Ghana: Mankessim Fuel Station Robbery: Zen Filling Station Owner, Driver Granted GHS 100,000 Bail Each

The Cape Coast High Court 2 in the Central Region of the Republic of Ghana has granted bail to Isaac Eshun, owner of Zen filling station in Mankessim, who allegedly shot and killed a police officer during a robbery incident at the filling station. The court presided over by Justice Patience Mills Tetteh granted him bail to the tune of GHS100, 000 with three sureties. The second accused person, Benjamin Eshun, who is a driver to the main suspect, Isaac Eshun was also granted bail with the same condition. Counsel for the accused persons, Daniel Arthur told journalists that they are ready to co-operate with the police to get to the bottom of the matter, adding that he believes his clients are innocent.
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“I am glad that the court found wisdom in the argument that we put up and has actually been magnanimous enough to lean favourably to the liberty of my clients. They were granted bail of GHS100,000 with three sureties each,” he said. According to the lawyer, they are waiting to take instructions from the Police on their next line of investigation, adding that his clients will be victorious in the case. Background On Wednesday, January 22, 2020, the lifeless body of Lance Corporal (L/Cpl) Kingsley Kofi Boahen was found about 200 metres away from the Zen Filling Station near Closefield Preparatory School in Mankessim, after a suspected robbery attack on the filling station was foiled by a police patrol team. The body, which was found in a supine position in a pool of blood, was discovered about two hours after the robbery attack which also left two members of the patrol team injured. DSP Oppong said a pistol and a shotgun belonging to Eshun had been retrieved and would be used as exhibits. The police subsequently arrested the owner of the Zen filling station and his driver and put them before the Cape Coast District Magistrate Court. The suspects were remanded into police custody to reappear again on February 7, 2020. But the lawyer for the accused persons, Daniel Arthur of Beduwa Chambers who believed in the innocence of his clients pushed the matter to the High Court to demand bail for his clients. Mr. Arthur expressed shock at the turn of events when his client who had been robbed turned into an accused person in the shooting incident. The police said cartridges from a shotgun belonging to the owner of Zen filling station, Isaac Eshun matched the cartridges found on Lance Corporal Kingsley Boahene who was found dead 200 metres away from the crime scene.     Source: www.energynewsafrica.com

South Africa: Energy Minister Reveals Interventions To Close Energy Gap

South Africa’s Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe has asserted that economic growth and sustainability are bolstered in an environment of a secure and reliable electricity supply. Speaking at the annual Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town on Monday, he noted that the mining industry forms an essential part of the country’s economic growth. The minister also cited President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2019 speech at the same gathering, outlining measures being considered to address the electricity supply challenges.  “To this end, in October last year, we gazetted the Interested Resources Plan (IRP) – the country’s blueprint for long-term electricity. Following concurrence by energy regulator, NERSA, we are in the process of gazetting a revised Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act; which will enable self-generation; and facilitate municipal generation options under Distributed Generation,” Mantashe stated. According to him, this will help close the energy gap caused by deteriorating Eskom plant performance. Depending on the circumstances, the generation plant may only require registration and not licensing. He continued: “As we focus on energy security, we are also attending to the just transition towards low-carbon emissions. The Council for Geoscience (CGS), therefore, is looking at frontier coalfields and the establishment of additional generation capacity in support of carbon capture utilisation and storage. In an effort to increase energy efficiency, the CGS will further investigate the potential of carbon utilisation in contributing to enhanced geothermal energy generation and improved extraction of coal-bed methane.” The minister also revealed that his department is working with Anglo Platinum on using hydro-fuel cells as an energy source for the mining trucks. He said the intention is to replace diesel usage with hydro-fuel cell technology. “This is a major and innovative project that will have a significant impact on low carbon emissions and cost-effectiveness. It is also an example of good partnership between Government and Business,” he highlighted. In addition to these initiatives, “we are seeking solutions to network infrastructure challenges facing the mining sector, namely rail and port infrastructure, by engaging the Department of Public Enterprises.” Mantashe further noted that the world is grappling with a changing economic landscape, led by the 4th Industrial Revolution. He said: “Global growth is projected to rise from an estimated 2.9% in 2019 to 3.3% in 2020; and 3.4% for 2021. “According to the International Monetary Fund, South Africa’s GDP growth prospects for 2020 will be just under 1%. Contributing factors to this outlook are said to be structural constraints and recent power outages. The latest data released by Statistics SA show that mining production decreased by 3.1% year-on-year in November 2019.”             Source: www.energynewsafrica.com

Nigeria: NERC Looks To Smart Mini-Grid System To Ensure Energy Sustainability

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has commenced a process that would trigger the construction of the smart mini-grid system in the urban and rural communities across the most populous West African country. Chairman of NERC, Professor James Momoh, who disclosed this at the just ended 11th International Conference on Energy, Power Systems Operation and Planning, ICEPSOP, Abuja 2020, declared that centralised national grid system was no longer sustainable for a growing economy like Nigeria. The conference, themed “Empowering Micro-Grid With Smart Attributes Development in the United States and Africa,” was attended by professionals, policymakers, regulators scholars, students from across Nigeria, African and Americans, who are interested in solving Nigeria’s electricity problem. The conference was aimed to develop an alternative grid system needed to drive Nigeria’s development. Prof Momoh noted that the conference assembled the heads together to see how the mini-grid works, of what benefit it will be for Nigeria given the current centralised national grid system. He said there is no option than to provide power to the people of this country.     Source: www.energynewsafrica.com

Benin: New Thermal Plant Planned For Maria Gléta

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Benin Republic has approved a proposal to recruit technical and legal advisers to oversee a tender process for a build-own-operate-transfer contract for a second 120MW power plant at the Maria Gléta site near Cotonou. “This decision aims to reinforce the energy supply of our country in order to guarantee, in the long term, self-sufficiency and a supply of reliable, competitive and high-quality electricity to the population as well as to industry,” a cabinet statement said.     Source: www.energynewsafrica.com

Angola: Eni Announces  Start-Up Of A New Production Well In Vandumbu Field

Italian oil and gas firm, Eni, has launched a new production well in the Vandumbu field, about 350 km north-west of Luanda and 130 km west of Soyo, in the West Hub of Block 15/06, in Angola’s offshore. “The start-up of the VAN-102 well – which follows the start-up of the second Subsea Multiphase Boosting System (SMBS) – took place through the N’Goma FPSO and achieved a performance of about 13,000 barrels.,” the company said in a statement. VAN-102 is a further step in the development of the Vandumbu field, launched on 29 November 2018, 3 months ahead of schedule, and which will be completed in Q1 2019 with the start-up of the water injection well. This, together with the start-up of another production well in the Mpungi field, will bring the production of Block 15/06 to a total of about 170,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day (boed), further extending the production plateau. “These start-ups mark the progress in the phased and clustered development strategy that Eni has adopted for Block 15/06, and which has allowed the start-up of eight fields since November 2014, when production in the West Hub started with the Sangos field. “Block 15/06 is developed by a Joint Venture formed by Eni (36.84%, Operator), Sonangol P&P (36.84%) and SSI Fifteen Limited (26.32%). Eni has been present in Angola since 1980 and currently has an equity production of around 150,000 boed,” Eni said.       Source: www.energynewsafrica.com

Algeria: Hyundai To Build CCGT Plant

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A consortium of South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Posco International have signed a contract to build the 1,300MW Umashe combined-cycle power plant in Biskra province in Algeria. The $730m contract was signed with the Hyenco joint venture of Hyundai and Sonelgaz and work is expected to take 60 months. The power plant will have an average power generation capacity of 968m MWh/yr.    Source: www.energynewsafrica.com

GE, Africa Leadership University Offers $550,000 Scholarship Package To 35 Young Africans  

Energy focused firm, General Electric (GE) and the Africa Leadership University (ALU) have announced the kick-off of the 3rd cohort of the Africa Industrial Internet Programme (AIIP) which is aimed at equipping young Africans with skills that will enable them to take part in the fourth industrial revolution. The 2020 cohort has enrolled 35 students from 8 countries across Africa, drawn from Oil & gas, transportation, power, energy, manufacturing, healthcare, telecoms and aviation industries. This was contained in a press statement copied to energynewsafrica.com. “GE will give 10 full scholarships for the current cohort,” the statement said. Over the last two years, the rigorous training programme has graduated 64 students, of which 50 were fully sponsored by GE from a scholarship fund totalling US Dollars 500,000. Launched in 2018, the programme has empowered participants with essential skills for building applications for the Industrial Internet, which enables machine-to-machine communication that results in systems that can collect, analyse, and deliver data in real-time. These features provide significant benefits such as predicting when a device will require maintenance, enhancing logistics management, enhancing quality and optimizing safety. The training takes place at a time when spending on the Internet of Things is predicted to reach a trillion US dollars by 202[1], with the total number of connected devices being projected to rise to 75.44 billion worldwide by 2025, a fivefold increase in ten years. Commenting on the Programme, Farid Fezoua, President  & CEO for GE Africa said, “As a digital industrial company, it’s exciting to see how over the last two years the AIIP has developed an ecosystem of digital engineers that utilise data science as an enabler for their work across industries, developing solutions for the most pressing challenges. Our partnership with ALU for the AIIP is a testament of our commitment to develop the next generation of leaders that will drive solutions made in Africa for Africa in this transformative digital age.” “African Leadership Group is thrilled to be partnering with GE to build a new generation of digital leaders for Africa” Fred Swaniker, Founder of African Leadership Group, which includes African Leadership Academy, African Leadership University, and ALX said. “We share GE’s passion for data, and what it can bring to the African continent and the world. The Programme enables mid-career engineers to build new skills in data analytics, data science, data engineering and data visualization. By leveraging the power of data, today’s engineers can significantly improve the performance of high-tech industrial machinery and processes, thereby increasing the bottom line for companies. The Africa Industrial Internet Programme is creating globally competitive, digital engineers right here in Africa, and we can’t wait to see their full impact on the continent,” he concluded. In 2019 five female candidates from Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria received the Jay Ireland Africa Rising Scholarship for women in tech in honour of GE Africa’s former CEO, Jay Ireland. Speaking about her experience with the programme, Funmi Somoye a 2019 cohort graduate from Nigeria said, “More than Machine Learning and Data Science, I have learned more about myself, and what I am capable of doing. I can’t wait to change the world! The AIIP is designed using a project-based approach where participants get to apply their learning in real world contexts. The Programme includes regular assessments in each module culminating with a final project where participants are tasked with applying their learning to solve an existing problem either in their business or in a partner organization’s business operations. This is achieved through modules in machine learning and big data analytics, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Cloud-based Application Development. A unique aspect of the Programme is a deliberate focus on creating links to industry for participants by inviting industry experts to intensives to share case studies, projects of interest, trends and opportunities, through industry field visits and mentorship opportunities with data science professionals.     Source: www.energynewsafrica.com  

Ghana: ACEP Among Top 20 Global Energy & Policy Resource Think Tanks

The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) in the Republic of Ghana, West Africa, has been ranked as the 14th Energy & Resource Policy Think Tank in the world, and the only energy think tank from Africa within the top 20 globally. This ranking is contained in the Global Go-To Think Tank Index’s (GGTTI) 2019 Report. This is yet another recognition of the Centre’s credibility and influence when it comes to research work, policy analysis, contract governance, inclusion, transparency and general advocacy, and overall output within the energy and extractive space in Africa in particular, and the world in general. GGTTI is produced annually by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Programme (TTCSP) of the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, and ranks the world’s leading think tanks in a variety of categories with the help of a panel of over 1,796 peer institutions and experts from the print and electronic media, academia, public and private donor institutions and governments around the world. The 2019 rankings were done under four main categories: Top Think Tanks in the World; Top Think Tanks by Region; Top Think Tanks by Area of Research and Top Think Tanks by Special Achievement. The ranking process attracted close to 4,000 individual participants globally. The criteria for selection centred around quality and commitment of the think tank’s leadership (chief executive and governing body), quality and reputation of its staff, quality and reputation of the research and analysis produced, its ability to recruit and retain elite scholars and analysts, its academic performance and reputation, its access to key institutions, impact of its research and programmes on policy makers and other policy actors, and the quality, number, and reach of its publications, among others. Launched in 2006, the Global Go-To Think Tank’s Index identifies and recognises centers of excellence in all the major areas of public policy research in every region of the world to increase their profile and performance, raise global awareness on their importance and the roles they play in governments and civil societies around the globe, as well as help bridge the gap between knowledge and policy.     Source: ACEP

South Africa: Stage 2 Load Shedding Resumes, Weekend Reality

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South Africa’s power utility company, Eskom, has announced that it will continue with stage 2 load shedding from 9:00 today (Friday) until 6:00 on Monday 3 February. According to the power utility, this is due to a shortage of generation capacity and depleted emergency resources, which were used extensively to supplement capacity over the past few days. In addition, the parastatal said in a statement: “We are taking out three big units for planned maintenance today.” “Unplanned outages were at 12,722MW as at 05:30 this morning [Friday]. We are monitoring the system closely and we will continue to give periodic updates on the status of the power system as things may change at short notice,” the utility said in a statement this morning. A report by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s Energy Centre has analysed South Africa’s load shedding, indicating that it cost the country’s economy between R60 billion and R120 billion in 2019 alone. South Africans have therefore come up with amazing techniques and solutions to survive power outages.     Source:www.energynewsafrica.com    

Ghana: Energy Minister Inspects 912kWp Solar Power Under Construction At Jubilee House

Ghana’s seat of government, Jubilee House, is walking the talk in its quest to install solar PV panels after the president of the West African nation promised last year to ensure that the seat of government installs solar power to reduce the cost of electricity consumed. Energynewsafrica.com can report that the installation of 912kW solar power project is currently ongoing at the Jubilee House. The project, which cost US$1.4 million, is being executed by a Tema-based Strategic Security Systems Limited. The contractor is expected to complete the project by the end of June this year. Upon completion, the project is expected to supply about 60 percent of the power being consumed at the presidency. Per the scope of work, the contractor is expected to install solar PV panels (complete with all supporting infrastructure, but excluding battery storage) on the roof spaces of the Jubilee House building. In addition, the contractor is also to design a new car port which will incorporate solar PVs to generate additional capacity. So far, the contractor had done about 100 kWp of the solar PV panels with the remaining 812kWp yet to be done. Speaking to the media after inspecting the project on Friday, Ghana’s Energy Minister John-Peter Amewu expressed satisfaction on the progress of work. He said what the seat of government had done is a demonstration of the government’s commitment towards incorporating renewable energy into Ghana’s energy mix. “Having visited the site, I am very much impressed about progress on site. This work is part of the government’s agenda towards inclusion of renewable energy in our energy mix. As a government, we believe in the importance of renewable. We have a target of ten percent as a proportion of our energy mix within 2020. Already, we are behind that schedule. The President did promise in his last State of the Nation Address to Ghanaians that the Jubilee House is going to be fed on renewable. I am encouraging the contractors to go ahead with the speed at which they are going about this project,” Peter Amewu said.He, however, expressed optimism that the country would gradually get to that state in the future, given the number of renewable projects that is yet to commence. He mentioned the 45kW Tsatsadu mini hydro power project in the Volta Region, which is expected to be commissioned, and the 17MW solar power project at Kaleo, which President Akufo-Addo would be cutting sod to commence on Tuesday. The Minister of Energy was accompanied by his deputy Hon. Joseph Cudjoe, Mr. Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo; Director for Renewables and Alternative Energies, Benjamin Asante; Director of Upstream at the Ministry of Energy, Ing. Seth Mahu; Deputy Director for Renewables and Alternative Energies, Lawrence Apaalse, Chief Director at the Ministry and Rev. Ing. Oscar Amonoo, Executive Secretary of Energy Commission.     Source: www.energynewsafrica.com  

Ghana: Kadijah Amoah Appointed Country Director Of Aker Energy

Norwegian oil firm, Aker Energy AS, has announced the appointment of Mrs. Kadijah Amoah as Country Director of Aker Energy Ghana Ltd, effective 1 February 2020. The appointment follows Aker Energy’s strategy to strengthen the company’s local presence and management in Ghana. A press release which announced her appointment, stated that Mrs. Amoah would also be appointed to the Executive Management Team of Aker Energy AS in addition to heading the country office of Aker Energy in Ghana. The statement the new country Director would also work closely with affiliated companies AGM Petroleum Ghana Limited (“AGM”) and Aker Ghana Investment Company (“AGIC”) in Ghana, two companies with the same majority owner as Aker Energy, and hold directorships in both companies. Mrs. Amoah, a Ghanaian citizen, is a lawyer by training and holds degrees in law and political science, a master’s degree in international business, and awaits the award of a postgraduate diploma in strategy and innovation. Prior to joining Aker Energy, Mrs. Amoah was a Senior Foreign Lawyer at Clifford Chance in Germany, one of the largest law firms in the world. Mrs. Amoah takes over from Mr. Jan Helge Skogen, who has held the role of Country Manager since May 2018 and has been instrumental in building a strong organisation and foothold for Aker Energy in Ghana. The statement said Mr. Skogen would stay on as an advisor until 1 March 2020. Commenting on the appointment, Svein Jakob Liknes, CEO of Aker Energy AS, said: “We are very pleased to strengthen our team and presence in Ghana with Kadijah as the Country Director of Aker Energy in Ghana. With Kadijah’s experience, I am confident that she will lead with success as we move towards the development phase of the Pecan project offshore Ghana.” “Since Jan Helge took on the role in 2018, the mandate was to establish a strong foundation for further growth whilst identifying a long-term, Ghanaian successor. As the company enters a new phase, it was natural to effectuate the leadership transition. I would like to thank Jan Helge for his remarkable effort and commitment over the past two years. When stepping down as Country Manager, he is now concluding a long and notable career within the oil and gas industry, including various assignments as country manager across the globe,” Mr. Liknes said. On her part, Mrs. Amoah said: “I am extremely pleased to join Aker Energy at such an important stage of the company’s history. Building on the Aker group’s 180 years’ industrial heritage, Aker Energy will, together with AGM and AGIC, take the lead to develop Ghana’s oil and gas resources and related industries.” “It all starts with the Pecan project operated by Aker Energy; but this is just the beginning. AGM’s plans to explore and appraise the SDWT block and AGIC’s plans to pursue development opportunities stand as testaments to Aker’s commitment to industry development in Ghana beyond the upcoming project,” she added.     Source: www.energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: National Dialogue On Wood-Energy And Forest Restoration Held

Overharvesting of wood-fuel (fuelwood, charcoal) is a major cause of land degradation in sub-Saharan Africa. The wood energy pathway in Ghana involves various actors and offers employment to more than two million people, in both urban and rural areas. As of today, 73 percent of the rural population in Ghana relies on wood-fuel for cooking and heating purposes. In the urban areas this percentage is limited to 25 percent. Besides being used for cooking and heating purposes at the household level and within public institutions (schools, hospitals), wood-fuel is also used for productive, commercial activities such as food processing industries. Reliance on traditional biomass is quite land-intensive. Supplying a household for one year can require more than half a hectare of land (IPCC, 2019). Wood-fuel overexploitation is often due to a lack of efficient tools/technologies to convert feedstock into fuel or directly into energy. This situation implies an urgent need for coordinated actions between the wood-energy and Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) sub-sectors in Ghana. Urgent efforts are needed to deeply modernise and formalise the existing wood-energy pathways, as well as to revise Forest Management Systems, National Reforestation and Afforestation Plans – which include forest landscape restoration and rehabilitation actions, dedicated forest plantations, and plans for native forest conservation. To this end, a National Dialogue on Wood Energy and Forest Landscape Restoration in Ghana, organised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), ended yesterday. The two-day event – funded by the German development agency, GIZ, in collaboration with Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) and Forest and Farm Facility – had the objective of raising awareness and dialoguing among stakeholders from both FLR and bioenergy communities on the positive contribution of sustainable bioenergy to FLR and vice versa, with a view to intensifying opportunities for collaboration and developing a joint agenda for action. The Director-Renewable and Alternate Energy at the Ministry of Energy, Wisdom Togobo, explained to the gathering that biomass and firewood account for 40.5% of the total energy consumed in the country, while charcoal accounts for 17.9% of total energy consumed. Mr. Togobo juxtaposed this with total electricity consumed, which he indicated is 14.9% – the implication being that charcoal consumption is more than the entire volume of electricity that the nation produces. He indicated that government is determined to reduce the overdependence on wood-fuel by promoting LPG consumption, which is in line with the Paris Agreement that Ghana is party to. However, considering the urban-rural dynamic of the country, Togobo believes it would be impossible to achieve a total migration to LPG or even electricity. He noted that to produce one kilogramme of charcoal requires between 6-12 kilogrammes of wood; and observed also that studies show that households want charcoal particularly from the savannah region, which accounts for massive deforestation. Togobo further said data show that between 2008 and 2018 demand for charcoal went up by more than 40%, and the trend is that households are moving away from firewood to charcoal. He also stated that the manufacturing of charcoal is an income-generating venture for rural households. However, a significant chunk of the profit is eroded by transportation and other logistics costs. He finally indicated that the Ministry of Energy has developed a Renewable Energy Masterplan and called for support from development partners to realise its propositions.    Source: thebftonline.com

ExxonMobil Corporation Declares First Quarter Dividend

US oil supermajor, ExxonMobil has announced a cash dividend of $0.87 cents per share on the Common Stock, payable on March 10, 2020 to shareholders. This first quarter dividend is at the same level as the dividend paid in the fourth quarter of 2019. “Through its dividends, the corporation has shared its success with its shareholders for more than 100 years and has increased its annual dividend payment to shareholders for 37 consecutive years,” the company said in a press statement.   Source:www.energynewsafrica.com

211 Oil, Gas Projects To Start Production In 2020-Report

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Globally, about 99 new gas projects and 112 new oil projects are expected to start production this year, a renowned industry research body, Globadata, has revealed. The Think-Tank however disclosed that oil firms may take investment decisions on projects that would yield return in space of about four years instead of long term projects. With this development, long term projects in Nigeria, including Shell’s Bonga South-West and Aparo, which is expected to add about 225,000 barrel per day (bpd); Bonga North (100,000bpd); Eni’s Zabazaba-Etan (120,000bpd); Chevron’s Nsiko (100,000bpd); ExxonMobil’s Bosi (140,000bpd); Satellite Field Development Phase Two (80,000bpd), and Ude (110,000bpd) may remain idle if Globadata’s forecast sustains. These projects estimated to cost around $100 billion, and expected to boost Nigeria’s production by as much as 875,000bpd, and revenue by about $1.5 billion had been in the pipeline amidst brewing tension and dwindling investment in fossil fuels. While Nigeria is similarly known for long project cycle, Globaldata noted that investors would prioritise faster returns with shorter cycle investments, as the industry moves away from giant developments. Rigzone, an industry research agency, had quoted senior oil and gas analyst at GlobalData, Anna Belova, as saying: “Projects now go from final investment decision (FID) to first oil/gas in under three to four years, even for larger integrated developments with midstream components. “Globally, this trend was observed with Zohr in Egypt, which produced first gas only 22 months after the FID, and more recently with Liza in Guyana.” According to the report 14 ultra-deepwater oil and gas projects were expected to commence production next year, with all but two projects located in Brazil and the United States Gulf of Mexico. Last year, in a move that took the industry by surprise with the whole process taking only 26 days, Nigeria had signed a new Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract (PSC) Act, into law, expecting the development to create additional revenue for the government. Though Wood Makenzie’s Director, sub-Saharan Africa upstream Oil, and Gas, Gail Anderson, had said: “The toughening of royalty is, relatively speaking, not as bad as investors feared.” He added that the average remaining government share increases by five per cent, but the details published by GlobalData did not raise hope for some of the nation’s pending deep-water projects this year.     Source: Kingsley Jeremiah