US oil and gas giant, ExxonMobil has made an oil discovery on the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana at the Tripletail-1 well in the Turbot area.
The discovery adds to the previously announced estimated recoverable resource of more than 6 billion oil-equivalent barrels on the Stabroek Block.
Tripletail-1 which was drilled in 6,572 feet (2,003 meters) of water, is located approximately 3 miles (5 kilometers) northeast of the longtail discovery.
According to ExxonMobil, after completion of operations at Tripletail, the Noble Tom Madden drillship will next drill the Uaru-1 well, located approximately 6 miles (10 kilometers) east of the Liza field.
“This discovery helps to further inform the development of the Turbot area,” Mike Cousins, senior vice president of exploration and new ventures at ExxonMobil said in a statement posted on the company’s website.
“Together with our partners, ExxonMobil is deploying industry-leading capabilities to identify projects that can be developed efficiently and in a cost-effective way.”
Exploration and development activities are moving forward elsewhere on the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.
“The Stena Carron drillship is currently drilling the Ranger-2 well and upon completion will conduct a well test at Yellowtail-1.The Noble Bob Douglas drillship is currently completing development drilling operations for the Liza Phase 1 project. ExxonMobil will add a fourth drillship, the Noble Don Taylor, in October 2019 as we continue to optimize our drilling plans based on well results and ongoing study of the basin,” the statement explained.
The Liza Phase 1 development remains on schedule to start up by early 2020 and will produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day utilizing the Liza Destiny floating production storage and offloading (FPSO), which arrived in Guyana on August 29, 2019.
ExxonMobil approved funding for the Liza Phase 2 development after it received government and regulatory approvals in May 2019. Expected to startup by mid-2022, the project plans to use the Liza Unity FPSO to produce up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day. “Pending government approvals, a third development, Payara startup could be as early as 2023 and production would reach an estimated 220,000 barrels of oil per day,” the statement concluded.
South Africa-based Exxaro Resources has signed an agreement with Khopoli Investments, to acquire a 50% shareholding in independent power producer (IPP) Cennergi for R1,55 billion.
Engineering News has reported that this will give Exxaro 100% ownership of the IPP and is in line with Exxaro’s vision of expanding its scope within the energy sector.
Cennergi owns the 134MW Amakkhala Emoyeni Wind Farm and the 95MW Tsitsikamma community Wind Farm in the Eastern Cape.
“The collaboration between Exxaro and Tata Power over the past seven years to develop these projects to their current status has been commendable and outstanding success in South Africa’s implementation of its energy strategy.
“As a South African-based company, Exxaro is pleased with this opportunity to consolidate its interest in this renewable energy asset at a time in South Africa where we need energy security as we respond to increasing negative sentiment towards coal-based electricity generation, ”Exxaro CEO Mxolisi Mgojo said.
The floating power unit Akademik Lomonosov has arrived at the port of its permanent location in Pevek, Chukotka, in Russia’s Far East, where it is being docked to start operations by the end of this year.
Once commissioned, it will become the world’s first operational nuclear power plant based on small modular reactors (SMRs) technology and a ‘working prototype’ for reliable source of low-carbon energy supply in remote areas.
“It’s maybe one small step for sustainable development in the Arctic, but it’s a giant leap for the decarbonisation of remote off-grid areas, and a watershed in the development of small modular nuclear power plants in the world,” Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Rosatom said in a report filled by esi-africa.com.
Director General of the World Nuclear Association, Agneta Rising, commented: “To meet the nuclear industry’s Harmony goal of supplying at least 25% of the world’s electricity by 2050 we will need to bring the benefits of nuclear energy to more people in a wider range of locations.
“The Akademik Lomonosov is the first of a new class of small, mobile and versatile nuclear power plant that will supply clean and reliable electricity, heat and water, helping meet the UN’s sustainable development goals.”
About Akademik Lomonosov
Akademik Lomonosov is a pilot project and a ‘working prototype’ for a future fleet of floating nuclear power plants and on-shore installations based on Russian-made small modular reactors.
The small power units will be available for deployment to hard-to-reach areas of the Russia’s north and Far-East, as well as for export.
The nuclear FPU Akademik Lomonosov is equipped with two KLT-40C reactor systems (each with a capacity of 35 MW) similar to those used on icebreakers.
It is designed by Rosatom to work as a part of the Floating Nuclear Thermal Power Plant (FNPP).
The vessel is 144 metres long and 30 metres wide and has a displacement of 21,000 tonnes.
Akademik Lomonosov – the first ship of this kind – was named for 18th century Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov.
The Power Distribution Services (Ghana) Limited, a private entity in charge of power distribution in the Republic of Ghana, has refuted media reports suggesting that it has imported made in China cloths for staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana.
The Herald newspaper, on Monday, September 16, 2019, published a story captioned ‘PDS imports huge volumes of China-made cloths for ECG workers…despite government’s suspension’.
However, the PDS, in a response, denied the report, describing it as false.
“PDS wishes to state categorically that the news is false, that the cloths in question were designed and printed in Ghana by Premium African Textile Company( formerly GTP), and not as purported by the newspaper. Interested parties may contact GTP for verification,” PDS stated in a disclaimer issued to energynewsafrica.com.
The statement urged customers and the general public to ignore the false publication.
The Institute for Energy Security Energy (IES), an energy think tank in the Republic of Ghana has predicted a further increase in petroleum prices in the West Africa country.
This prediction follows attacks on critical oil facilities in Saudi Arabia over the weekend.
According to the IES, the situation is likely to cause a shortage of oil on the world market, thereby leading to a hike in prices.
“You would understand that Saudi Arabia is the supplier of crude to the US…So if we get them locking out 5% of global supply, it also impacts on the production of refined oil in the US. The US will then be forced to go and now rely on their petroleum reserve. If they don’t go to the reserve, it means they won’t have enough to refine and it will cause an impact,” Executive Director for IES, Paa Kwasi Anamua Sakyi said in an interview with Accra -based Citi FM on Monday.
Mr. Anamua Sakyi stated that the incident in Saudi Arabia will not only affect fuel prices, but the prices of all other refined products.
He said, “Already prices shot up to almost $71 per barrel over the weekend. We’re now hovering around $67 per barrel and so for sure because Saudi Arabia is a key supplier to the global landscape, producing almost 10 million barrels per day, and one-tenth of the global oil production. So it will impact on prices of diesel, petrol and even other refined products.”
Over the weekend, the location of the biggest oil processing plant run by the Saudi state oil company, Aramco suffered a drone attack.
This attack, executed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group, knocked out more than half of Saudi crude output.
This has led to a huge disruption in the production of oil across the globe.
Meanwhile, prices of crude in some oil markets in the world have already experienced a surge following the attack on the plant.
Fenix International, a next-generation energy company and subsidiary of ENGIE opens its sixth market in Mozambique, where it expects to reach 200,000 households with clean energy and inclusive financial services within 3 years.
The company has already connected 500,000 customers to solar power in Uganda, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Nigeria.
Fenix has rapidly grown operations as a subsidiary of ENGIE, enabling the company to scale off-grid energy and financial services across new markets, with Mozambique the fourth new market opened within the past year.
Fenix has partnered with Vodacom and Vodafone M-Pesa SA to tackle the challenges of distribution, connectivity and mobile payments that have left rural Mozambicans underserved by affordable energy products in the past.
“Mozambique has set an ambitious target with their ProEnergia initiative to reach 100% of the population with electricity by 2030. The country represents an optimal market for off-grid solar products, with only 27% of households currently connected to electricity and a highly distributed population. Fenix’s operations here will focus on reaching those most in need of energy access, particularly districts in the North and people who are using expensive, polluting, and dangerous methods such as kerosene and candles to light their homes,” Luke Hodgkinson, Managing Director of Fenix Mozambique, said in a press release copied to energynewsafrica.com.
Luke adds, “We are delighted to partner with Vodacom and Vodafone M-Pesa SA. With their market-leading brand, distribution network and payment platform, and Fenix’s high-quality products and excellent last-mile customer service, together we can provide clean energy and financial inclusion to millions of rural Mozambicans. Once these foundations have been established, the possibilities to bring other life-changing products, from household appliances to crop insurance, are truly endless.”
Gulamo Nabi, from Vodafone M-Pesa SA adds, “We’ve been working to unlock the potential of M-Pesa for the millions of Mozambicans in rural areas, far from the national grid or traditional financial services.
“Vodafone M-Pesa SA is excited to work with Fenix to access these areas and provide the easy, fast and secure payment platform for customers to light up their homes with clean, affordable energy. This is totally aligned with our mission to create mobile solutions to change our customers lives,” the statement concluded.
A management member of the state-owned Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), in the Republic of Ghana, Mr Van-Gogh is allegedly desperately scheming to make the newly appointed Managing Director of the strategic national asset, Mr Edwin A. Provencal unsuccessful.
Mr. Van-Gogh, who is the General Manager in-charge of field operations, according to energynewsafrica.com‘s investigation has allegedly been inciting staff of BOST against Mr. Edwin A. Provencal, barely ten days in office, after being appointed to replace the immediate past MD George Mensah Okley who resigned from the post.
Documents available to energynewsafrica.com indicate that prior to the appointment of Mr Edwin Provencal, Mr Van-Gogh authored a three-paged statement which described him as the best person to replace Mr. George Okley and pushed it to the unionised staff of BOST to publish it in the media to catch the eyes of President Akufo-Addo.
According to our sources which described Van-Gogh as one of those who allegedly caused the down fall of the immediate past MD, the union rejected his idea.
Energynewsafrica.com sources allegedly indicated that when Van-Gogh) realised that the union were not in favour of his agenda to occupy the MD post and the subsequent appointment of Mr Edwin Provencal, he plotted another means by way of issuing threats and insults to some of the union executives.
His alleged unacceptable behaviour and lack of respect for workers compelled the union to petition the board to investigate his conduct.
“The General Manager Field Operations, Mr Van-Gogh Bagnaba, in recent times, has demonstrated some unacceptable behaviour which is in total violation to the collective agreement and the labour Act 651,” the union said in its petition.
“Prior to the appointed of Mr Edwin Provencal as Managing Director of BOST, Mr Van-Gogh Bagnaba called upon the union, through social media, to support his nomination to become the Managing Director as per the attached document marked as exhibit A.”
The petition continued that “we maintained our professional conduct as we have done in all transitions that the company has experienced and did not show our support for him as per his request, neither did we meddle in the work of the appointing authorities.”
The petition cited instances where Mr Van-Gogh threatened some staff of transfers, interdiction and dismissals if they failed to pass vote of no confidence in the executives of the union.
The petition called on the management to institute punitive measures against any employee or group that misconducted themselves or violated the rules of engagement.
The board is expected to meet the union and Mr Van-Gogh this week on the allegations.
Energynewsafrica.com will keep our readers updated on the conclusion of the board’s decision.
Below is the statement authored by Mr Van-Gogh BagnabaSource: energynewsafrica.com
Oil and gas company Tullow Oil has made a second oil discovery offshore Guyana. The Joe-1 exploration well has opened a new Upper Tertiary oil play in the Guyana basin.
Tullow started drilling at the Joes prospects in the Orinduik block offshore Guyana, the company’s second well in the block after the Jethro-1 well, in late August.
The Joe-1 exploration well was drilled by the Stena Forth drillship to a Total Depth of 2,175 meters in water depth of 780 meters, Tullow said in a release posted on its website Monday.
According to the company, evaluation of logging and sampling data has confirmed that Joe-1 has encountered 14 meters of net oil pay in high-quality oil bearing sandstone reservoirs of Upper Tertiary age. Joe is the first oil discovery to be made in the Upper Tertiary and de-risks the petroleum system in the west of the Orinduik block, where a significant number of Tertiary and Cretaceous age prospects have been identified.
Tullow and its partners will now evaluate data from the Joe-1 discovery alongside data from the Jethro-1 discovery announced in August 2019 and await the outcome of the Carapa well to determine the optimal follow-on exploration and appraisal program.
Also in Guyana, the Repsol-operated Carapa-1 well on the Kanuku license (Tullow 37.5%) is scheduled to start drilling in late September with the Rowan EXL II jack-up rig and will test the Cretaceous oil play with a result due in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Joe-1 was drilled on the Orinduik license, offshore Guyana by Tullow’s wholly owned subsidiary Tullow Guyana B.V.
Tullow Guyana B.V. is the operator of the Orinduik block with a 60% stake. Total E&P Guyana B.V. holds 25% with the remaining 15% being held by Eco (Atlantic) Guyana Inc.
On completion of operations, the Stena Forth drillship will depart Guyana and return to Ghana.
Commenting the new discovery, Angus McCoss who is Exploration Director: “I am very pleased that we have made back-to-back discoveries in Guyana and successfully opened a new, shallower play in the Upper Tertiary age of the Guyana basin with our second well. The Joe-1 discovery and its surrounding prospects represent another area of significant potential in the Orinduik Block and we are greatly looking forward to the next phase of the program as we continue to unlock the multi-billion barrel potential of this acreage.”
“The Joe-1 discovery has now opened up an additional play on the Orinduik Block that further defines the full potential for Eco and our partners in Guyana. Our initial interpretation, prior to drilling, defined over a dozen potential resource targets throughout the entire hydrocarbon section. We set a strategy to first focus on these shallower Tertiary plays as they have a huge positive effect on overall economics and allow a speedy path to production. Fast, low risk drilling to thick, clean, high porosity oil-bearing sands has decreased the drilling costs and greatly de-risks the development.
“This new discovery in the Upper Tertiary has opened a new play, the first Upper Tertiary discovery in Guyana, throughout our block, just as the Jethro-1 discovery did in the Lower Tertiary section. It has greatly increased our chance of success on our upcoming drilling targets and significantly de-risks other resource not previously considered in our interpretation,” Colin Kinley, COO and Co-Founder of Eco Atlantic, also commented.
Oh his part, Gil Holzman, CEO and Co-Founder of Eco Atlantic, also said: “The Joe-1 discovery, only a month after the Jethro-1 discovery, is very material for us as it has proven that our theory of shallow low-cost plays exists in Guyana, as we are up-dip from the huge Exxon fields at Liza and Turbot areas, with good quality sands and oil that is clearly present on our block.”
The cost of power in the Republic of Ghana still remains among the highest in the sub-region and serves to increase the cost of production for industries in the country, the Ghana Employers Association has said.
According to the Business and Financial Times(B&FT), President of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA), who was addressing members at this year’s annual general meeting of the association in Accra, said the cost of power remains a hindering factor to the competitiveness of local business and must be driven down significantly.
He said such a move will no doubt retain existing investors and attract new local and foreign ones into productive sectors of the economy, thereby creating the much-needed jobs.
“Cost of electricity in the country remains comparatively high within West Africa; the reduction in electricity tariffs last year, particularly for industry, was a welcome development but we still have some work to do in the area of lowering tariffs even further for industrial and commercial users.”
Mr. Acheampong argued that in the drive toward an aggressively industrialised economy, government needs to, as a matter of policy, discriminate some more in favour of ‘process power’ as against ‘utility power’, given the value-addition impact of the former on the economy.
The Association of Ghana Institute (AGI), in its 2nd Quarter Business Barometer Report, cited cost of power as the key driver in many local manufacturing industries’ collapse.
Mr. Acheampong further urged government to urgently accelerate the pace of developing other cost-effective forms of renewable energy, in order to enhance the country’s pedigree as the best business destination for West Africa.
“These forms of energy are not only cheap in the medium- to long-term, but are also environmentally friendly,” he noted.
The GEA president commended stakeholders of the business landscape for the sustained industrial peace at both national and enterprise levels, which he argued will facilitate increased investments into the economy.
Mr. Acheampong indicated: “As we strive to position the economy to attract both local and foreign investments to undertake transformational projects that will create jobs and sustainable development to the people, industrial harmony among social partners is a requisite for higher productivity, sustainability of enterprises and business growth”.
He further opined that sustained macroeconomic stability for inclusive growth and development is absolutely necessary in the country’s quest for rapid transformation.
For him, having all stakeholders working in mutual trust and confidence with government, and having wider discussions on broader macro-economic and social policy decision-making, will help build a stable and predictable economy that enables businesses to plan effectively. He said it is therefore necessary for continual dialogues, negotiations and consultations among employers, labour and government so as to maintain peace on the industrial front.
Half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production has gone offline following a surprise drone strike, oilprice.com has reported on Saturday.
Drones attacked Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia and the Khurais oil field run by Saudi Aramco early Saturday morning, the kingdom’s interior ministry said, sparking a massive fire at a crude processing plant essential to global oil supplies.
The closure will impact nearly 5 million barrels of crude processing per day, affecting 5 percent of the world’s daily oil production. And while Aramco is confident that it can recover quickly, if it can’t, however, the world could face a production shortage of as much 150MM barrels per month. An outcome which could send oil prices into the triple digits.
Houthi rebels– who are backed by Iran in a yearlong Saudi-led battle in Yemen– have apparently asserted responsibility for the strikes and pledged that more assaults can be expected in the future.
“We promise the Saudi regime that our future operations will expand and be more painful as long as its aggression and siege continue,” a Houthi spokesperson explained, adding that the attack involved ten drones.
The Iran-backed Houthis have recently been behind a number of assaults on Saudi pipelines, vessels and other energy infrastructure as tensions grow in the region.
There have been no details on the severity of the damage but Agence France-Presse quoted interior ministry spokesperson Mansour al-Turki as saying that there were no human casualties as a result of the attack.
Africa Oil & Power (AOP) has announced Salesian Institute as the new community partner for AOP’s flagship conference and exhibition which will take place at the CTICC 1 on October 9-11, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.
“We are privileged to be working with the Salesian Institute, as their mission is so fully in line with our #MakeEnergyWork theme for this year’s Africa Oil & Power Conference,” Guillaume Doane, CEO of Africa Oil & Power in a press release copied to energynewsafrica.com.
“For us, #MakeEnergyWork means building an energy industry that positively impacts all segments of society, including vocational programs that target the underprivileged. We look forward to opening lines of communication between the Salesian Institute and energy industry stakeholders,” he added.
The Salesian Institute is dedicated to improving the lives of South Africa’s vulnerable children and youth at risk.
For over one hundred years, they have been providing education, shelter and emotional support for at-risk youth through a combination of basic education, vocational training, social skills and neighbourhood outreach.
The Salesian Institute has launched several successful initiatives over the years, most notably, the Learn to Live School of Skills which is a program designed specifically for vulnerable and at-risk children and youth. It provides basic education and skills training to youth at risk who cannot cope in mainstream schooling.
The Porsche Training and Recruitment Centre (PTRC-ZA) Mechatronics Technician program is jointly implemented by the Salesian Institute Youth Projects and the local Porsche importer, LSM Distributors (Pty) Ltd. The program equips trainees to diagnose, repair and service vehicles across the Volkswagen Group, which includes Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, Bentley and Lamborghini.
Those attending the opening ceremony of the AOP conference will be entertained by the Salesian Institute Learn to live choir.
AOP will welcome 1,200 delegates over three days, with over 20 ministers and dignitaries set to speak on the main stage. The 2019 AOP #MakeEnergyWork conference will showcase how oil, gas and power can generate greater opportunities for the people of African nations and stimulate sustainable economic growth.
It is hosted in partnership with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy of South Africa and will take place on October 9-11, 2019 at the CTICC 1 in Cape Town.
Source: energynewsafrica.com
Chad’s rigs count has been surprisingly high for a year now, in a country that produces only about 100,000 bopd. With seven rigs deployed on its territory since September 2018 according to Baker Hughes GE, Chad counts more rigs than most African petroleum provinces. It is more than Angola, sub-Saharan Africa’s second largest producer of oil. It is almost more than Congo, sub-Saharan Africa’s third largest producer. The list continues: it is more than Gabon, Cameroon, or even Equatorial Guinea.
The reason: Chad is drilling. In efforts to expand exploration and boost domestic production, the land-locked Central African nation is proving that focusing on basics is a recipe for success. Drilling efforts have translated in increased production and oil revenues, despite several industry setbacks.
The recovery of Chad’s economy and petroleum sector after the recent plunge in oil prices has indeed not been a smooth journey to say the least. Chad has Africa’s 10th largest proven oil reserves but its output has been slipping in recent years due to maturing fields and disruptions caused by the conflict with Boko Haram in the southwest. Lower commodity prices added another layer of complexity to an already very intricate situation, and put the economy in jeopardy. Hopes brought by the renegotiation of the country’s debt with Glencore and the rebound in oil prices were short lived. In 2019, both ExxonMobil, which produces a fourth of the country’s oil and Glencore, which represents about 9% of Chad’s production, announced their intention to sell their assets in the country.
But as two of its biggest operators prepared their exit, Chad welcomed new ones and did not lose focus on bringing out what former minister Me Béchir Madit had then called a “second golden age of oil between the end of 2019 and 2025.” To ensure the growth of its industry, Chad launched the construction of the mini Rig-Rig refinery in 2017 to address crying domestic shortage of petroleum products, granted several new fields to the CNPCIC in the Bongor Basin, welcomed new operator United Hydrocarbons, and renegotiated its debt with commodity trading giant Glencore in 2018.
As oil prices started rebounding, good news came along. Taiwan’s Overseas Petroleum and Investment Corporation completed its exploitation platform and connection pipeline to the Komé centre, while Petrochad developed its Krim-Krim wells. The Société des Hydrocarbures du Tchad (SHT), the country’s national oil company, also made progress on the development of its Sedigui field by signing a contract with a Sino-British consortium for the construction of a gas pipeline, gas treatment facility and gas terminal in Djarmaya.
In two months alone, between July 2018 and September 2018, rigs deployed in Chad went up from only one to seven, according to Baker Hughes GE. That’s a considerable jump in such a short time, while most of its neighbours were still dealing with a drilling syndrome. For a year now, Chad has had more rigs deployed on its territory than most other African markets, revealing sustained drilling activity which has now translated in numbers. As drilling activity picked up, production increased, and so did revenues.
According to the latest reports of the Ministry of Finance and Budget, Chad’s oil production and oil revenues have witnessed considerable increase in 2019 so far. In the first quarter, oil revenues increased by over 64% compared to the same period last year, led by an increase in production by over 18%, most of it due to the CNPCIC, and thanks to a better foreign exchange rate. The second quarter confirmed the trend. During this period, oil revenues increased by another 38.6% while oil production increased by 23%, again led by the CNPCIC which has witnessed a growth of production by over 45% this year so far. Between January 2019 and June 2019, Chad produced 22,791,749 barrels. On a daily basis, that’s an average of 126,000 bopd, a very healthy figure for a state whose revenues come at 70% from oil exports.
Improved situation in Chad explains why the acquisition of ExxonMobil’s 40% stake in the Doba Basin has become a source of intense bidding and negotiations. It also explains why the country’s economic forecast are bright. In 2019, the IMG predicts Chad’s economy to grow by 4.5%, well above the world’s average of 3.3%. When many African oil nations struggle with a slow recovery, Chad reminds us that a successful energy strategy is a no brainer, and drilling must be a part of it.
Source: Mickael Vogel, Director of Strategy, African Energy Chamber
Contractors working on the 330kV Bulk Supply Point at Pokuase in the Greater Accra Region of the Republic of Ghana are working speedily to beat the project schedule.
Work on the US$33 million project, which is expected to boost power supply upon completion, will benefit areas including Pokuase, Nsawam, Kwabenya, Legon, Oyibi and Adenta.
The project is being executed by Elecnor of Spain, with earth moving works sub-contracted to Cymain while Mikadu and Oakley have also been sub-contracted for the construction of GRIDCo and ECG/PDS offices.
The BSP, which is the first project under the Ghana Power II, spearheaded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) through the Millennium Development Authority, is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021.
When energynewsafrica.com visited the project site, contractors were seen busily working with earth moving machines and tipper trucks to prepare the base for actual civil works to start.
The Project Manager for Pokuase Bulk Supply Point (BSP), Patrick Oppong who took energynewsafrica.com’s reporter around the site explained that per their planned schedule, the project should be about 16%.
However, he said the progress of work is about 25% complete due to the speed with which the contractors are working.
“We want to say that by two or three weeks’ time, earth works should be completed and civil works for foundation will also start straight away. As you can see, they are marking the foundation for GRIDCo’s office building. ECG/PDS building will also start in three weeks’ time,’ he explained.
Arrival of Equipment
Contractors working on the project, Mr Oppong said have already submitted designs and placed orders for the manufacturing of all the equipment including transformers to be used.
According to him, officials of MiDA, PDS, ECG and the contractors will visit Turkey, Germany, Italy, USA, India, as well as Switzerland where the order for the equipment has been placed to inspect them in December this year to ensure that they are of standard before they are shipped to Ghana between February and May 2020.
Job Creation
The project has employed about 90 workers so far, with more people to be employed when the actual construction begins.
Mr Oppong told energynewsafrica.com that 200 additional workers would be employed, explaining that priority would be given to residents of the area.
“On records, close to 90 workers have been employed for the earth works. When the actual construction work starts we will add about 200 more people,” he said.
As part of effort to ensure that women also benefit from the job opportunities being created as a result of the project, a policy has been developed to ensure that 5% of the technical workforce are women, Mr Oppong, explained.
Community Engagement
According to Mr Oppong, there is a monthly engagement with residents of the area, especially those who are close to the project site to know their concerns in order to get them addressed.
He said based on the engagement, “we have decided to improve on the road network in the area and also making assure that we water the road every morning and evening to minimise dust pollution.”
Safety Measures
As part of effort to ensure material quality, the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation has also set up a centre at the site to test the soil and other materials that will be used to ensure that they are of quality.
Assurance
Mr Patrick Oppong assured the public that MiDA would ensure that the project is executed up to standard so that the country would get value.
This is where GRIDCo’s office building will be sited
The chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Prof James Momoh, has assured the West African nation that “stable power supply in
Momoh is confident that this would be achieved when the metering situation in the country improves through the intervention of current Meter Asset Providers’ scheme coupled with the rollout of renewable energy.
“We are committed to improving the quality of lives of Nigerians every day and every minute. The target is that by the time we have improved meter within two years that will improve the quality of service all over the country,” Prof. Momoh reportedly told THISDAY.
He added: “By the time we allow renewable energy before 2030, a lot will be done. Formerly, I am saying do we have a target when all Nigerians will be powered? Hopefully, in our lifetime it will happen.”
Clarification of electricity tariff
The NERC official also provided clarity on the current electricity tariff situation in the country, saying the Commission has not increased tariff contrary to what had been making the rounds since it published what he called, “a minor review” last month.
According to Momoh, “we [NERC] have not increased tariff at the moment. What we have done is, ask the big question: When do we get this thing right given that the Discos say we need cost-reflective tariff to be able to provide services that we actually should do?
“So we did a minor review which is a review that takes into account the exchange rate, gas availability, availability of capacity generation, network availability, to make sure there is meter available to customers.”
Momoh explained: “NERC would have to take advantage of this opportunity given to us as a regulator to make sure we have a third party investor to provide meters, which is called Meter Asset Providers. That allows customers now to have access to meters.”
Reasons behind the tariff review
According to Momoh, the Discos must recognise that they have to provide quality power, “they have to make sure customers are metered, we also have to make sure all the indicators are right, then we can say we have done the review that was lacking before. Mind you, the review was not done since 2015.”
Momoh underscored that the review was done to alert the Discos of their key responsibilities and the responsibility of customers and the expectation of customers.
“Then, the reaction that will follow is that with engaging the customers at the end of the day, maybe by next year, we will be able to now agree on what should be the appropriate cost,” he said.
Momoh said NERC supports every effort made to ensure that renewable energy forms a big part of the energy mix by 2030, contributing approximately 30% of the country’s power supply.
Below is the statement authored by Mr Van-Gogh Bagnaba
Source: energynewsafrica.com
