Ghana’s power distribution company, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has confirmed payment of the Government of Ghana’s (GoG’s) indebtedness.
It said the payment was made at the end of December 2019.
This follows controversy surrounding the announcement by Energy Minister, John-Peter Amewu, last Tuesday, that the Government of Ghana has paid its indebtedness to the ECG as at the end of December 2019.
A statement signed by the Managing Director of ECG, Kwame Agyeman-Budu indicated that a reconciliation exercise, which was undertaken by the ECG, with its suppliers, revealed that the GoG owed it an amount of GHS 2.63 billion as at the end of 2016.
According to the statement, the ECG further realised that between 2017 and 2019, the GoG averagely paid GHS2 billion directly to ECG’s suppliers, ie, VRA, IPPs and GRIDCo, to defray GoG’s indebtedness to the ECG.
“The total GoG account as at the end of 2019 has a credit balance of GHS505.8 million,” the statement said.
“It is also important to add that GoG has also paid an amount of GHS4.1 billion directly to various fuel suppliers and power producers and is yet to be credited to GoG’s account under the ongoing reconciliation exercise,” it added.
As the price of a Brent barrel is trading at nearly half of what it was at the beginning of the year, Royal Dutch Shell Plc (NYSE: RDS.A) is planning on offering some staff voluntary severance, according to Bloomberg sources.
In a note to its staff, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said that the Dutch oil major was working to become leaner and more resilient, according to the Bloomberg sources who saw the correspondence.
The move comes after Shell cut its dividend in April for the first time since 1945—by two-thirds—in what even Shell considered an “inevitable moment” given the oil price route and uncertainty around demand. Shell also cut spending in March, by $5 billion per year compared to 2019 levels, to $20 billion.
Shell may also make more job cuts in the second half of the year, the sources said.
Shell said it would “go through a comprehensive review of the company,” adding that “where appropriate, we will redesign our organization to adapt to a different future and emerge stronger,” Shell told Bloomberg today.
The oil price crunch has caused almost all companies to take a look at their financial plans.
Already, the oil and gas industry in Texas alone has seen more than 30,000 jobs cut, and that figure is weeks old and will likely grow. Even as the United States begins to emerge from its restrictive lockdowns that has taken a chunk out of oil demand, it is widely expected that this demand will not snap back full force in the coming weeks, and many oil and gas companies—including the national oil companies–are prudently reviewing how their current strategies will fit into this gloomy outlook on oil demand and are making painful changes as necessary.
Source: Oilprice.com
Consumers of gasoline and gasoil in the Republic of Ghana will soon have to pay more than the current average pump price of GH¢4.01 per litre for fuel, the Institute of Energy Security (IES) has predicted, citing a surge in prices on the international market.
The energy think-tank believes that the national average price of Gh¢4.01 per litre for petrol might be the lowest to be recorded in 2020 and that motorists must prepare to part away with roughly GH¢5.0 for a litre in the coming weeks, as Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are likely to adjust pump prices to reflect changes on the international scene.
“Ghana, just like other consuming countries, has enjoyed some relatively low fuel prices since January 2020 when the Coronavirus broke out and brought about movement restrictions and low economic activities, resulting in oil and fuel demand destructions.
Price of gasoline (petrol) which stood at GH¢5.36 (US$0.9) per liter in January 2020 is currently going for GH¢4.01 per liter on average terms; suggesting approximately, a 25 percent drop in local gasoline price since January. But the gains consumers have enjoyed since January may be eroded, as the prices of oil and fuels on the international market takes an upward journey,” a statement issued by IES said.
The increase, according to IES, is imminent and this could prove very challenging for Ghanaians already being battered by an upward spike in food prices and a slowdown in economic activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And given that any rise in fuel prices has a multiplier effect on the price of food items and other consumables, the plight of the citizenry would further worsen.
Although local prices are also influenced by the cedi’s performance against major trading currencies like the United States dollar, IES is of the view that the international benchmark Brent crude, which last Monday surged to US$34.8 per barrel: the highest level since March when Saudi Arabia and Russia’s price war began, does not portent well for domestic consumers.
“It is unclear though, but if international prices continue the surge at the current rate to top US$35 per barrel, the benefits so far enjoyed at the local pumps may begin to diminish. It is insightful for consumers to note that the low fuel prices currently displaced at the pumps is basically the result of said Coronavirus depressing fuel demands, and has absolutely nothing to do with government interventions.
Fuel consumers must therefore brace for an upward and a possible turbulent drive in next few months, should the recovery from the damage to demand on the international oil and fuel market be much quicker, resulting in higher international oil and fuel prices,” the statement said.
Additionally, the argument for higher prices is based on the fact that Standard and Poor’s Global Platts benchmark for fuels also shows average gasoline and gasoil (diesel) prices has moved upward by roughly 55 percent and 33 percent respectively, since May 11 when the last pricing-window closed in Ghana.
As of May 18, spot price closed at US$314 per metric tonne – US$37.6 per barrel – compared to the average price of US$203 per metric tonne – US$24.3 per barrel – recorded a week earlier.
Diesel, meanwhile, has not been spared from the upward movements, as it closed trading on Monday at US$288 per metric tonne, US$38.6 per barrel.
The jump in prices, the statement added, is a reflection of production output cuts initiated by the OPEC group, and hopes that the relaxation of lockdowns around the globe will boost the demand for oil and fuels like gasoil, gasoline, and jet fuel.
“The combination of production curbs and demand recovery is expected to ease off the oil glut which is impacting negatively on oil producers in particular; seeing that Brent crude tumbled from roughly US$66 per barrel in early January to as low as US$19 in late April,” IES said.
Source: B&FT
The Chamber of Independent Power Producers Distributors and Bulk Consumers (CIPDiB) has commended the Government of Ghana for settling its electricity bills owed the power distribution company ( ECG).
According to the Minister for Energy, John-Peter Amewu, the government had paid over GHS2 billion debt owed ECG.
A statement signed by the CEO of CIPDiB, Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor described the government’s action as commendable.
Related story:
“We would like to commend the government for having settled all its indebtedness and more to the ECG.
“By this singular act, the government is making the ECG financially sound to be able to settle its debts to creditors such as the Independent Power Producers whose debts have remained outstanding for far too long,” he said.
The Chamber called on other institutional and household debtors to the ECG to take a cue from this act by the government by paying clearing their debts to ECG in order to make it financially stable to deliver on its mandate of providing stable electricity supply to its customers.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s largest second state power producer, Bui Power Authority (BPA) has described as false media reports suggesting that it has burnt homes of residents of Lapla community in the Banda District of the Bono Region for tribal and political reasons.
A statement issued by the CEO of Bui Power Authority, Fred Oware, and copied to energnergynewsafroca.com, said: “The Authority wishes to state in no uncertain terms that this is totally misleading.”
According to him, the demolition exercise in question was in accordance with the BPA’s policy of evicting unauthorised persons within the buffer zone around the Bui Reservoir to save the operations of the Bui Generating Station (BGS).
October 10, 2019 – Meeting with Migrant Fishermen at Lapla Fish Landing Site
“There were no and will never be prejudices against any particular tribe or political affiliations. BPA only carried out its legal mandate in the administration of its acquired lands. The area had been earmarked for a Landing Site Development Project which began in 2019 to facilitate the work of the Ghana Naval Team of the National Security Detachment deployed at BGS. Therefore, it is erroneous to report that the demolition was for the purposes of an ultramodern restaurant as was alleged in the media stories,” he explained.
Mr Oware made references to series of meetings the Authority had held with a group of migrant-fisherfolks with the sole aim of explaining the dangers they posed to the BGS and why they had to vacate the area to the designated area for fishing.
November 18, 2019 – Meeting with Bongase Leaders on the eviction at the Bongase Palace
“The first of such meetings was held on October 10, 2019, at the location in question where a two-month notice to vacate the area was issued. On November 18, 2019, another meeting was held with the traditional leaders of Bongase to explain the need for the migrant-fisherfolks to leave that area. Subsequently, on December 4, 2019, at the request of the migrant fisher-folks, the deadline was extended to January 31, 2020.
“Consequently, the final warning was issued on April 1, 2020, with the inscription: ‘REMOVE BY MAY 15, 2020’ on ALL the structures. Most of them left during the notice period. U
“Unfortunately, some migrant-fisherfolks failed to adhere to the notice, prompting the Authority to issue a three-day ultimatum on May 15, 2020, which culminated in the demolition exercise, paving way for the Landing Site Development Project to continue,” he said.
Final Meeting on May 15, 2020 to mobilize and leave
Mr. Oware said the Authority sympathises with the affected people, but said: “It must be emphasised that we also have a responsibility to protect the reservoir and ensure the efficient running of the generating station.
“We pray that such encroachment would not happen again,” he concluded.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Today, millions of litres of used cooking vegetable oils are wasted—thrown away unceremoniously by households and businesses across the globe without realising that it forms a valuable part of the green economy where resources such as biofuels are becoming a valuable commodity.
These used edible oils, known as Waste Vegetable Oils (WVOs), can be converted into biodiesel, which together with bioethanol, biowaste and other renewable sources form part of biofuels—a complementary and alternative energy source to fossil fuels.
Unlike ordinary diesel, biodiesel is clean-burning and, according to analyst firm ResearchGate, provides exceptional engine performance with more lubricity while also emitting less carbon dioxide and other toxic gasses. In fact, according to ResearchGate, biodiesel reduces net carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by up to 78% (per lifecycle) compared to ordinary diesel.
Worldwide, the production and use of biodiesel are also gaining momentum as countries move towards reducing waste and recycling where possible while also finding ways to lessen their dependence on crude oil-based products. It is estimated that the production of biodiesel will reach 41.4 billion litres by 2025.
In South Africa, there is a significant opportunity for entrepreneurs particularly those in informal and rural settlements to use WVOs or edible oils in the production and resell of biodiesel.
In Zambia, for example, a young entrepreneur has grown his business from 200 litres of biodiesel – produced from WVOs – to 3,000 litres per month, selling it to local customers for use in vehicles and machinery.
At SANEDI (South African National Energy and Development Institute), the Working for Energy (WfE) programme, in partnership with the Biofuels Business Incubator (BBI) – an incubator under the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) – aims to promote the development of the biodiesel industry and the concomitant skill development for the emerging economy.
As part of its mandate, the partnership has recognised the importance of WVOs and how it can be produced and converted into biodiesel as well glycerines, and thereby create a new industry and associated jobs.
David Mahuma, General Manager: Working for Energy Programme at SANEDI, explains: “Through the Biofuels Business Incubator, we are effectively adding value to waste oils. We are structuring the waste oil collectors to become biodiesel producers as opposed to on selling in the black market, as this is an unhygienic and potentially harmful practice.”
To support this incubation initiative, SANEDI’s WfE and the BBI have developed and deployed South Africa’s first mobile waste oil to biodiesel processing unit, which can reach waste oil collectors in their respective centres in urban areas thereby supporting community members in valorising this biowaste into something more environmentally benign.
“Through ongoing education and training, we’re hoping to incubate a flourishing biofuel industry where communities can all benefit from the collection and upcycling of biowastes into useable products such biodiesel and glycerine that offer viable alternatives to traditional fuels and other products, thereby and supporting the circular economy in a just transition,” Mahuma concludes.
In Africa?
Virtual pipelines deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG) in compressed tanks by roads, railways and waterways to locations not connected by physical pipelines.
This solution is being increasingly used where distance, terrain and demand do not justify an investment into a national or regional pipeline.
Approximately 44% of Africa is currently off-grid, with rural and remote areas lacking access to power. LNG has the potential to help meet the demand for electrification through small-scale power generation. Virtual pipelines have the potential to innovate the supply chain by tapping into multiple gas sources and distributing LNG regardless of conventional pipeline routes. Infrastructure inflexibility is limiting the possibility of utilising Africa’s abundant natural gas resources to provide new energy supplies to areas where demand is greatest. Virtual pipelines are also a viable option for overpopulated urban locations and for power plants where new pipeline infrastructure would not be feasible, or where demand is too low, or only required for a short period of time.
Virtual pipelines have been praised as an efficient, flexible and cost-effective way of establishing a gas market without significant capital outlay. Alongside reduced maintenance costs – NNPC estimate that they spent over N556 billion (approx. £1.17 billion) on pipeline repairs and maintenance between 2015 and 2019 – virtual pipelines are much quicker to implement and are not subject to project delays or stakeholder abandonment, which often plague traditional pipelines. There are also clear environmental benefits supporting the use of LNG as the cleanest burning fossil fuel, with many of the transportation tanks running off LNG.
It will be interesting to see if the uptake of virtual vs. physical pipelines across Africa gains traction. Globally, Argentina is using virtual pipelines for the Mendoza thermoelectric power plant which is powered entirely by LNG sourced from stranded gas wells and transported via trucks, and in India, ExxonMobil LNG has just signed a letter of cooperation with Chart Industries and Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) to accelerate gas access.
Current physical gas pipeline projects across Africa include:
Tanzania – Kenya Pipeline: this 558km gas pipeline will run from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa via Tanga and will meet a gas demand of 50 MMscfd
Nigeria – Morocco Pipeline: this project is set to involve 15 countries in West Africa and is due to start construction towards the end of 2020. It’s estimated the project will take 25 years to complete.
Richards Bay, South Africa: plans are in place for a LNG import terminal at Richard Bay with an expectation of first gas to land in 2024. Transnet are will repurpose existing pipelines to transport gas between Durban and Johannesburg.
For more on this dynamic topic, join the new Future Energy Series: Africa this November as we discuss “Bridging the Gap: Exploring the pivotal role natural gas and LNG will play in the transition”.
Source: Africa Oil Week
Nigeria may have recorded significant shift in energy consumption pattern with National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, data showing massive drop in kerosene imports while a significant increase has been recorded in diesel import.
According to a report by the Vanguard, the volume of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, importation rose marginally. Industry analysts believe that more consumers of kerosene are now moving to gas while more consumers are moving to diesel from petrol.
The NBS’s Petroleum Products Imports and Consumption (Truck out) Statistics Report released yesterday showed that the volume of kerosene imported in the full year ended December 31, 2019 dropped by 76 percent to 128.11 million from 537.6 million in 2018.
On the other hand diesel import, according to the report, rose by 21.7 percent to 5.15 billion litres in 2019 from 4.23 billion litres in 2018.
However, PMS recorded a marginal rise in import, which came higher by 3.7 percent to 20.89 billion litres in 2019 from 20.14 billion litres in 2018. Though this was the second consecutive YoY increase in PMS importation, the rate of increase has actually slowed against the significant 16.4 percent rise in 2018. The latest report stated: “
The Petroleum Products Importation Statistics for Full Year 2019 reflected that 20.89 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 5.15 billion litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), 128.11 million litres of Household Kerosene (HHK), 1.07 billion litres of Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), 45.98 million litres of Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) and 526.06 million litres of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) were imported into the country in Full Year 2019.”
“The NBS report further stated: “Zonal distribution of truck-out volume for Full Year 2019 showed that 20.58 billion of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 5.16 billion litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), 270.22 million litres of Household Kerosene (HHK), 1.05 billion litres of Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), 84.53m litres of Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) and 734.21million of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) were distributed nationwide during the period under review.”
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Oilfield services provider Halliburton has decided to cut its dividend amid uncertainties related to the duration of the market downturn.
Halliburton said on Wednesday that its board of directors had declared a 2020 second-quarter dividend of four and one-half cents ($0.045) a share on the company’s common stock payable on 24 June 2020, to shareholders of record at the close of business on 3 June 2020.
The decision to set the quarterly dividend at a lower level reflects the current market conditions and uncertainties regarding the depth and duration of this downturn, Halliburton explained.
Halliburton’s board of directors has also approved a 20 per cent voluntary reduction to their annual retainer. The board’s action follows salary reductions already taken by the members of the executive committee.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Halliburton, Jeff Miller, commented that: “Halliburton continues to take measures to strengthen our liquidity and financial resilience under the current circumstances. We implemented a $1 billion action plan to reduce overhead and other costs, lowered capital expenditures roughly 50 per cent from 2019 levels and accelerated the implementation of our North American service delivery improvement strategy”.
Miller continued: “Today’s dividend announcement reflects our commitment in the near term to deliver shareholder returns while maintaining a strong liquidity position. The dividend supports our shareholder value proposition by maintaining a reasonable payout as we navigate these uncertain times.
“More importantly, it places the company in a strong position, financially and structurally, to take advantage of the market’s eventual recovery”.
As previously reported, Halliburton has decreased its workforce by around 5,000 since the oil price collapse.
Halliburton started the year with 55,000 employees across the world, but the workforce has now shrunk to about 50,000 people, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from April 24.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
The Chief Executive Officer of Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors and Managing Trustee of the COVID-19 Private Sector Fund in the Republic of Ghana, Senyo Hosi, is appealing to individuals and corporate bodies to continue to donate their widows mite to ensure the speedy completion of the ongoing Infectious Disease Isolation and Treatment Facility.
The facility is located in the Ga East Municipal Hospital in Accra, the capital of Ghana.
According to him, an amount of GH¢7 million is needed for the completion of the nation’s first Infectious Disease and Isolation Facility.
The 100-bed facility, built under the auspices of the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund, and in collaboration with the Engineering Division of the Ghana Armed Forces, is part of the country’s effort to curb the spread of the Coronavirus and treat critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Ghana’s Coronavirus case count has reached 6,269 with 1,898 recoveries and 31 deaths.
Speaking to the media, Senyo Hosi said some GH¢20 million has, so far, been raised from donations with some GH¢7 million needed to close the financing gap for the project.
“On the funding, we’ve been able to raise about GH¢20 million for this project and we’ve also received other donations for other parts of our [COVID-19 Private Sector] initiatives which focused on feeding the vulnerable, resourcing and equipping frontline health workers, and we’re looking at about GH¢27 million in all and roughly US$4.5 million to wrap up the entire project,” Senyo Hosi explained.
“This week is a very important one and we need to raise a lot of funding to be able to meet about a GH¢7 to GH¢8 million financing gap that we need to work towards to cover the completion of this essential project,” he added.
Mr Senyo Hosi, therefore, called on the citizenry, businesses in the private sector, philanthropists and all to donate towards the COVID-19 Private Sector Fund towards the completion of the Infectious Disease Isolation and Treatment Facility project.
The Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund is an initiative that seeks to raise a minimum of GH¢100 million by a number of private businesses drawn from diverse sectors in the country to support the government’s efforts in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
The police in Dodowa in the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region in the Republic of Ghana have charged a staff of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), who shot and killed a suspected land guards’ gang leader, for murder.
The suspect, 37- year-old Thomas Oppong, a Mechanical Technician with TOR, has, thus, been remanded into police custody when he appeared before the Ashaiman District Court presided over by His Worship Charles Boateng.
Sometime in last week, energynewsafrica.com reported that Thomas Oppong allegedly engaged in a shootout with suspected land guards at the Green House Company Limited junction near Afienya.
That was when the suspected land guards, numbering about 20, allegedly stormed Thomas Oppong’s residence and attacked him and fired gun shots apparently to kill him but managed to escape.
He allegedly grabbed his licensed pump action gun and fired back, killing the leader in the process.
Sources within the suspect’s family told energynewsafrica.com that Thomas Oppong had been in dispute with the owner of DBS Roofing Sheet Company over the land on which the suspect’s house is situated.
The police, in a statement issued earlier and intercepted by this portal, said their preliminary investigation revealed that the Green House Ghana Ltd, where the deceased was an employee, had a land dispute with suspect Thomas Kwaku Oppong for some time now.
The statement continued that the deceased, on 13th May, 2020, went to the disputed land to inspect the company’s ongoing projects where he was alleged to have been shot by the suspect.
However, police in a statement of facts presented at the Ashaiman District Court did not touch on the fact that there was a dispute between the suspect and DBS Roofing Sheet Company over a plot of land but rather said the deceased, which the police claimed worked with Green House Estate Company, went to deliver a message from his boss to the suspect, and without provocation, the suspect went into his room, picked up his gun and shot and killed the deceased, Kwame Huzzey.
Energynewsafrica.com has posted the police statements for our readers to analyse.
Below is the first statement the police issued.
ALLEGED MURDER AT SHAI HILL’S
The Dodowa Divisional CID is investigating a case in which suspect Thomas Kwaku Oppong is alleged to have shot and killed Kwame Huzzey on 13th May, 2020 at Shai- Hills, opposite Green House Company Ltd.
The deceased was a security guard with Green House Company Ltd a company under One District One Factory at Shai- Hills, Afenya.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the Green House Company Ltd where the deceased
was working has a land dispute with suspect Thomas Kwaku Oppong for some time now. The deceased on 13th May, 2020 had gone to the disputed land to inspect the company’s ongoing projects where he is alleged to have been shot by the suspect.
The deceased was rushed to the Tema General Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The body has been deposited in the hospital ‘s morgue for autopsy.
Police retrieved 1 pump action gun, 6 live cartridges 2 spent cartridges and a short gun from the crime scene.
Suspect Thomas Kwaku Oppong is in Police custody assisting with investigations.
Below is the statement police presented at the Ashaiman District CourtSource:www.energynewsafrica.com
In response to the industry downturn, national oil companies (NOCs) are set to slash their exploration budgets by 26 percent on average this year, Wood Mackenzie said in an analysis on Wednesday.
The consultancy analyzed media announcements and tracked well plans of 11 large spenders among NOCs—three Chinese NOCs, Thailand’s PTTEP, Malaysia’s Petronas, India’s ONGC, Qatar Petroleum, Russia’s Rosneft and Gazprom, Brazil’s Petrobras, and Mexico’s Pemex.
Although all of those NOCs are axing exploration budgets in the near term, the measure is likely to be just a short-term move because exploration is an important part of NOCs business for the longer term, much more so than exploration is for the supermajors, WoodMac said.
NOCs invested on average 17 percent of their upstream budgets in exploration between 2015 and 2019, while the international oil majors spent an average 8 percent of upstream budgets on exploration in that period, according to Wood Mackenzie senior analyst Huong Tra Ho.
Many NOCs will cut spending on upstream exploration abroad, prioritizing domestic exploration and investments amid the industry slump and the global economic downturn in the pandemic, which weigh on oil and gas-rich countries.
“Most NOCs on the list carry strong government mandates. Many NOCs prioritise current revenue and contribution to government budgets at the expense of capital investments for the future. A dollar invested at home remains at home in the form of local employment, local services, taxes and government take,” Ho said in a statement.
In redrawing exploration plans, NOCs with limited discovered domestic resources could try to protect exploration budgets as much as possible. These are Petronas and China’s CNOOC, for example. On the other hand, Russia’s Rosneft and Gazprom, who have long reserve lives, are not as pressured to protect exploration spending from cuts, Wood Mackenzie said.
The exploration budget reductions at NOCs are likely only near-term measures in response to the industry environment, WoodMac said, adding that “We expect NOCs to revitalise their exploration programmes as the sector recovers.”
Algeria’s Minister of Energy, Mohamed Arkab, has underscored the need for the industry to accelerate the concretization of local training programs in the hydrocarbon industry to support important current and future oil and gas projects in the region.
Speaking during his visit to the Touat-Gaz group (70 km north of Adrar), the Minister called for accelerating the implementation of local programs for specialized training in hydrocarbons and related trades, in order to have a skilled workforce in the field.
Listening to a technical presentation on the creation of the gas group in question, with a foreign partner, and its entry into operation, in the production and marketing phase of natural gas, Mr. Arkab invited the managers of the Sonatrach and Sonelgaz groups to hasten the finalization of administrative procedures for the opening of a Hydrocarbons Institute in the wilaya of Adrar.
The objective being, he explained, is to offer young people specialized training opportunities in the sector, so as to both generate jobs and support important projects, current and future, of the sector in the region with a qualified workforce.
The Minister of Energy has also inspected the project to build a 110 km gas pipeline to supply power plants through the dairas of the wilaya. Mohamed Arkab valued this operation, which embodies the partnership between two public companies (Sonatrach and Sonelgaz), via Algerian skills and an Algerian energy transport network.
This operation should allow an energy transition, through the operation of power plants running on natural gas, instead of fuel oil, and therefore more efficient, noted the Minister.
The Minister of Energy continues his working visit by inspecting other energy installations in the wilaya.
The Government of Ghana says it has paid all debts it owed the country’s power distribution company, Electricity Company of Ghana up to December 2019.
According to the country’s Minister for Energy, John -Peter Amewu, the Akufo-Addo administration paid GHS2 billion annually to cover its bills.
Speaking at a press conference organized by the Information Ministry, Mr. Peter Amewu said the payment of the debts has given government credit balance of GHS500 million to pay for electricity bills for January to April 2020.
“In 2016 when the NDC left power, the total amount owed the ECG was GHS2.63 billion. The NPP government on assumption of office ensured that it was current on all bills incurred during its tenure from 2017 to date. Ladies and Gentlemen, on the average, government under H. E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has paid two million annually to cover its bill with the Electricity Company of Ghana. Indeed, at the end of 2019, all government bills with ECG had been paid and government had a credit balance of GHS500 million with ECG. Ladies and Gentlemen with an average bill payment of about GHS100 million per month, the credit balance of over GHS500 million is enough and more than enough to pay for government bills from January to April 2020.”
The Minister added that should the Power Reconciliation Exercise be completed, government will be in a conformable position to inform viable consumers of electricity that the energy sector is gradually moving out of debt.
“It is also interesting to note that an unreconciled additional payment of GH¢4.14 billion has also been made to various small suppliers of power producers which is yet to be credited government under the ongoing Power Reconciliation Exercise,” he added.
He has urged its customers to practice energy consumption habits during their stay at home amid the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s Coronavirus case count has reached 6,269 with 1,898 recoveries and 31 deaths.
Speaking to the media, Senyo Hosi said some GH¢20 million has, so far, been raised from donations with some GH¢7 million needed to close the financing gap for the project.
“On the funding, we’ve been able to raise about GH¢20 million for this project and we’ve also received other donations for other parts of our [COVID-19 Private Sector] initiatives which focused on feeding the vulnerable, resourcing and equipping frontline health workers, and we’re looking at about GH¢27 million in all and roughly US$4.5 million to wrap up the entire project,” Senyo Hosi explained.
“This week is a very important one and we need to raise a lot of funding to be able to meet about a GH¢7 to GH¢8 million financing gap that we need to work towards to cover the completion of this essential project,” he added.
Mr Senyo Hosi, therefore, called on the citizenry, businesses in the private sector, philanthropists and all to donate towards the COVID-19 Private Sector Fund towards the completion of the Infectious Disease Isolation and Treatment Facility project.
The Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund is an initiative that seeks to raise a minimum of GH¢100 million by a number of private businesses drawn from diverse sectors in the country to support the government’s efforts in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com 
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com 
