de Charité Catholic Retreat Centre in releasing the portion of their land required for the project.
An Electrical engineer with the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra Region of the Republic of Ghana has been electrocuted while fixing streetlights at Labone, a suburb of Accra.
There were reports that suggested that a man who was hoisting a political party flag on ECG’s distribution pole was electrocuted in the vicinity of Labone.
However, reacting to the reports, Head of Works Department at the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly, Ing. Richard Ben Debra said the deceased, Ing. Richard Bortey was a staff of LADMA, adding that the Assembly took delivery of some LED streetlights and he was asked to fix them to illuminate the municipality.
He explained that Ing Bortey started the exercise on Tuesday but could not finish.
According to him, Ing Bortey resumed the exercise on Wednesday morning at Kweku Baako street only for the Assembly to be informed in the afternoon that the engineer had been electrocuted while on duty.
An eyewitness told energynewsafrica.com that she and had earlier engaged Ing Bortey in some friendly conversations.
“Abruptly, he slumped so I raised alarm which drew a crowd to the scene. Unfortunately, he had been electrocuted,” the eyewitness recounted.
The deceased left behind one child.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
As the global push for electric vehicles (EVs) is increasing, the West African nation, Ghana, does not want to be left behind in this initiative.
To this end, Ghana’s Southern electricity distribution company, ECG, is collaborating with POBAD International, a wholly-owned Ghanaian technology firm, to install electric vehicle (EV) charging systems in some strategic locations across the country to enable Ghanaians who have taste for EVs and want to own one to be able to charge them.
In 2019, Ghana’s electricity regulator, Energy Commission, launched the ‘Drive Electric Initiative’ as part of effort to promote the use of electric powered vehicles for the transportation needs of Ghanaians.
Since the launching of the initiative, ECG started collaborating with market players to closely monitor the EV trend in Ghana in order to focus on the provision of appropriate and safe charging systems for EV users.
On Thursday, November 19, 2020, ECG, in collaboration with POBAD International, launched the EV charging system with a test run of an EV to officially add Ghana to the register of countries that are introducing the new technology in their transportation industry.
Paul Badoo, Managing Director of POBAD Int. Ltd explaining how the electric vehicle charging system works
Speaking at the launching of the initiative, Managing Director of ECG, Kwame Agyeman-Budu, said his outfit had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with POBAD International Ltd to pilot the operations of EV charging system in strategic locations in Accra over the next three months.
Mr Agyeman-Budu who speech was read for him by his deputy, Ing. Jones Ofori Addo said the pilot would afford ECG the opportunity to carry out a thorough engineering and commercial studies into the effects of the EV charging system on EC’s electricity distribution networks, the energy consumption rate of the different charging systems and any other issues.
According to him, the results from the pilot would guide all interested parties, namely automobile dealers, EV charging companies, EV users, regulators and policy makers to contribute meaningfully to the development of the EV subsector in Ghana.
Mr Agyeman-Budu said the EV sector provides enormous opportunities not only for ECG but also for the corporate and business community in Ghana.
“We wish to call on the Ghana Standards Authority, the Energy Commission, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) and other relevant bodies and institutions to work together with ECG to develop standards and regulations to guide and govern the growing EV sector in Ghana,” he said.
Managing Director of POBAD International Ltd, Paul Badoo said his outfit would also partner with the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) to replicate the initiative in the Northern part of the country.
So far, the company has installed two EC charging sites at the A&C Mall in East Legon, Accra, and Stanbic Heights, Airport City.
“More of these sites will be completed in 2021,” he said.
The company plans to install ultra-fast EV charging hardware which would charge electric vehicles between 15 and 30 minutes at their partner filling stations along the major highways to offer support to EV drivers when they travel between towns and other regions in Ghana.
“As we strive to serve clients’ cutting edge in Electric Vehicle charging technology, POBAD intends to install a few wireless EV charging hardware to prepare customers for the future,” Mr Badoo stated.
Touching on the payment option, he said “payment for the use of EV charge-up hardware will be strictly cashless.The use of a bank issued credit and debit card, or an authorised mobile pay Apps will be made possible when our integration with some financial service partners is completed in the near future.”
Ing. Jones Ofori Addo, Deputy Managing Director at ECG
Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy, Lawrence Apaalse, who represented the sector Minister, noted that the advent of EVs in the country would help to make good the utilisation of the excess energy the country has been paying for.
He allayed the fears of those who think that the electricity consumption by EVs could limit electricity supply to domestic consumption.
“Already, we have more than we need for our daily use and so filling in more demand would rather help us consume the excess we are paying for without utilising it,” he explained.
Mr Lawrence Apaalse, Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy
Mr Apaase commended ECG for the initiative, saying it would not only benefit individuals but also help Ghana by helping the country stay compliant with United Nations Development Goals especially Goal 7, which is about clean energy.
The Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the Energy Commission, Mr. Kofi Agyarko, who lauded the collaboration between ECG and POBAD International Ltd, assured the commitment of Energy Commission to ensure that standards and regulations are put in place soon to regulate the Electric Vehicle industry in Ghana.
Kofi Agyarko,Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the Energy CommissionNana Addo Tetebo, President of Ghana Electrical Contractors Association
Receiving the items on behalf of the victims, the Chief Executive of Ho Teaching Hospital, Dr. John Tampouri commended NPA for the donation and called on other companies to emulate the gesture, either in kind or cash to enable the hospital deliver befitting care to the gas explosion victims.
He was particularly grateful for the specific pharmaceuticals and medical supplies donated, as that they met the real needs of the fire victims.
He assured the NPA that the Hospital would use the drugs judiciously to reduce pain and suffering of the fire victims.
Dr. Affram Nelson, Head of Surgical Department at the Hospital, said all the 14 patients that were rushed to the hospital were in critical condition. “Three of the victims died, two were transferred to Ridge Hospital in Accra and the remaining nine victims are currently receiving treatment at the Ho Hospital.”
He appealed to the general public to support the hospital construct a Burns Centre, adding that, “The ideal place to treat the victims is at a Burns Centre where we could give them some form of live support.”
He said upon his assumption of office in 2017, he directed the Ministry of Energy, together with the Bui Power Authority, to re-develop the hydro power generating stations, including that at Tsatsadu.
Speaking at the commissioning of the 45kW Tsatsadu Generation Station at Alavanyo-Abehenease in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region, President Akufo-Addo said the project is a demonstration of the commitment of his administration to develop the country’s energy resources.
The Tsatsadu project was initially designed as a 30kW stand-alone system, but was redesigned and upgraded to a 45kW grid-connection system based on the outcome of the additional studies.
The project was funded through BPA’s internally generated fund of US$400,000 with support from the Danish and Chinese governments through the Renewable Energy Technology Transfer (UNDP-RETT) Project.
The 45kW Tsatsadu Micro-hydro Generation Station was constructed by local young engineers of the Bui Power Authority.
The Paramount Chief of Alavanyo, Togbuiga Tsedze Atakora was full of praise for President Akufo-Addo and Minister for Energy John-Peter Amewu for the numerous development projects in the area.
He said the people were particularly happy that through his leadership and the support of other institutions the recurring problems of Nkonya Alavanyo clashes was not happening.
“Mr. President, the only two things God deprived me of are dancing and singing. If I had a beautiful voice and good dancing skills I would have sung and danced to appreciate you”, he added.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
The 45kW Tsatsadu Micro-hydro Generation Station was constructed by local young engineers of the Bui Power Authority.
The Bui Power Authority collaborated with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the International Network on Small Hydro Power of China (IN-SHP) and Ghanaian Energy sector agencies to execute the project.
Bui Power Authority expresses its appreciation for the support from the Paramount Chief and people of Alavanyo and the Foyer de Charité Catholic Retreat Centre in releasing the portion of their land required for the project.
According to him, the results from the pilot would guide all interested parties, namely automobile dealers, EV charging companies, EV users, regulators and policy makers to contribute meaningfully to the development of the EV subsector in Ghana.
Mr Agyeman-Budu said the EV sector provides enormous opportunities not only for ECG but also for the corporate and business community in Ghana.
“We wish to call on the Ghana Standards Authority, the Energy Commission, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) and other relevant bodies and institutions to work together with ECG to develop standards and regulations to guide and govern the growing EV sector in Ghana,” he said.
Managing Director of POBAD International Ltd, Paul Badoo said his outfit would also partner with the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) to replicate the initiative in the Northern part of the country.
So far, the company has installed two EC charging sites at the A&C Mall in East Legon, Accra, and Stanbic Heights, Airport City.
“More of these sites will be completed in 2021,” he said.
The company plans to install ultra-fast EV charging hardware which would charge electric vehicles between 15 and 30 minutes at their partner filling stations along the major highways to offer support to EV drivers when they travel between towns and other regions in Ghana.
“As we strive to serve clients’ cutting edge in Electric Vehicle charging technology, POBAD intends to install a few wireless EV charging hardware to prepare customers for the future,” Mr Badoo stated.
Touching on the payment option, he said “payment for the use of EV charge-up hardware will be strictly cashless.The use of a bank issued credit and debit card, or an authorised mobile pay Apps will be made possible when our integration with some financial service partners is completed in the near future.”
