South Africa: We’re Tackling Power Situation To Boost Economy-President RamophosaThe members of the committee include the Minister of State Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN) as Chairman; Minister of State Power, Godwin Jedy-Agba; Chairman, National Electricity Regulatory Commission, James Momoh; Special Assistant to the President on Infrastructure, Ahmad Zakari as the Secretary. Other members are Onoho’Omhen Ebhohimhen, Joe Ajaero (NLC), Chris Okonkwo (TUC) and a representative of electricity distribution companies. The committee’s terms of reference are to examine the justification for the new policy on cost-reflective electricity tariff adjustments; to look at the different DISCOs and their different electricity tariff vis-à-vis NERC order and mandate; examine and advise government on the issues that have hindered the deployment of the 6 million meters, among others. “During the two weeks, the DISCOs shall suspend the application of the cost-reflective electricity tariff adjustments,” the communique noted. Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria: Labour Unions Suspend Planned Strike As FG Puts Electricity Tariff Hike On Hold
The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have suspended their industrial action which was scheduled to commence today (Monday).
This followed an agreement reached with the Federal Government at a meeting which started at 8.30pm on Sunday and ended at 2:50am this morning.
After exhaustive deliberations on the issues raised by the labour unions, the meeting agreed to suspend the application of the cost-reflective electricity tariff adjustments for two weeks.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, read the five-page communique signed by the representatives of the government and labour.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba; and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Quadri Olaleye, amongst others signed on behalf of Organised Labour while the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige; Minister of State Petroleum, Timipre Silva; Minister of State Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN); Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed; and the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and others, signed on behalf of the government.
Speaking to the media, Quadri Olaleye confirmed the development, said: “We signed a document to suspend the action for two weeks for the government to implement those things that we agreed in the agreement. So, we are suspending for two weeks.
“We don’t need a notice again to re-convene if there is a need to do that.”
The parties agreed to set up a technical committee comprising Ministries, Departments, Agencies, NLC and TUC.
It would work for a duration of two weeks effective September 28, to examine the justifications for the new policy “in view of the need for the validation of the basis for the new cost-reflective tariff as a result of the conflicting information from the fields which appeared different from the data presented to justify the new policy by NERC; metering deployment, challenges, timeline for massive rollout.”
South Africa: We’re Tackling Power Situation To Boost Economy-President Ramophosa
As South Africa still faced with serious energy problems including electricity blackouts, President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday said measures were in place to ensure energy reforms that would address the crisis.
“Our energy security is precarious and load-shedding imposes very high costs on our economy,” Ramaphosa said, adding that dealing with energy crisis would boost economic reforms post COVID-19.
“The progress we are making in the area of energy policy reform isn’t just critical to fixing the current power supply crisis,” he said.
“It will begin to reduce the impact of electricity interruptions on businesses.”
“Reliable, secure and affordable energy supply is the lifeblood of any economy,” he noted.
“This signals government’s clear intention to move ahead of the key reforms that is needed to unlock the growth of our economy and attract much needed investment.
Nigeria: Labour Unions Suspend Planned Strike As FG Puts Electricity Tariff Hike On Hold“This new energy will be procured from diverse sources, including solar, wind, gas coal and storage. While meeting our energy needs well into the future, this new capacity will also help us meet international obligations to reduce carbon emissions,” he explained. Ramaphosa said improving energy security could create “investment possibilities” and “industrialization opportunities.” To deal with power utility Eskom’s problems, the state would procure more energy from independent producers and ensure the development of “11,800 megawatts (MW) of additional power generation,” Ramaphosa said. “This will attract greater investment in energy and create much needed jobs, and spur business.” Currently, over 30,000 MW of electricity is available on the national grid each day. Eskom is a South African electricity public utility which generates approximately 95 percent of electricity used in the country. The government announced in 2019 that Eskom was to be split up into three distinct nationally owned entities due to huge debts and poor reliability of supply. Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Kenya Power Relocates Power Lines To Pave Way For The Nairobi Expressway
Kenya Power has commenced the relocation of power lines between Mlolongo, Mombasa and James Gichuru roads to pave way for construction of the 27.1-kilometer-long Nairobi Expressway.
The exercise is being carried out at a cost of Sh1.08 billion (9,957,812.76) which will be met by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA).
The Company recognises the importance of the Expressway to the national infrastructure framework and is keen on completing this exercise with minimal interruptions to power supply.
“When executing projects of this magnitude, some of the customers within the estates along the Expressway corridor will experience interruptions in power supply.
However, the Company is planning to minimize power interruptions by leveraging the Live Line Maintenance technology which relocate most of the lines without switching off supply,” Kenya Power’s Managing Director & CEO, Bernard Ngugi said in a press statement.
The scope of work will involve the relocation of a combined 106 kilometres of high voltage (66kV), medium voltage (11kV), and low voltage cables as well as 28 transformers serving the area.
Kenya Power has covered 17 kilometres of the Expressway. Once completed, 40.6 kilometres of the network will pass underground.
“We aim to keep the lights on even as we carry out this critical exercise. We will ensure that we relocate as much network as possible using our Live Line Maintenance team to minimise interruption. Where it will be inevitable to switch off supply, we are scheduling interruptions and communicating the plan to customers,” Mr. Ngugi said.
The exercise begun in September and will be completed at the end of November this year. It is being carried out by a team of 60 employees from Kenya Power and 4 external underground cabling contractors.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria: GE And Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Successfully Restore Up To 360MW Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
General Electric (GE) has announced the successful rehabilitation of three 9E.03 gas turbines, at three Niger Delta Power Holding Company’s (NDPHC) Power Plants in Calabar and Sapele, in the Republic of Nigeria.
According to GE, these operations reduced the risk of unplanned downtime of its power generation equipment, enabling the plants to reliably secure and restore the supply of up to 360 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the national grid, the equivalent electricity needed to power approximately two million Nigerian homes.
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, GE and NDPHC worked together to swiftly implement safety procedures to ensure a safe and on-time execution.
“Being Nigeria’s largest electricity generating company, with a total installed capacity of 4.0 gigawatts (GW), representing about 35% of Nigeria’s generating capacity, we are committed to strengthening Nigeria’s power sector, despite the unexpected logistical challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Chiedu Ugbo, Managing Director, NDPHC said in a statement.
“GE’s efficiency to mobilize local teams on-site with the required technical skills and expertise, as well as GE’s global supply chain scale was crucial to ensure the timely and safe completion of the outages at the sites and help us achieve our goal.”
The outages involved stage three bucket change outs on three 9E gas turbines as well as additional combustion inspections. Engineers from GE and FieldCore, the field services execution company owned by GE, worked together and in close collaboration with NDPHC to implement additional safety measures and reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19, including frequent disinfections at the site, physical distancing, standard passive and active temperature screenings for personnel, and the use of personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves.
“We are committed to supporting power plant operators like NDPHC to be able to provide reliable power with exceptional support and services from GE throughout these uncertain times, while ensuring and maintaining the health and safety of our employees and suppliers,” said Elisee Sezan, CEO for GE’s Gas Power business in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“The successful rehabilitation of the power generations assets at Calabar and Sapele plants will help increase the 9E gas turbines’ efficiency, while lowering emissions and providing essential power for industrialization, healthcare facilities, homes, schools and businesses.”
This year, GE’s 9E gas turbine fleet celebrates 40 years of operations globally. The 9E is a robust, proven platform that delivers high availability, reliability, and durability while lowering the overall cost-per-kilowatt. It has a large installed base of over 650 units in the world located primarily in Asia, China, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
GE has been collaborating with energy stakeholders to deploy innovative technologies tailored to respond to the needs in the region since the 1950s with reliable base load and flexible emergency power. In 2018, the company celebrated its 100th power plant in Sub-Saharan Africa and today, up to 17 GW of gas power generation on the grid runs on GE gas turbines. GE delivers across the entire energy ecosystem from generation to transmission and distribution and throughout Nigeria, GE-built technologies are supported by local service and maintenance teams from the company to ensure access to reliable and sustainable energy.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria: NNPC, SEEPCO Sign Gas Development Deal
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Sterling Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO) have signed an agreement for the development and commercialization of gas from the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 143 that could help reduce gas flaring in the country.
Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony which was held at the NNPC Towers, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, described the execution of the deal as a great milestone as well as a testament to NNPC’s commitment to facilitating the nation’s transformation into a gas-powered economy.
He said the deal would not only help reduce gas flaring and its environmental hazards, but would also promote gas production and utilization in the domestic market.
Nigeria: GE And Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Successfully Restore Up To 360MW Amidst COVID-19 PandemicThe GMD also commended SEEPCO for its unwavering commitment to gas development and commercialization in the country which has led to the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle that will help expand gas utilization in the country as a cleaner, cheaper and more reliable alternative form of energy. On his part, the Chairman of SEEPCO, Mr. Tony Chukwueke, described the deal as an essential partnership that would help the company fulfill the pledge it made to support the efforts of the Nigerian government to eliminate gas flaring by monetizing it. He commended NNPC and the GMD for ensuring the execution of the agreement which he described central to the achievement of the company’s cardinal objective of boosting the production of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), condensate and dry gas for the Nigerian market, adding that the company has invested about $600 million for that purpose. Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Gov’t Makes US$200 Million Savings In Renegotiated CENIT Energy Power Deal
The Government of Ghana has made a total savings of US$200 million following a successful renegotiation and amendment of the terms of the CENIT Energy Limited power deal.
This was revealed in a statement issued by the country’s Finance Ministry.
CENIT Energy Limited is a Ghanaian independent power producer (IPP) that began commercial operations in 2012.
According to the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the power company has “agreed to convert their power plant into a tolling structure and transfer all resulting cost savings to ECG.”
In addition, CEL has “agreed to a further reduction in the capital recovery tariff of 38.9%, resulting in total savings to government and all Ghanaians in excess of US$200 million over the remaining life of the PPA,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry described the commitment made by CEL as crucial in reinforcing the government’s efforts towards building a balanced and sustainable energy sector.
“The terms agreed to between the government and CEL will produce a more favourable situation for both parties and ultimately reduce the cost of electricity for the people of Ghana,” the Ministry added.
At present, Ghana pays over US$500 million annually for unused electricity, said MoF.
“Most of the PPAs are legacy agreements entered into under the previous administration in an uncoordinated and hasty attempt to end the power crisis (dumsor),” explained the statement, adding: “The tariffs agreed were not competitive and have contributed significantly to the build-up of debt in the sector and oversupply of energy.”
The present government, in collaboration with the World Bank, created the Energy Sector Recovery Programme (ESRP), identifying the policies and actions needed for financial recovery in the energy sector over a five-year horizon (2019-2023).
The statement said: “As part of the reforms, the government is taking steps to institute competitive bidding for future additional capacity, so as to ensure that future tariffs are fair and in line with expected pricing benchmarks.”
The government, the statement mentioned, has “demonstrated its commitment to the ESRP by actively developing whole-of-sector initiatives and reforms, including implementing the Cash Waterfall Mechanism (CWM) in April 2020, which allows Electricity Company of Ghana’s revenues to be distributed in a more transparent manner, and managing payments of arrears despite the challenging fiscal situation which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The ESRP Steering Committee established by the Energy Sector Recovery Task Force under the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, “is working closely with IPPs and gas suppliers under the ESRP Consultation Process to negotiate more favourable agreements for both parties and to achieve a balanced energy sector capable of delivering fair, long-term solutions. Government has undertaken these discussions in good faith and urges all IPPs to continue working closely with the ESRP Steering Committee to conclude negotiations as soon as possible,” the Ministry said.
“We welcome CENIT Energy’s commitment to Ghana and its role in regenerating the energy sector.
“CENIT is an important partner and a significant energy producer in Ghana,” the Country’s Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, was quoted as saying.
“We encourage other IPPs to join CENIT in collaborating to help reduce onerous debts and to provide a stable energy supply for the people of Ghana.
“We are committed to building a competitive and dynamic energy sector where private investments can thrive, and the interests of the Ghanaian people and businesses continue to flourish.”
https://mofep.gov.gh/sites/default/files/news/PR_20200925_GoG_Amended_Terms_with_CENIT_Energy.pdf
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Burkina Faso: Solar Panel Production Plant Built In Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso has set up a solar panel production plant as part of effort to boost renewable energy penetration the country’s energy mix.
The plant is expected to manufacture 200 solar panels per day
Christened as “Faso Energy”, the facility located in the capital Ouagadougou is capable of producing 30 MW of solar panels per year.
The project was initiated by El hadj Moussa Koanda at the cost of about 3 billion CFA francs (nearly 5 million euros).
Commissioning the project, Burkinabe Prime Minister Christophe Joseph Marie Dabiré said the facility will promote the acquisition of solar energy equipment by the population, thus reducing the need to increase the rate of access to electricity in Burkina Faso.
“We have promoted the admission of “Faso Energy” to the Investment Code. This gave it the right to many facilities, including the non-payment of customs taxes during the establishment of the plant in Burkina Faso, allowing the company to benefit from nearly 1 billion CFA francs (more than 1.5 million euros) in tax exemptions, explains Christophe Joseph Marie Dabiré, the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso. Our goal is to rationalize the importation of solar panels into the country”.
According to the World Bank’s 2018 report, 62.3% of the Burkinabe population has access to electricity in the country.
In addition, the company’s operations will require a large local workforce. “This means 170 direct jobs and 2,000 indirect jobs,” says El hadj Moussa Koanda, the project promoter.
El hadj Moussa Koanda’s initiative should also enable the government of Burkina Faso to move towards its goal of producing 30% of its electricity from solar energy by 2030.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Gov’t Begs Independent Power Producers Over Threats To Shutdown
The Government of Ghana is pleading with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in the country to rescind their threats to shutdown their plants over non-payment of outstanding debts.
According to sources, the government has assured the IPPs that it would make some payment by the close of Friday, September 25, 2020.
The source added that the government also intends to make additional payment by next week.
The umbrella body of the Independent Power Producers, CiPDiB, sent a memo to the country’s Minister for Energy, threatening to shut down their plants by the end of September if the government failed to honour its debt obligation to the tune of US$1.4 billion.
This development, our sources indicated, pricked the government to call on the IPPs to implore them to rescind their decision.
The IPPs contribute about 45 percent of the over 2,800 peak demand for electricity in the country.
It said it urgently needed to pay its August gas bill and failure to do so would lead to the shutdown of fuel supply.
This would effectively hamper power generation and supply in the country.
Energynewsafrica.com can report that the country’s Minister for Energy, John-Peter Amewu, last Wednesday, met with the CEOs of the power sector agencies to discuss how to ensure that there is continuous and reliable supply of power.
When contacted, the Deputy Minister for Finance, Charles Adu Boahen said the government has been paying the power producers.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Energy Minister Reps Ghana At Guinea Bissau’s Independence Day Celebration
Ghana’s Minister for Energy, John-Peter Amewu, on Thursday, joined other African leaders for the celebration of Guinea Bissau’s 47th Independence Day in Bissau, capital of Guinea.
The Energy Minister, who is also the governing New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary candidate for the Hohoe Constituency in the Volta Region, represented Ghana’s President, H.E Nana Akufo-Addo, who was recently elected as Chairman for ECOWAS.
Other African Presidents who were present at the Independence Day Celebration were Nigerian President, H.E Muhammadu Buhari, Senegalese President, Macky Sall, Cote d’ Ivoire, Rwanda, Mauritania, Togo and Liberia.
Guinea Bissau was unilaterally declared independent on 24th September, 1973.
ENERGY MINISTER REPRESENTS PRESIDENT NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO AT GUINEA BISSAU'S INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION…
Posted by John-Peter Amewu on Friday, September 25, 2020
ExxonMobil Shortlists Bidders For Malaysian Assets Valued At Up To $3 Billion
Exxon Mobil has narrowed the list of bidders for its oil-producing offshore assets in Malaysia that could potentially raise $2 billion to $3 billion in a sale, according to worldoil.com.
U.K.-listed EnQuest Plc and Kuala Lumpur-traded Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd. are among those that have been chosen to submit binding bids for the assets, the people said. Other companies have also expressed interest, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private.
Exxon Mobil started the process to sell its Malaysian assets last year as part of its global divestiture program.
It produces oil and gas in the Southeast Asian nation under four production sharing contracts with the state-owned Petroliam Nasional Bhd., according to its website.
The U.S. oil major’s assets in Malaysia include a 30% stake in the offshore Tapis Blend operations, which produce a low-sulfur crude that was once a benchmark for Asian oil refiners. The production sharing contracts cover 2.4 million acres offshore and have exploration and production terms ranging up to 38 years, Exxon said in a filing in 2019.
Deliberations are ongoing and the bidders might not proceed with an offer, the people said.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria: 80 Percent Of Petrol Tankers Transporting Fuel Lack Safety Features
About 80 percent of the 10,000 petroleum tankers used for transporting products nationwide in the Republic of Nigeria lack critical safety features needed for the safe transportation of such commodities by road, Adetunji Oyebanji, Chairman of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, has claimed.
Mr Oyebanji said: “With about 10,000 trucks involved all over the country hauling products, majorly from the South to the North, about 80 percent of these trucks do not have anti-skid.
“They don’t have anti-rollover, anti-spill protection, automatic braking systems, onboard cameras and onboard tracking system required for safe transportation of petroleum products by road.”
Adetunji Oyebanji disclosed this in Abuja at the ‘Truck Renewal Workshop’ organised by Major Oil Marketing Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO).
According to him, his outfit was in talks with NARTO on the need for fleet renewal, adding this would lead to the replacement of unsafe trucks in the fleet of transporters.
Nigeria: Tanker Explosion Leaves 25 People Dead, Others InjuredThe MOMAN chairman said pipelines remained the most effective and efficient means of transporting petroleum products, but stated that the idea of a truck renewal plan was not novel to Nigeria. He said the idea had been carried out in neighbouring countries, whose trucks boast the requirement of safe petroleum transportation. In her remarks, Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemisola Saraki, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Mass Transit Administration, Angela Keyede, said most road accidents were caused by human errors, adding that such accidents could be avoided if drivers were disciplined enough while on roads. Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria: Kogi State Mourns Victims Of Tanker Explosion
Kogi State in the Republic of Nigeria has declared a two-day state-wide mourning in honour of the victims of the Felele tanker accident which claimed about 23 lives last Wednesday.
A statement released by State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo urged all residents to be in “deep sober reflection and stand together for one another to pull out of the agonizing loss.
“Government wishes to reiterate the call on road users to act responsibly in order to avert unfortunate situations that simple care and caution could have averted. Full investigations will also be carried out to determine the causes of the painful incident.
Nigeria: Tanker Explosion Leaves 25 People Dead, Others Injured“We also call on relevant Federal Government agencies to provide relief materials to support what the state government shall be providing. Our hearts are with the affected families. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” he added. It would be recalled that energynewsafrica.com reported last Wednesday that a tanker loaded with 33,000 litres of petrol had a brake failure, eventually crashing, at least, three tricycles and two motorcycles at Lokoja in Central Nigeria, West Africa. A family of five and some pupils were among 23 people killed in the explosion that followed the collision. The Kogi State Polytechnic, on Thursday, declared three days’ lecture free in honour of staff and students of the school who were affected by the explosion. The polytechnic’s Head, Public Relations and Protocol Unit, Uredo Omale told reporters that the decision was reached at an emergency meeting of the institution. “A vital decision at the meeting was the setting up of a committee to do a careful and thorough identity check of members of staff and students affected by the inferno with a view to ascertaining the nature and level of damage done to them. “The committee, chaired by the Dean, School of Art, Design and Printing, Mr Pedro Peter Akande, immediately, swang into action, and has, so far, reported that three members of staff sustained injuries in the incident,” she added. The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in a condolence message issued in Benin, said the explosion was an urgent reminder of the need to prioritise road and rail infrastructure development in the country. Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: GRIDCo Cleans Aboadze Power Enclave
Ghana’s power transmission company, GRIDCo, has undertaken a post insulator and busbar washing at the Aboadze Power Enclave in the Western Region .
In a tweet sighted by energynewsafrica.com, the company said: “This is part of a series of maintenance activities the company conducts on all its substations. It is primarily to make our equipment robust and efficient.”
Source: www.energynewsafrica.comGRIDCo Takoradi Area has undertaken a post insulator and busbar washing, at the Aboadze Enclave. This is part of a series of maintenance activities the Company conducts on all its substations. It is primarily to make our equipment robust and efficient.#WearAMask #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/HEysWaDYh7
— Ghana Grid Company (@GhGridCo) September 24, 2020
India: Power Tariff To Be Hiked By 20 Paise Per Unit In Odisha
India’s Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) has approved a proposal to hike power tariff by 20 paise per unit of electricity consumed in the state from October 1.
However, the enhanced tariff will not be applicable for farmers using electricity for agricultural activities and people below the poverty line, the OERC said in a notification.
The commission said it had allowed a “gap” of Rs 660.15 crore ($89,517,990.38) in aggregate revenue requirement to provide relief to customers considering the COVID-19 situation.
The OERCs decision came in response to an application by the states lone bulk electricity supplier GRIDCO (Grid Corporation of Odisha) on August 21.
The commission passed an order on September 23 to bring the gap down to Rs 341.15 crore ($46,249,807.84).
“The consequential rise in retail supply tariff and open access charges for distribution licensees and utilities will be effective in the state from October 2020,” it said.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com