COVID-19: Africa Union Commission, IRENA Discuss Energy TransitionUnfortunately, the ongoing pandemic and the crash in oil prices have slowed the good progress that was made by the peace agreement signed by H.E. President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar. Economic stability and development remain critical to ensuring a successful and long-lasting peace, and the ongoing crisis gives an opportunity to address the fundamental vulnerabilities of the country’s economy. Politicians, energy stakeholders, and the international investment community must come together to think about adopting the right approach to ensure a sustainable recovery post Covid-19. In light of the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic across African oil markets, the Chamber has multiplied initiatives and efforts to bring relief and guidance to the industry. Since the start of the pandemic, the Chamber has notably published a Common-sense Energy Agenda of top key policy measures to support the industry, and a set of Guidelines for the Movement and Safety of Oil Workers amidst sustained travel restrictions.
South Sudan: African Energy Chamber Supports Fight Against COVID-19
The African Energy Chamber has provided financial and material support to the government of South Sudan to support its efforts to respond to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
South Sudan’s Coronavirus case count is currently nearing 1,000, with 10 confirmed deaths.
The donation comprised a cash grant and sanitizing products, and represents the long-standing commitment of the Chamber towards the prosperity of South Sudan.
It was received in Juba by H.E. Daniel Awow Chuang, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Petroleum, who will in turn coordinate the relief action with the Ministry of Health.
“It is our wish at the Chamber that our contribution will support the laudable ongoing efforts of the government of South Sudan to respond to the pandemic,” NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman at the African Energy Chamber stated.
“This ongoing pandemic goes beyond the oil sector only and we are calling for a much broader support for South Sudan, its workers and its refugees. Short-term relief is critical to the country, especially when it comes to alleviating the economic pain caused by the pandemic and felt throughout the country,” concluded Ayuk
Nigeria: Pump Price Of Petrol Slashed Again
Nigeria’s Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has announced a reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N121.50 from N123 per litre.
This is the second time the agency has reduced the pump price of petrol within two months.
According to its guidelines price for the month of June 2020, the ex-depot price band is now N100. 13 and N108. 13 per litre while ex-depot for collection is N108. 78 and N111.78 per litre.
In a memo titled “A.4/9/017/C.2/IV/701 31“, the agency urged all marketers to operate within the indicative prices.
The PPPPRA said, “Please recall the recently approved pricing regime which became effective 19th March 2020 and the provision for the establishment of a monthly price band within which Petroleum Marketers are expected to sell PMS at the retail stations.
Dubai Making Headway Against Its Clean Energy Strategy 2050
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced that the emirate’s transition to clean energy, targeted at 7% for 2020, has been exceeded, with 9% of the regions 11,700MW electricity requirements powered by solar, and other renewables.
The achievement exceeds the target set in the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy sources by 2050.
The share of clean energy is in large part thanks to the 1,013MW of concentrated solar power (CSP), and solar PV contributed by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest such facility in the world.
Zambia: ZESCO Limited, Power China Sign 600MW Solar Power Plant ContractTotal capacity of the projects under construction at the park is 1,850MW from photovoltaic and CSP, with DEWA predicting capacity topping 5,000MW by 2030. “Since its launch, the solar park’s projects have received considerable interest from global developers, which reflects the confidence of investors from around the world in DEWA’s major projects,” Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA said. According to Al Tayer, the power purchase agreement for the 900MW, 5th phase of the solar park with a consortium led by ACWA Power and Gulf Investment Corporation, was recently signed. He added: “The total investments of the project exceed AED 2 billion. The project achieved a new record by receiving the lowest international bid of $1.6953 cents per kilowatt-hour using photovoltaic solar panels based on the Independent Power Producer model.” The solar park, which first commenced operations in 2013, powers 50,000 residences in Dubai, whilst reducing carbon emissions in the region by 214,000 tonnes annually. The project will feature the tallest solar tower in the world at 260 metres, powering 600MW of CSP capacity in the region, along with what DWA claims will be the biggest global thermal storage capacity in the world. It will also have 15 hours of storage capacity to boost demand management and resilience efforts. The fifth phase, expected to be commissioned in stages starting from Q3 of 2021, will have a capacity of 900MW using photovoltaic solar panels, to power a projected 270,000 residences in Dubai, and offset a projected 1.18 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
Breaking News: Fuel Tanker Catches Fire At Gomoa Buduatta (Video)
Report reaching energynewsafrica.com indicates that a fuel tanker with registration number GT 4863-11 is in flames at Gomoa Buduatta on the Kasoa-Winneba stretch of the Accra-Cape Coast Highway in the Central Region of the Republic of Ghana.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Eyewitnesses say the incident has resulted in a serious vehicular traffic in the area.
Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service are currently at the scene to bring the fire under control
More soon
Eyewitnesses say the incident has resulted in a serious vehicular traffic in the area.
Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service are currently at the scene to bring the fire under control
More soon
COVID-19 Intensifies The Urgency To Expand Sustainable Energy Solutions Worldwide (Press Release)
Despite accelerated progress over the past decade, the world will fall short of ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030 unless efforts are scaled up significantly, reveals the new Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report released today by the International Energy Agency (IEA) the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the report, significant progress had been made on various aspects of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 prior to the start of the COVID-19 crisis. This includes a notable reduction in the number of people worldwide lacking access to electricity, strong uptake of renewable energy for electricity generation, and improvements in energy efficiency. Despite these advances, global efforts remain insufficient to reach the key targets of SDG 7 by 2030.
“Renewable energy is key to achieving SDG 7 and building resilient, equitable and sustainable economies in a post COVID-19 world. Now more than ever is the time for bold international cooperation to bridge the energy access gap and place sustainable energy at the heart of economic stimulus and recovery measures. IRENA is committed to scale up action with its global membership and partners to channel investment and guide policy intervention in pursuit of sustainable development for all humankind,” said Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The number of people without access to electricity declined from 1.2 billion in 2010 to 789 million in 2018, however, under policies that were either in place or planned before the start of the COVID-19 crisis, an estimated 620 million people would still lack access in 2030, 85 percent of them in Sub-Saharan Africa. SDG 7 calls for universal energy access by 2030.
Algeria: Gov’t Plans To Grow Solar Capacity Ten-Fold By 2025Other important elements of the goal also continue to be off track. Almost 3 billion people remained without access to clean cooking in 2017, mainly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Largely stagnant progress since 2010 leads to millions of deaths each year from breathing cooking smoke. The share of renewable energy in the global energy mix is only inching up gradually, despite the rapid growth of wind and solar power in electricity generation. An acceleration of renewables across all sectors is required to move closer to reaching the SDG 7 target, with advances in heating and transport currently lagging far behind their potential. Following strong progress on global energy efficiency between 2015 and 2016, the pace has slackened. The rate of improvement needs to speed up dramatically, from 1.7 percent in 2017 to at least 3 percent in coming years. Accelerating the pace of progress in all regions and sectors will require stronger political commitment, long-term energy planning, increased public and private financing, and adequate policy and fiscal incentives to spur faster deployment of new technologies An increased emphasis on “leaving no one behind” is required, given the large proportion of the population without access in remote, rural, poorer and vulnerable communities. The 2020 report introduces tracking on a new indicator, 7.A.1, on international financial flows to developing countries in support of clean and renewable energy. Although total flows have doubled since 2010, reaching $21.4 billion in 2017, only 12 percent reached the least-developed countries, which are the furthest from achieving the various SDG 7 targets. The five custodian agencies of the report were designated by the UN Statistical Commission to compile and verify country data, along with regional and global aggregates, in relation to the progress in achieving the SDG 7 goals. The report presents policymakers and development partners with global, regional and country-level data to inform decisions and identify priorities for a sustainable recovery from COVID-19 that scales up affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy. This collaborative work highlights once more the importance of reliable data to inform policy-making as well as the opportunity to enhance data quality through international cooperation to further strengthen national capacities. The report has been transmitted by SDG 7 custodian agencies to the United Nations Secretary-General to inform the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’s annual review. Key highlights on SDG7 targets Please note that the report’s findings are based on international compilations of official national-level data up to 2018 while also drawing on analysis of recent trends and policies related to SDG 7 targets. Access to electricity: Since 2010, more than a billion people have gained access to electricity. As a result, 90 percent of the planet’s population was connected in 2018. Yet 789 million people still live without electricity and despite accelerated progress in recent years, the SDG target of universal access by 2030 appears unlikely to be met, especially if the COVID-19 pandemic seriously disrupts electrification efforts. Regional disparities persist. Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia are approaching universal access but Sub-Saharan Africa lags behind, accounting for 70 percent of the global deficit. Several large access-deficit countries in the region have electrification growth rates that are not keeping up with population growth. Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have the largest deficits, with 85 million and 68 million unelectrified people, respectively. India has the third largest deficit with 64 million unelectrified people, although its rate of electrification outpaces population growth. Among the 20 countries with the largest access deficits, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Uganda showed the greatest improvement since 2010, thanks to annual electrification growth rates in excess of 3.5 percentage points, driven largely by a comprehensive approach that combined grid, mini grid and off-grid solar electrification. Clean cooking: Almost three billion people remained without access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking, residing mainly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Over the 2010 to 2018 period, progress has remained largely stagnant, with the rate of increase in access to clean cooking even decelerating since 2012 in some countries, falling behind population growth. The top 20 countries lacking access to clean cooking accounted for 82 percent of the global population without access between 2014 and 2018. This lack of clean cooking access continues to have serious gender, health, and climate consequences that affect not only the achievement of SDG target 7.1, but also the progress towards several other related SDGs. Under current and planned policies, 2.3 billion people would still be deprived of access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in 2030. The COVID 19 pandemic is likely to swell the toll of prolonged exposure of women and children to household air pollution caused by mainly using raw coal, kerosene or traditional uses of biomass for cooking. Without prompt action, the world will fall short of the universal cooking access goal by almost 30 percent. Greater access to clean cooking was achieved largely in two regions of Asia. From 2010 to 2018, in Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia the numbers of people lacking access fell from one billion to 0.8 billion. Central Asia and Southern Asia also saw improved access to clean cooking, in these regions the number of people without access dropped from 1.11 billion to 1.0 billion. Renewables: The share of renewables in the global energy mix reached 17.3 percent of final energy consumption in 2017, up from 17.2 percent in 2016 and 16.3 percent in 2010. Renewables consumption (+2.5 percent in 2017) is growing faster than global energy consumption (+1.8 percent in 2017), continuing a trend in evidence since 2011. Most of the growth in renewables has occurred in the electricity sector, thanks to the rapid expansion of wind and solar power that has been enabled by sustained policy support and falling costs. Meanwhile, the use of renewables in heating and transport is lagging. An acceleration of renewables across all sectors will be needed to achieve SDG target 7.2. The full impact of the COVID-19 crisis on renewables is yet to become clear. Disruption to supply chains and other areas risks delaying deployments of wind and solar PV. The growth of electricity generation from renewables appears to have slowed down as a result of the pandemic, according to the available data. But they so far appear to be holding up much better than other major fuels such as coal and natural gas. Energy efficiency: Global primary energy intensity – an important indicator of how heavily the world’s economic activity uses energy – improved by 1.7 percent in 2017. That is better than the 1.3 percent average rate of progress between 1990 and 2010 but still well below the original target rate of 2.6 percent and a marked slowdown from the previous two years. Specific metrics on energy intensity in different sectors indicate that improvements have been fastest in the industry and passenger transport sectors, exceeding 2 percent since 2010. In the services and residential sectors, they have averaged between 1.5 percent and 2 percent. Freight transport and agriculture have lagged slightly behind. Achieving SDG target 7.3 for energy efficiency will require the overall pace of improvement to accelerate significantly to around 3 percent a year between 2017 and 2030. But preliminary estimates suggest that the rate remained well below that level in 2018 and 2019, making an even more substantial increase in the coming years necessary to reach the SDG 7 target. International financial flows: International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean and renewable energy doubled since 2010, reaching $21.4 billion in 2017. These flows mask important disparities with only 12 percent of flows in 2017 reaching those most in need (least developed countries and small island developing states). To accelerate renewable energy deployment in developing countries, there is a need for enhanced international cooperation that includes stronger public and private engagement, to drive an increase of financial flows to those most in need – even more so in a post-COVID-19 world. This is the sixth edition of this report, formerly known as the Global Tracking Framework. The preparatory work of this year’s edition was chaired by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Funding for the report was provided by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP).
Ghana: COVID-19: Commissioning Of 100-Bed Infectious Disease And Isolation Centre Rescheduled To June 30
The 100-Bed Infectious Disease and Isolation Centre project being undertaken by the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund, which was initially scheduled to be completed by the end of May, has been rescheduled due to some structural changes.
President of Ghana, H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo performed a virtual sod cutting ceremony for the U.S$3.5 million project on Friday, April 19, 2020.
The project was expected to be completed in six weeks.
However, a statement signed by Senyo Hosi, CEO of Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD) and Managing Trustee of the Ghana Covid-19 Fund, explained that the project has received recommendations from the Ghana Medical Association to improve the facility’s delivery status in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond, hence, the changes in the completion date.
The statement mentioned the incorporation of a level 2.5 scalable to a three biomedical laboratory in consultation with officials from the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Research.
The centre will have a total insulation for energy efficiency since the facility would be required to be climatically controlled throughout its use.
Again, it will have an application of ultra-violet radiation treatment of air entering and exiting the facility.
This is to ensure no contaminated air exits the facility.
Senyo Hosi stated that these additions are very critical to the output of the facility, noting that the inclusion of these improvements and notifications led to the need for more work and “has required us to revise our completion and commissioning date to June 30, 2020.”
He expressed appreciation to donors for their contribution towards the fund and urged those who have not yet contributed to do so.
“We call on all to join the campaign and donate any amount towards the completion of the project. Simply dial *718*25*219# and follow the prompts,” he encouraged the general public.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria: FG Pushes Conclusion Of Electricity Deal With Siemens
The federal government (FG) of Nigeria has directed several ministries to conclude the engagement with Siemens to commence the pre-engineering and concessionary financing aspects of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).
President Muhammadu Buhari has been informed on the commencement of the next phase of the deal with Siemens to upgrade the nation’s dilapidated power infrastructure.
The presidency instructed the Ministry of Power, the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, as well as the Bureau of Public Enterprise, to speed up the process with the German engineering firm.
“Our goal is simply to deliver electricity to Nigerian businesses and homes. Our intention is to ensure that our cooperation is structured under a government-to-government framework. No middlemen will be involved so that we can achieve value for money for Nigerians,” Buhari said.
An agreement had been signed in July 2019 to rehabilitate and then expand the country’s electricity grid, which experiences regular power outages. Nigeria has more than 13,000MW of installed electricity generation capacity but only 7,500MW is available and less than 4,000MW is dispatched to the grid each day. The partnership with Siemens will modernise the existing network before enlarging it until the country can produce and distribute 25,000MW. The project will be financed by concessionary loans covered by Euler Hermes Group SAS, a large provider of credit insurance, the statement said. The government will “on-lend” the funding to the shareholders of Nigeria’s power distribution companies and Siemens will have sole responsibility for selecting its contractors, the Presidency stated. According to the government, all discos have, directly, and through BPE, been diligently carried along over the last 15 months to understand in detail the challenges in the electricity systems, adding that the president has approved the release of funding for the first part of phase 1 of PPI to kick-off the pre-engineering and concession financing workstreams. The president noted that to ensure fairness and transparency of the intervention, he has also directed that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) should be engaged to assist in developing the commercial structure of the intervention, as well as in undertaking an independent company valuation of the discos.President @MBuhari has directed the Ministries of @PowerMinNigeria and @FinMinNigeria, and the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) to conclude the engagement with Siemens AG to commence the pre-engineering & concessionary financing aspects of the Presidential Power Initiative.
— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) May 27, 2020
Ghana: Minister Charges Oil Companies To Sit Up To Curb Spread Of COVID-19
Ghana’s minister in- charge of the Western Region, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, has charged oil and gas companies to sit-up to avert further spread of COVID-19 at Ghana’s Jubilee Field.
The Minister’s call follows the outbreak of Coronavirus at the country’s Jubilee Oil Field where 57 petroleum workers have tested positive for the contagious disease.
Speaking to journalists, Mr. Darko Mensah also charged the country’s upstream regulator, Petroleum Commission, to quickly ensure that oil and gas companies adhere to the COVID-19 protocols.
Ghana: Make Ghana National Gas Company A Subsidiary Of GNPC – ACEP Tells Gov’t“It is very important that the oil and gas industry in the Western Region which Ghana depends on is protected from any adverse effects of COVID-19. This is very important because when they go off the light also goes off. We wouldn’t get gas to power and fuel our vehicles and industries. So I believe that the oil companies are international companies who understand health and safety and therefore it is important and incumbent on them to make sure that they do the right thing. The Petroleum Commission that works closely with them should always be on the lookout to make sure that they practice the proper health and safety so that it doesn’t affect the Western Region and Ghana. Oil and gas companies need to sit-up, really sit-up.” Mr. Okyere Darko-Mensah also added that what is happening at the Jubilee Field may be as a result of somebody lowering the protocols and cautioned against that. “I know that immediately COVID-19 came, a lot of them were implementing the protocols. Even before you board the FPSO or even before you get onto the helicopter, you are quarantined for 14 days. But I believe that along the line, someone felt that it was too safe to be quarantined, that’s why we could see some of the infections. Currently, we know that we have 57 in the Petroleum sector. They have all been isolated now and we are hoping that those on board will appreciate the reason why they need to follow the protocols.” The Regional Minister also cautioned residents to adhere to the established social distancing protocols to aid what the health directorate is doing to curtail further spread of the virus in the region. “I know that immediately COVID-19 came, a lot of them were implementing the protocols. Even before you board the FPSO or even before you get onto the helicopter, you are quarantined for 14 days. But I believe that along the line, someone felt that it was too safe to be quarantined, that’s why we could see some of the infections. Currently, we know that we have 57 in the Petroleum sector. They have all been isolated now and we are hoping that those on board will appreciate the reason why they need to follow the protocols.” The Regional Minister also cautioned residents to adhere to the established social distancing protocols to aid what the health directorate is doing to curtail further spread of the virus in the region. Ghana’s Coronavirus case count has hit 8,070 with 2,841 recoveries and 36 deaths. Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Owusu Bempah Writes: ACEP Must Come Again
I’m puzzled by the attempt by Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) to reduce the operations of Ghana National Gas Company limited to a subsidiary of Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC).
ACEP after rejecting an endorsement of the GNGC to the Office of the President recommending the company to perform the role as the national gas aggregator, in a statement issued on 23 May 2020, urged government to make the Ghana National Gas Company, GNGC, a subsidiary of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, GNPC, as a response to the execution of the Gas Master Plan.
Not only is the ACEP statement attacking the decision by the presidency on the institutional alignment in the Gas sector farcical, but it also brings to the fore the mischief and disingenuous outrage that has characterized the operations of some of these industry players.
When you read the header and indeed parts of the presentation, it seems like ACEP is arguing for restoration of GNPC’s role as the Gas Aggregator, but eventually concludes with a recommendation that GNGC should be made a subsidiary of GNPC. They rely on the Gas Master Plan and GNPC’s “Balance Sheet” to support their recommendation.
Well, before the folks at ACEP prance around with their hideously ignorant and misinformed indicators, let’s get a few pesky facts out of the way:
1. The assertion by ACEP that GNPC can use their Balance Sheet to Finance GNGC’s Projects is not a sufficient reason for making GNGC a subsidiary of GNPC because it is the government of Ghana that affords both agencies the security for any financial transaction in the sector.
2. The Gas Master Plans (GMPs) are meant to address two issues: Design Optimization and Operational Optimization. The current Gas Master Plan addresses only the former. Ghana Gas Team and their counterparts from Trinidad and Tobago have addressed the latter. Furthermore, a GMP is also a working document, which requires regular update.
3. None of the supply and demand data in the GMP are applicable. The infrastructure plan is also obsolete, and needs revision. However, some of the recommendations and procedures are still worth considering. It will also require an expanded scope to include operational optimization”.
4. Ghana Gas’ core business has three key components – Daily operations, which takes about 80% of the life-cycle time, periodic Maintenance which takes about 10% of the time and occasional expansion which takes the remaining 10% of the life cycle time. So Ghana Gas’ key job description is to deliver gas for power generation for Ghanaians, through reliable and uninterrupted operations. Not necessarily expansion projects.
5. Ghana’s Gas industry still riddled with legacy that; and Ghana Gas is owed the most by sister agencies. This is a very unusual circumstance by any standard. ACEP should be providing ideas to address this recurring legacy problem in the sector, instead of espousing short sighted band-aid solutions.
6. It is important not to base lasting policy decisions, including Institutional Arrangements, just on ability to Finance new facilities or expansion of existing ones or someone’s Balance Sheet as suggested by ACEP.
7. The 4 year-old GMP is hardly fit for purpose and requires an update and therefore cannot be used as bases for such recommendation by ACEP.
In essence, I will urge ACEP to consider checking the recommendations of the Gas Master Plan (2016) again. A gas masterplan is essentially a composite document which provides a roadmap for achieving the most cost-effective solution for infrastructure design (Design Optimization) based on gas supply and demand forecasts; and minimization of operating cost for operational planning (Operational Optimization).
Ghana: BOST Margin Increased From Ghp 3 To Ghp 6 Effective June 1
Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has directed Oil Marketing Companies to increase the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Margin on petroleum products from 3 pesewas to 6 pesewas
According to a Memo signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Hassan Tampuli, the directive is in line with a decision taken by Cabinet and Communicated to the National Petroleum Authority.
“We write to inform you of a review of the BOST Margin in the Price Build Up (PBU) of Petroleum products effective June 1, 2020. This is in line with a decision taken by Cabinet and communicated to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) by the Ministry of Energy,” the Memo said.
It said all the various petroleum products from Petrol to Kore Mines are expected to apply the new levy of 6 pesewas.
It would be recalled that the National Petroleum Authority in December 2019, directed Oil Marketing Companies to increase the BOST Margin from 3 pesewas to 6 pesewas.
The increment was however resisted by some civil society groups led by Chamber of Petroleum Consumers.
This forced the government to reverse the decision.
However, following a recent tour of BOST Depots by officials of some civil society groups including COPEC, IES, ACEP and IMANI they all agreed to the need to increase the Margin to enable the company rehabilitate its critical infrastructure which had been in deplorable state for years.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: MiDA To Construct US$1.5 Million Testing Lab For GSA
The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) has announced that it is funding the construction of an Air Conditioner Test Containment Building and Testing Laboratory for the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) at the cost of U.S$1.5 million.
The project, which will be sited at the premises of the GSA’s head office in Accra, capital of Ghana, will take off on June 1. It is being funded by Millennium Challenge Corporation, an Agency of the United States Government.
Upon completion, the facility will support the Government of Ghana’s efforts towards implementing a national programme that will enforce performance labelling of ductless RAC systems.
It will also ensure that appliances meet a Minimum Efficiency Performance Standard (MEPS) and contribute to the efficient use of electricity.
The test laboratory would be equipped with a Balanced Ambient Room Calorimeter (BARC) Test Chamber for evaluation of the capacity and performance of Room Ambient Calorimeters (RACs), in accordance with the ISO 5151 Standards.
MiDA is also collaborating with the GSA on the development of Standards and Labels for 20 energy consuming electronic appliances.
A statement from the Communication and Outreach Unit of MiDA said in line with the project implementation process, a Kick-off Meeting was held at the GSA’s head office in Accra on Friday May 29, 2020.
It said the project’s stakeholders at the meeting indicated their readiness to ensure the completion of the project within the planned time schedule.
The meeting was also to certify that the stakeholders understood their roles and were aligned on the project’s objectives, expected deliverables and the working environment.
Present at the Kick-off Meeting were senior officials of the GSA led by Professor Alex Dodoo, Director General, officials of MiDA, led by Ing. William Amuna, Technical Controller, representatives of SMEC PTY, the Project’s Supervising Engineers and Messrs. GHS Housing limited, who has been contracted to construct the AC Test Laboratory.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: 57 Jubilee Oil Field Workers Test Positive For COVID-19
About fifty seven workers at the Jubilee Oil Field being operated by Tullow Ghana Ltd. in the Western Region of the Republic of Ghana have tested positive for Coronavirus.
This follows a contract tracing exercise after two subcontractors working with Tullow Ghana tested positive for the disease.
Tullow Ghana confirmed the latest development in a press statement.
Earlier, the Western Regional Director of Health, Dr. Jacob Mahama had said about 50 of the workers who were screened had tested positive and were asymptomatic.
Dr. Mahama added that the infected persons, likely to be working on the Kwame Nkrumah FPSO and MV Lancelot, are being isolated in Accra and Takoradi.
Tullow Ghana Ltd on Tuesday, May 26 confirmed two cases of coronavirus involving its subcontractors.
The company then initiated a general screening as a result.
Tullow had earlier it had been following strict quarantine procedures for all personnel working offshore including two weeks of government-approved quarantine.
The Western Region currently has 395 known infections.
Ghana’s COVID-19 case count has risen to 7,616.
Tullow Covid-19 situation
Mozambique: Total Secures $15 billion Funding For LNG Project
French oil major Total has secured approximately $15 billion in financing for the Mozambique liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, which is estimated to be worth more than $20 billion.
Total, along with 20 lenders, have reached an agreement for the first phase of senior debt funding of $14.4 billion.
Total expects the financing to be closed in the third quarter of this year. The signing of the $15 billion financing deal was scheduled for June and involves banks including, the Standard Bank Group, Société Générale SA and Rand Merchant Bank.
The U.S. Export-Import Bank has approved the $4.7 billion loan to the project, and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation will provide $3 billion.
Total acquired Anadarko’s 26.5% interest in the LNG project in September last year for $3.9 billion. The project is expected to produce 12.9 million tons of LNG per annum, with first LNG expected to come on stream in 2024. Offshore Area 1 contains more than 60 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas resources, of which 18 tcf will be developed with the first two trains.
Approximately 90% of the LNG production from the project is already sold to Asian and European buyers. Other partners in the joint venture include the state-owned energy company ENH, Mitsui from Japan, PTT from Thailand and India’s ONGC Videsh, Bharat Petroleum Resources and Oil India.
Operations at the Mozambique LNG project have been suspended to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Source: Africa Oil & Power
Nigeria: Group Opposes Removal Of TCN MD
Nigerian Power Consumers Forum (NPCF) has faulted the removal of Mr Usman Gur Mohammed as the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
According to the group, the action is likely to jeopadise the $1.661 billion multilateral agencies funded power projects in the country.
TCN is currently executing various projects across the country tending towards the expansion of the power transmission to 20,000 megawatts (MW).
The French Development Agency and European Union Grant was $500 million dollars, World Bank gave $486 million, AfDB gave $410 million, Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) brought $238 million and a grant to deliver capacitor bank in Abuja, Nasarawa and Lagos; World Bank is bringing another $27 million for the North Core Project.
Ghana: VRA To Clear 400 Structures For Construction Of Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam To CommenceAll the projects totalling $1.661 billion except the North East Transmission Project which has been kept in abeyance until security improved are at various stages of implementation because TCN now has the best implementation structure that has strengthened the confidence of these foreign financial institutions. The group argued that the removal of Mohammed, defeats the objectives of due process in the Federal Government’s establishments and the overall objectives of power sector reform. General Secretary of the NPCF, Comrade Michael Okoh, said: “President Muhammadu Buhari needs to immediately direct a reversal of the action to save the power sector from the budding dictatorship. “TCN was already a crumbling block in 2016 despite federal government’s $32 million dollars Manitoba Hydro International Nigeria Limited (MHINL) management contract, which was never the real MHI of Canada, to reform TCN. “With UG Mohammed at the top of affairs, the public utility firm has been reformed within three years and had attracted $1.66 billion investments to expand TCN capacity to 20,000 megawatts (MW) by 2023 through the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP),” he said.