At least fourteen people have reportedly been injured following an explosion at Mighty Gas Co. Ltd Filling Station in Ho, in the Volta Region, Republic of Ghana.
The victims are currently receiving treatment at the Ho Teaching Hospital.
The explosion occurred few minutes after 5am of Wednesday November 11, 2020.
It is not clear what might have caused the inferno.
Eyewitnesses say they heard the sound of an explosion at the station and drew the attention of residents who called the officials of the Ghana National Fire Service.
It took the swift intervention of the servicemen to douse the fire.
According to reporters, five drivers and passengers who were purchasing gas sustained various degree of burns.
Management of the filling station have temporarily halted operation with a ‘No Gas’ notice at the facility.
Ghana’s indigenous Oil Marketing giant, GOIL Company Limited, won big at the 7th Ghana Oil and Gas Awards ceremony held in Accra.
The company secured three major awards.
Apart from grabbing the covetous OIL MARKETING COMPANY OF THE YEAR award for the third consecutive year, GOIL Burma Camp Service Station was awarded the ‘PETROLEUM RETAILER/DEALER OF THE YEAR ‘for the second consecutive year.
GOIL’s Group CEO & MD, Kwame Osei-Prempeh was also adjudged ‘CEO OF THE YEAR’ for the DOWNSTREAM Petroleum sector.
Mr. Osei Prempeh was particularly honored for creating partnerships with allied sectors to expand and diversify the company’s operations as well as playing a key role in building on the best business practices in the industry.
The annual awards night is one of the largest initiatives dedicated to championing excellence in the Oil and Gas Sector. It also recognizes achievements from local and international Oil companies who are playing a defining role in advancing the sector.
Commenting on the awards, the MD & Group CEO, Mr. Osei-Prempeh, said GOIL will continue to serve the interest of all Ghanaians and provide quality products to the satisfaction of all customers.
He assured the public that GOIL will not relent in its efforts in providing the best of service.
Ghana’s Minister for Energy, John-Peter Amewu says the government is supporting investment towards the development of the country’s gas infrastructure to ensure significant shift from oil based power generation to gas based power generation.
According to him, there is the need to harness the abundant discoverable gas resources as the country gears towards industrialisation to ensure cheaper electricity.
Mr. Amewu said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy, Lawrence Apaalse, at the second day of the Ghana Economic Forum 2020 with focus on the energy sector.
The Ghana Economic Forum was under the theme: ‘Resetting The Economy Beyond Covid-19; Building Economic Resilience and Self Sufficiency’.
He said as part of a long term plan to ensure cheaper and cleaner energy source to support the country’s commitment towards the combat against climate change, steps have been taken to invest in nuclear power.
He said Ghana has included nuclear power in the energy generation mix and has initiated the process for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in the country.
“We have fulfilled the conditions of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Owner Operator of the first nuclear power plant (Nuclear Power Ghana) has also been established and currently in the process of identifying a suitable site, as well as an investor country for the construction of the first nuclear power plant,” he said.
Touching on steps the current administration has taken upon assumption of office, Mr Amewu said since 2017, the Ministry has ensured significant investments in the transmission network.
“These include upgrading the transmission lines in the Bono regions, high grid upgrade systems which are currently being extended from Tamale to Burkina Faso. GRIDCo is undertaking this with just a short stretch left to be completed,” he said.
Mr. Lawrence Apaalse, Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy
He added that just about a month ago, the President approved US$130 million grant for ECG to replace the obsolete equipment, which changes are ongoing. They are introducing the VIT Systems to forestall complete shutdown of area lines in case of local power problems.
In the area of power contracts, Mr Amewu said the government has successfully renegotiated the price of some power agreements downwards and has reduced capacity charges by over 30 percent, stressing that negotiations are still underway for the remaining power agreements.
In addition to the long existing power export to Togo-Benin (120 MW) and the exchange arrangement between Ghana and La Cote d’Ivoire, the completion of the 225 kV Ghana-Burkina Faso Interconnection Project, is allowing the export of 140MW of power to Burkina Faso, making a total of 260MW export to our neighbours.
In the renewable sub-sector, Mr Amewu said the government realised that the previous administration signed Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to the tune of 2,265MW, with an average price of Cents19/KWh.
However, Mr Amewu said this government has reduced the capacities from 2,265MW to 515MW, which can be accommodated within the country’s electricity network.
“We have also re-negotiated and reduced the price/KWh from an average of Cents19/KWh to Cents12/KWh. Our ultimate goal at the Ministry is to achieve tariffs below Cents10/KWh, for which reason we are further engaging with scheduled PPAs. Other actions we have taken include developing a Renewable Energy Master Plan which clearly provides the capacity and investment required on yearly basis,” he said.
Mr Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo, Director Renewable and Alternative Energies at the Ministry of Energy
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Tullow Oil Plc. has completed the sale of its assets in Uganda to Total, raking in some $500 million.
A statement issued and posted on the company’s website said Tullow is also due to receive a further $75 million when a Final Investment Decision is taken on the development project, plus contingent payments linked to the oil price payable after production commences.
The closing of this transaction follows the satisfaction of all deal conditions announced on 21st October, 2020, which included the execution of the binding Tax Agreement, the approval for the transfer of Tullow’s interests to Total and the transfer of operatorship for Block ‘2’.
Although Tullow will retain a financial link to the development project, through the potential contingent payments, the closing of this transaction marks Tullow’s exit from its licences in Uganda after 16 years of operations in the Lake Albert basin.
Tullow now has a net debt of $2.4 billion and available liquidity of $1 billion.
Rahul Dhir, CEO, and Les Wood, CFO, will lay out their plans for the Group in the coming years at a Capital Markets Day on 25th November, 2020.
Commenting on the deal, Rahul Dhir, Chief Executive Officer of Tullow Oil Plc, said: “The closing of our transaction with Total clearly evokes mixed emotions within Tullow. While we are sad to be exiting Uganda after many years, the $575 million of proceeds form an important part of our plan to strengthen Tullow’s balance sheet and improve our financial position. We will watch the progress of Uganda’s oil & gas industry with much interest and all of us at Tullow wish the people and Government of Uganda and our former Joint Venture Partners every good fortune as they take this important project forward.”
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
South Africa’s utility company, Eskom, has reported that there was cable theft at Groenvoerlande substation outside Free State, which resulted in fire outbreak.
The incident happened at about 2am, Tuesday, and it led to curtailment in power supply to parts of Bethlehem.
A statement issued by Eskom said the fire had been contained after causing excessive and costly damage to infrastructure at the substation.
“Eskom condemns such unacceptable acts of theft and vandalism,” the company said in the statement.
Ghana’s Parliament has passed the Renewable Energy (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
According to energynewsafrica.com’s sources, the Bill was passed last Friday, November 6, 2020.
The West African nation passed the Renewable Energy Act 2011 (Act 832) to spearhead the promotion of Renewable Energy.
Section 25 (1) of the Amended RE Act 2011, Act 832 emphasises the need for competitive procurement scheme for the purpose of attracting a competitive market rates for electricity generated from renewable energy sources.
It states that the competitive procurement scheme shall consist of (a) a tendering process and (b) an auction scheme.
It adds that a public utility shall not negotiate for a Power Purchase Agreement with a generator of electricity or contract power for electricity generated from renewable energy sources, unless the contracted power has gone through an open competitive and transparent procurement process.
The Amended Act also makes it mandatory for fossil fuel based electricity suppliers and companies that contribute to greenhouse gas emission to invest in non-utility scale renewable energies to offset their greenhouse emissions.
“A fossil fuel based wholesale electricity suppliers, a fossil fuel producer, and any other companies that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions shall invest in non-utility scale renewable energies to offset their Green House Gas emissions and mitigate the impact of climate change.”
Section 53 of the Amended Act also empowers the Minister to designate any public entity to execute and manage RE projects initiated by the state or in which the state has an interest.
Accordingly the BPA amendment Bill has also been passed to enable BPA to undertake RE and other cleaner energy projects designated to them by the Minister.
The amended Act, also defines hydro as a water based energy system which produces electricity. By this definition, Akosombo kpong and Bui power dams are defined as renewables.
Speaking to the Director for Renewable and Alternative Energies at the Ministry of Energy, Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo, who confirmed the passage of the RE (Amended) Bill, said the Amended Act has scrapped feed-in-tariffs and replaced with a competitive bidding scheme.
A ‘feed-in-tariff scheme’ is a policy that obliges distribution utilities to buy electricity generated from renewable sources at a higher fixed price over a long period of about 20 years to guarantee return on investment.
He explained that at the time the RE Act was enacted, the cost of generating electricity from renewable especially solar was so high that distribution utilities were reluctant to buy the power and, hence, the need to introduce the feed-in-tariff policy to compel them to buy the power at a higher price of above 18 US Cents/kWh for distribution at a lower price. Today, price of electricity from utility scale renewable energy source is a good choice and should no more be an obligation.
He said, instead, there has been an introduction of a net-metering scheme for the purpose of encouraging self-generation of electricity from renewable energy sources on a power cost reduction or climate change mitigation basis and not for income generation.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
The Institute for Energy Security (IES), an energy think tank in the Republic of Ghana, has been adjudged the Policy Activist of the Year at the 2020 Oil& Gas Awards held in Accra.
IES beat Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) to emerge winner for the category.
According to the organiser’s, the energy think tank raised alarm about dirty and contaminated fuel on the market, particularly around Ashaiman, in the capital city, and advocated sanctions for the culprits.
They added that IES again, raised alarm about oil spillage and pair trawling on Ghanaian waters.
Commenting on the award, Executive Director of IES, Nana Amoasi VII said: “We are grateful to all Ghanaians and international bodies who have found IES as the preferred Energy think tank. Good work speaks for itself and we are happy it is being recognised. Our independent work is the reason for which the media have made us their first point of reference. We look forward to many more years of impact in the energy space.
“I dedicate this award to the young men and women at IES. I have come to admire their dedication to delivering top-notch analysis on energy related data, and critique of policies.”
The African Energy Chamber has announced the release of the African Energy Outlook 2021 report.
The report explores the forces shaping up continent’s energy market after the historic shocks of 2020, and analyses the upcoming recovery on the back of the global energy transition and persisting market uncertainties.
After a year of historic crisis, the Outlook offers guidance and solutions for African energy stakeholders to navigate troubled waters and support a strong recovery in 2021 and beyond.
The pandemic notably came at a particularly difficult moment in Africa, exacerbating already challenging market conditions on the back of a competitive American shale industry, the delaying of major projects due to regulatory uncertainty, and increasing global attention to decarbonisation.
The African Energy Chamber notably expects a CAPEX spending cut of $30bn over the 2020-2021 period, and has identified a further $80bn of investment whose sanctioning will depend on improving market conditions, along with bold policy and fiscal reforms from African regulators.
The report provides detailed information in areas of critical importance, and includes sections examining jobs and employment, cash-flow and profit forecasts, the expenditure and investment outlook, carbon emissions, oil and gas market projections, and regional production outlook. Pressing issues including notably the OPEC’s production cuts, ongoing regulatory reforms, the impact of the COVID-19 by region and country, and offshore drilling demand across multiple continental shelves are analysed in detail.
‘’It goes without saying that Africa has witnessed its fair share of difficult times this year. Even though oil and gas activities have taken a hit, optimism surrounding African projects, fiscal regime and investments still exist but requires all of us as stakeholders to do more. There has always been opportunity in drastic and unprecedented times, which gives us a lot to look forward to,” declared Nj Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.
The Outlook is the result of strong regional and international cooperation between actors of government, and public and private sector stakeholders across sub-Saharan Africa. It gathers the latest available data on sub-Saharan Africa’s hydrocarbons markets, and benefits from the insights of key local, regional and international companies, experts and economists, making it the most comprehensive resource to date on the future of African energy markets.
‘’The report highlights the expected outcome of post COVID-19 mitigation strategies to the African energy sector in 2021 and beyond. It also assesses Africa’s competitiveness compared with other frontiers, and highlights the countless opportunities that continue to emerge and exist across our entire energy value chain. We look forward to this report serving as a basis for sound decisions towards a thriving energy industry in Africa,’’ said Senior-Vice President, Verner Ayukegba of the African Energy Chamber.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria will lose $24 billion in investments in the oil and gas sector between 2020 and 2025, due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global petroleum industry, a report published by the African Energy Chamber has claimed.
The Chamber, in its African Energy Outlook 2021, disclosed that with the $24 billion loss of investments in the oil and gas sector, Nigeria would account for 30 per cent of the total of $80 billion loss of investments that would be recorded in the petroleum industry across Africa.
“The detrimental impact of COVID-19 on global energy markets is also expected to have an impact on African activity. Compared to pre-COVID19 expectation, about $80 billion less investments are expected in Africa towards 2025, with the years 2020 to 2022 carrying the brunt of the difference.
“Out of these $80 billion, Nigeria is by far the most adverse impacted country with about $24 billion moving out of the 2020-2025 windows,” the Chamber said.
The Chamber further projected a delay in the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, Train 7 project, as well as other gas projects in the country, occasioned by the pandemic, which had also negatively impacted the price and demand of crude oil in the international market.
According to the chamber, upcoming gas projects would take a hit and run a risk of delays, while it noted that some oil majors operating in the country had already started shifting the timelines for their gas projects.
It said: “The majority of the projects in Africa that were up for sanctioning were planned assuming an oil price of between $55 and $60 per barrel, bbl. The oil price currently hovering around $40/bbl therefore spells bad news, especially as the top upcoming Final Investment Decisions, FID, in Africa have a breakeven crude price of over $45/bbl, with some even close to $60/bbl.
“ENI and ExxonMobil have both stated that they will focus on developing projects with a breakeven crude price of less than $35/bbl.
“In its latest announcement, Shell distanced itself from deep-water mega-projects off the coast of Nigeria, placing the Bonga Southwest-Aparo, a 150,000 barrels of oil per day, bpd, Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading, FPSO, development that was soon coming up for FID, on the backburner for now.
“Upcoming gas projects will also take a hit and run a risk of delays. Although Nigeria approved the development of NLNG train 7 last year, the upstream gas developments that were planned to supply feedgas to this development might now take a back seat.”
However, the AEC projected that at a higher crude oil price of $50 per barrel, and additional investments of up to $10 billion, Nigeria would be able to produce a total of two billion barrels of crude oil between 2020 and 2030.
The chamber said: “With an additional capital expenditure of $10 billion in investment over the 2020-2030 period, the additional capital expenditure is estimated at $49 billion at the $35 /bbl threshold increasing towards $100 billion as the $50/bbl threshold is approached. “Breaking down the uplift in additional resources produced and the additional capital expenditure unlocked reveals Nigeria as the country with most potential. Nigeria will effectively be able to produce about 2 billion barrels more than otherwise while justifying $10 billion more investments.” However, the AEC stated that: “From a spend perspective, that is, all money spent on investments and operations, we can expect a more stable outlook for Africa’s share. While Africa is projected to consistently represent about 8-9 per cent of the global spend between 2012 and 2025, its share of global production is also expected to decline over the same period.
“Unfortunately, the only conclusion to be drawn from such facts is once again that of a deteriorating competitive position for African petroleum resources. With the exception of a few jurisdictions, producing a barrel of oil from African soil remains less competitive than producing the same barrel elsewhere,” the Chamber concluded.
Source: Vanguardngr.com
The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited in the Republic of Ghana, which was choking on huge legacy debts under the former administration, is now breathing as greater part of its debts has been cleared.
The state-owned strategic petroleum stock keeping company had a debt portfolio of about US$623,602,303 when the current administration took over in January 2017.
That comprised legacy trade debts (US $668million), GCB loan (GHS 58.4million), UBA loan (US$20million), Stanchart loan (US $137million), UMB loan (US $10million) and BDC’s claim ($36 million).
According to the current management of BOST led by Mr. Edwin Provencal, US $566,190,869 million out of the US623,602,303 debts was paid as at 30th June, 2019.
The company’s outstanding legacy debt now stands at US$57,411,434.
According to a document presented by Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, Deputy Energy Minister, at the Energy Manifesto Town Hall organised by CBOD, six out of 15 petroleum storage tanks which were not in used because of poor condition had now been repaired.
Among the other achievements of the current administration was the repair of one tag boat and two river barges which are currently operational.
The document also mentioned the ongoing depots upgrading, GRA tax savings of GHS11 million and the ongoing rehabilitation of Tema-Akosombo Petroleum pipeline.
The Governing body of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) convened virtually to chart the Agency’s course through challenging times
“The challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic are vast, evolving, and have changed all that we were accustomed to, at all levels, across the world,” said H.E. Dr. Bachir Ismael Ouedraogo Burkina Faso Energy Minister and Chair of the 19th and 20th IRENA Council, addressing more than 361 participants from 103 countries and the European Union.
“I wish to express my solidarity with all Members and the billions of people around the world that are impacted by this global pandemic.”
During the virtual meetings on 3 and 4 November 2020, delegates expressed their appreciation of IRENA and its Members for adapting to COVID-19 and ensuring that the Agency and its governing body meetings continued their work effectively during these unprecedented times.
In his opening remarks, IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said: “As the pandemic continues to rage with massive consequences on the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world– we can say with certainty that the imperative of the energy transitions has become even more apparent.
“IRENA, with its global membership and direct access to the wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise of its Members is uniquely placed to lead this effort,” he added.
Mr. La Camera presented the Annual Report on the Implementation of the Work Programme and Budget to the Council, including data from the most recent SDG7 Tracking Report, published in May 2020, which IRENA chaired in collaboration with the IEA, World Bank, and UN Statistics. The report showed that while energy access is improving, more than 800 million people worldwide still lack access to electricity, which the Director-General underscored as a clear call to action.
The Director-General also presented findings from IRENA’s ‘Post-COVID recovery: An agenda for resilience, development, and equality’ to the membership. The report, launched in June, provides a way to link the short-term response to the pandemic to the Paris agreement’s medium- and long-term goals. The report also points out the need to invest 2 trillion USD in the energy transition within the next three years to make a green recovery possible.
Following the Director-General’s remarks, IRENA’s Directors presented their work to the Council, highlighting the Agency’s work on innovation, policy, finance and project facilitation, socio-economic analysis, and country-level support. Members welcomed IRENA’s efforts, including the effective implementation of the work programme and its continued engagement with members during the global pandemic. H.E. Ms. Perina Sila, Ambassador of Samoa to Japan and Permanent Representative to IRENA chaired the IRENA Council’s Programme and Strategy Committee and commended the Agency’s leadership in guiding the energy transition through the pandemic by aligning recovery efforts with long term sustainable development goals and the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Delegates also highlighted the importance of the Agency’s Collaborative Frameworks and stated that they have “resulted in an effective multilateralism approach that delivers results” and considered it as another opportunity for the Agency to be more responsive to the priorities of the membership.
The Collaborative Frameworks bring countries together to identify priority areas, concrete actions and foster international collaboration on key issues such as the development of hydropower, strategies to support high shares of renewables, the future of the renewable hydrogen economy, ocean and offshore renewables and the geopolitics of the energy transformation.
The co-facilitators of the five Collaborative Frameworks reported back the outcome of the first two meetings of their respective Collaborative Framework to the Council.
Further topics discussed include IRENA’s role in the Climate Investment Platform and the Agency’s administrative and institutional matters.
Arrangements for IRENA’s 11th Assembly were also a matter of discussion, including an endorsement of the Council Chair’s proposal to establish an open-ended ‘High-Level Forum on Energy Transition’ at the Assembly.
The Council Chair welcomed the Director-General’s proposal for the opening day of the 11th Assembly to be established as World Energy Transition Day, which would take place on January 18th. The membership also agreed to establish ‘COVID-19 – Energy Transition’ as the theme of the 11th Assembly.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Democrat Joe Biden has won the November U.S. presidential election, according to several major networks. Here are some of the changes that could occur in U.S. energy policy under his administration:
International Oil Supplies
Biden has shown an interest in multilateral diplomacy similar to previous Democratic administrations. That could mean an eventual path for OPEC members Iran and Venezuela to get out from under Washington’s sanctions and start pumping again, if the right conditions are met.
In Iran, that path could include a partnered approach between Washington and Europe, similar to a deal struck under Obama’s administration.
In Venezuela, Biden appears likely to continue to favor sanctions to pressure the regime of President Nicolas Maduro, but could increase diplomatic efforts to end the impasse by negotiating a new election or power-sharing with the opposition.
Outgoing President Donald Trump’s unilateral sanctions on the two countries have taken around 3 million barrels per day of crude oil off international markets, a little more than 3% of world supply.
Biden’s campaign has not detailed how it would approach these issues.
Line To OPEC
Biden lacks the chummy rapport that Trump had developed with Saudi Arabia’s defacto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. That country is the biggest voice in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, meaning Biden may not engage as closely on the group’s production policy. He is also more likely to rely on quiet diplomatic channels for influencing OPEC than Trump’s Twitter-centered approach.
Biden’s campaign has not yet detailed how it would approach these issues, but any influence he would wield as president would likely be in service of the same goal – a moderate oil price. Any U.S. president needs affordable fuel for consumers. And for Biden, the price would need to be high enough to make clean energy alternatives to fossil fuels competitive in support of his ambitious climate plan.
Trump had been more engaged with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries than most of his predecessors. He has sometimes influenced OPEC policy with his tweets and phone calls, arguing for an oil price low enough for consumers but high enough for drillers.
His sanctions also weakened the influence of OPEC hawks Venezuela and Iran within the group, removing two big historical hurdles to a pro-Washington OPEC policy. That concentrated power with leading producer Saudi Arabia, along with Russia, part of the group known as OPEC+.
A Green Transition?
A Biden administration would look to re-enter the Paris Climate Agreement, an international pact negotiated during the Obama administration to fight global warming that Trump pulled away from saying it could hurt the U.S. economy.
Biden has also vowed to bring U.S. emissions down to net zero by 2050, including by bringing emissions from the power industry to net zero by 2035 – a goal that will be tricky to accomplish without a Democratic majority in Congress.
Biden’s view is that climate change is an existential threat to the planet, and that a transition from fossil fuels can be an economic opportunity if the United States moves fast enough to become a leader in the clean energy technology.
Trump’s administration had acted to weaken or eliminate emissions targets, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s softening of vehicle emissions standards, and its rescinding of former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan requiring cuts from the electric power industry. Transport and electricity together make up around half the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
While European oil and gas companies like BP and Royal Dutch Shell have already begun implementing strategies for a global energy transition, U.S. majors like Exxon Mobil and Chevron have remained focused on the traditional energy business – sheltered politically by Trump’s leadership in Washington.
Federal Drilling
While Trump had sought to maximize domestic oil and gas production, Biden has promised to ban issuance of new drilling permits on federal lands and waters in order to fight global climate change.
The United States produced nearly 3 million barrels of crude oil per day from federal lands and waters in 2019, along with 13.2 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas, according to Interior Department data.
That amounts to about a quarter of total domestic oil output and more than an eighth of total U.S. production of gas. A federal ban on new permits would mean those numbers trend toward zero over a matter of years.
There would also be an impact on public revenue federal oil and gas production produced about $12 billion in public revenue in 2019, divided between the U.S. Treasury, states and counties, tribes, and cleanup funds.
New Mexico, for example, received $2.4 billion in disbursements last year, much of it going to its historically underfunded education system. The state’s Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham told Reuters this spring she would seek a waiver from Biden’s government to allow continued drilling if he was elected.
Biden’s camp has been mum on whether such a waiver program would exist.
Source: Energyworld.com
Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Energy in charge of Petroleum, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam says the ruling party, New Patriotic Party (NPP), manages the country’s energy sector better than the opposition political party, NDC, anytime the former is in power.
According to him, when the NDC is in power, it mismanages the energy sector, but when the NPP takes over, it manages the sector very efficiently.
Making reference to the five years’ power crisis which the West African nation experienced between 2012 and 2016 under the NDC administration, Dr. Amin Adam, who is also the governing party’s Parliamentary Candidate for Karaga Constituency, said the NDC failed to make money available for the procurement of fuel to power the power plants.
He said upon assumption of office, the current administration stemmed the financial indiscipline in the sector and ensured that money was available for procurement of fuel.
“There has been debate as to whether we ended dumsor or the NDC ended dumsor, and I’m sure they may mentioned that when they appeared before you. But this is a confession by John Jinapor, the then Deputy Minister for Power, and this was a confession by him on October 26, 2016, when he conceded that dumsor was there. The cause, according to them, was financial which NPP had been drumming home about. Even when we also came into government, the first three to six months, we also had challenges because we were not going to stop dumsor overnight; we needed to put in place some measures so we had to, first of all, address the financial challenge of finding money to buy fuel to power our plants. The Nigerian gas was erratic, and most of the time, the gas was not coming and the NDC did not plan well to put in mechanism to flow our gas from the West to the East where we have most of the generation capacity. We had to find money to buy fuel to be able to fire the power plants,” Dr Mohammed Amin said at the Energy Manifesto Town Hall meeting organised by the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD) in Accra last Friday, November 7, 2020.
He said the NDC left huge legacy debts in the country’s sector including GHc2 billion debt at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
According to him, that debt had l been cleared by the current administration and also injected an amount of GHc4 billion into the operations of the ECG.
Apart from the power sector, Dr. Amin said the current administration has managed the downstream petroleum sector very well and ensured that there is availability of fuel products.
“We have also ensured that there is constant supply of petroleum products on the market and we have not had long queues that we experienced under the NDC at fuel stations. We have further improved on the quality of fuel supply and NPA has stood the test of time as afar as regulations are concerned,” he said.
Dr. Amin pledged the support of the governing party to ensure that there is constant supply of electricity when the NPP secures a second term in office in order for businesses to thrive in the post Covid-19 pandemic.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s largest state power generation company, Volta River Authority (VRA), is seeking to use digitisation to drive the next chapter of its growth.
It also wants to be the leader in the country’s electric vehicles space.
The state-owned power generator and supplier of electricity will mark its 60th anniversary in April next year, and it believes that the ever-changing landscape requires it to be digitally efficient and diversified to stay competitive.
“We recognise that digitisation will compel us to drive down our costs and therefore remain competitive. So, we will fully embrace it,” CEO Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa said at the 60th anniversary launch in Accra, on the theme: ‘Celebrating 60 years in the power business: Our legacy; our future’.
He added: “We also see a future in the electric vehicles space; we intend to be the leader in that space in Ghana. We will, therefore, collaborate with GRIDCo on continuing the development of a smart grid in Ghana to serve as the backbone of this digitisation effort.”
Among other things, the Authority is looking to vary its operations and generation sources and sees clean, cost-efficient, diversified sources of energy like solar, wind and biomass as the future in the energy space.
All these diversification and expansion efforts are to be achieved through technology, Ing. Darkwa said, adding: “Digitisation will facilitate the integration of these variable sources of power generation for effective operations. More importantly, technology will enable us to better monitor and maintain our generation assets.”
It also plans to convert the Akosombo Township into a smart city, and by so doing, make it the technology hub of the country; as well as harnessing the full potential of the 60MW Pwalugu Multi-purpose dam, which comes with an additional 50MW solar component.
Construction of the 17MW Kaleo/Lawra solar plants in the Upper West Region and similar ones at Ada, in the Greater Accra Region, and Anloga, in the Volta Region, among others, are also being pursued to support future growth and expansion of the VRA, Ing. Darkwa added.
Ultimately, he said it is the Authority’s goal to move beyond aid from government and become financially sufficient. This, he said, would be actualised through prudent management in line with its financial recovery plan introduced in 2017.
“While we are focused on our long-term plans, we also recognise that we are duty-bound to ensure there is adequate, competitively-priced electricity to support industrial and social development today,” he assured.
Commenting on the company’s relevance in the advent of digitisation and competition, he explained that they would resource their employees with new skill sets so they could be nimble and tech-savvy.
He stressed that VRA’s focus is to build a corps of human capital that is fit for the digital age.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Commenting on the awards, the MD & Group CEO, Mr. Osei-Prempeh, said GOIL will continue to serve the interest of all Ghanaians and provide quality products to the satisfaction of all customers.
He assured the public that GOIL will not relent in its efforts in providing the best of service.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com 
