The move, he said, would make the country self-sufficient in using gas for electricity generation and minimise the importation of natural gas from Nigeria. “Ghana has enough gas to power all her power plants without relying on imported gas because gas is much cheaper than liquid fuel, hence a policy decision has been taken to switch-over to gas in energy generation,” he said. Vice President Bawumia announced this when he delivered the keynote address at the maiden Town Hall Meeting by the Economic Management Team (EMT) at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, in Accra, on Wednesday. He said the country currently paid 24 million dollars a month in excess capacity charges for power generated and not being used, which would shore up to 41 million dollars later this year. The meeting was held on the theme: ”Our Progress, Our Status, Our Future,” to update the public on gains made, so far, and efforts to sustain them to engender economic growth and development. The meeting attracted representatives of civil society organisations, academia, traders, importers, freight forwarders and members of the public to interact with the EMT members and asked questions on a wide range of issues pertaining to the economy. Vice President Bawumia said the first phase of the switch-over of liquid fuel to gas would be completed this month, which would ensure evacuation of 60 million standard cubic feet of gas from the Western Region to Tema Power enclave, while Phase Two would be completed by July or August, this year.
Ghana to save $300 million annually for generating electricity with gas – Bawumia
Total Petroleum Ghana Limited paves way for better energy with its 4th solar-powered station
PDS finally releases load shedding timetable
Ghana: opposition party raises concern about ExxonMobil deal
Parliament on Wednesday ratified the agreement between Government and the US oil giant ExxonMobil and its local partners, Goil Offshore Ghana Limited, for deepwater oil exploration in the Cape Three Points Block.
The Agreement, which is effective for 25 years, will however expire after 7 years if the exploration yields no commercial discoveries.
But the opposition party’s Spokesperson for Finance in Ghana’s Parliament, Cassiel Ato Forson, says the exemptions granted will deny the country the right revenues.
“Whoever did that negotiation for Ghana has indeed caused financial loss to this country. He has indeed messed us up big time. If Cabinet approved this, I beg to say that they should bow down their heads in shame because they have destroyed the revenue base for this country.”
“I am very surprised that the Ministry of Finance supports this. These are the very things we oppose. They came to government and within the first six months, they have approved it. Unfortunately, I am sad. Today is a sad day for Ghana. They have lost so much,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Energy in charge of Petroleum, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has described the agreement as a huge gain for the country.
“With these current exemptions that we are granting them, the total oil that Ghana will get is up to 84% and that is the highest so far in the history of our country. So if someone tells you that the terms are not good, you can tell from the net oil contribution that the country will get that that is not what the person is doing.”
The ExxonMobil Petroleum Agreement was signed by the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko on January 18, 2018.
The allocation, which was done through direct negotiation is situated in the deep water Cape Three Points area of the Western Region.
Dr Ben Asante’s impact as CEO of Ghana Gas
Dr. Ben Asante addressing a press conference at Ghana Gas’ Head Office in Accra
At a recent press conference at the company’s head office where Dr. Ben Asante and Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah Bonsu , Head of Communications at Ghana Gas, addressed the media, it was revealed that the use of processed gas from the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant, in place of Light Crude Oil (LCO), has yielded an average savings of about US$42.6 million in 2017 and about US $206.4 million in early 2018.
The rise in savings in 2018 was due to a 43% increase in the price of LCO at 84.7/barrel from US$59.3/barrel in 2017.Since Ghana Gas begun commercial operations in 2015, LPG from Atuabo Gas Processing Plant has, on the average, accounted for 32% of national domestic consumption.The year-on-year analysis (2015-2018) shows that Ghana Gas supplied 40% of domestic LPG demand in 2017, the highest since the commissioning and commercial operations, thereby, reducing LPG import bill by US$47million.In 2018, the LPG supply declined by 2% relative to the 2017 performance due to gas substitution from ENI-Sankofa.
$3m monthly savings due to indigenization
It is important to emphasize that the decision by management of Ghana Gas not to employ the services of expatriates to manage the plant and its associated pipeline infrastructure, after the Chinese engineers from SINOPEC, who were managing the plant left but to rely on Ghanaian engineers, is saving Ghana about US$3 million monthly. This single decision has resulted to a savings of about US$60 million since April 2017. It is refreshing to also note that the first major maintenance shutdown, which was done between February and April 2018, was also done by staff of Ghana Gas Company. This is said to have enabled ENI to tie-in its pipeline at Sanzule.
Gas Pipeline project
Under the leadership of Dr. Asante, the company was able to complete the Esiama-Prestea lateral pipeline in 2017. This is to enable the company to send gas to consumers in the mining enclave in the Western Region and eventually to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region. Apart from the above, Ghana Gas is currently working on Karpowership Gas pipeline, which when completed, will supply lean gas to Karpowership barge in Sekondi to save millions of dollars in gas transportation and fuel substation. Expansion works are also ongoing on the Takoradi Regulatory and Metering Station to increase the capacity of TRMS from 130mmscfd to 400mmsfd.
Incident free
The implementation of Risk Based Process Safety Management by the company has also gone a long way to improve the overall safety management system to the extent that the company has not recorded any incident for two years now.”We also developed and implemented key HSE risks control procedures including the Management of Change Procedure in controlling HSE risk associated with changes and modifications to existing facilities,” Mr Owusu Bempah said.
CSR projects
It is important to emphasize that Ghana Gas, has also undertaken a number of Corporate Social Responsibility(CRS)projects in its operational areas. In the area of health and sanitation, Ghana Gas has registered 1,350 indigenes of Atuabo and Aboadze under the National Health Insurance Scheme to provide them with insurance so they can access health facilities in the area anytime they feel sick and need treatment. The company has also constructed an eight-seater water closet toilet and a mechanized borehole for Allabokazo.On education, the company has constructed four-Unit Teachers’ quarters in Anokyi and Asemda Suazo to relieve and lessen the pain teachers who are posted in the two communities go through. Ghana Gas has also gone a step further by providing Asemda Suazo an ulra-modern nursery school facility to enable children in the area have education.
Aside these, GNGC has also supported Nzulezu Development Committee to rehabilitate their community school building, donated teaching and learning materials to Nzulezu community Basic School, made cash donations to the Domunli enclave for the rehabilitation of their only primary school, as well as a donation of two water tanks to Kikam Technical Institute.
In the area of sports, GNGC made cash donations to Karela and Nzema Kotoko Football Club.
Takoradi Regulating & Metering Station operated by Ghana Gas
Author’s Email: [email protected]
Contact: 0243782655 President Of OPEC Member Algeria Steps Down Amid Protests
Stable power will remain a mirage without realistic tariffs – Edward Bawa
We’re moving power plants from Tema to Takoradi – Amewu
Bawumia laments GRIDCo’s power transmission deficiencies
The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has lamented the inability of the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) to operate at optimum level in the country. He says the company is struggling with transmission challenges as a result of obsolete distribution equipment. Explaining the recent power cuts at a town hall meeting on Wednesday, Dr. Bawumia insisted that Ghana is producing enough power but GRIDCO, the power distribution company, is unable to distribute it due to its old systems. “Even though we don’t have problems with power generation capacity, we have some problems with the transmission. The GRIDCO network is old and it has been unable to invest in high capacity lines because of financial difficulties.” Dr. Bawumia also disclosed that the country is currently paying an amount of $24 million per month for unused power under the agreement with the Independent Power Producers. He said there are fears that amount may double this year. “The energy sector is key for industrialization. We inherited many challenges in the sector but they are being addressed. Ghana has excess capacity in energy generation but the contracts entered into for many of these IPPs are expensive and financially burdensome. Most of these contracts are ‘take or pay’ arrangements. This means that even if we don’t need the power, we still have to pay for it. Ghana is currently paying $24 million a month in excess capacity charges alone for power we have not used. This will increase to about $41 million a month later this year, with the coming onstream of CEN Power, Early Power and Amandi power plants.”
Breaking News: Residents of Odumase-Krobo block roads, burn tyres over ‘dumsor’
Ghana: NEDCO’s copper cables stolen in Berekum
Copper cables on towers belonging to the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCO) have reportedly been stolen in the Berekum municipality of the Bono Region.
The towers connect to the new sub-station in Berekum which supplies power to Dormaa, Drobo, Sampa, Wamfie, Wamanafo, and other surrounding communities.
This comes barely two weeks ago when some perpetrators hacked down one of GRIDCo’s transmission towers near its head office in Tema.The Corporate Communications Manager of NEDCO, Maxwell Kotoka, who confirmed the incident of theft said the development is frustrating.
“Some copper cables belonging to us have been cut and taken away from a number of our towers between the new 161Kv sub-station and the 34Kv sub-station for distribution all in Berekum. In all, there are 22 towers and the copper cables have been stolen from 16 of the towers. The copper is not energized, they protect the towers from thunder and lightning,” Mr. Kotoka explained.He said the theft of the cables could affect power distribution in the area.
“What we have done is that we have reported the incident to the police. We have done some engagements with the assembly, the political leadership of the area, stakeholders on the importance of each person helping in protecting the equipment and accessories,” he added.
Mr. Kotoko said NEDCO has taken steps to engage a contractor to have the stolen cables replace.
“We want to caution that we cannot continue replacing them as they get stolen and so we are urging everybody to be on the lookout for unscrupulous people who engage in the habit of stealing. We are also in collaboration with the driver unions to help us track such persons,” Mr. Kotoka noted.
Source: citinewsroom.comExxon May Sell $3B Worth Of Oil, Gas Fields In Nigeria
ExxonMobil is considering selling some of its stakes in onshore and offshore fields in Nigeria, and those stakes could potentially raise US$3 billion, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing banking and industry sources.
Exxon has recently held talks with Nigerian companies to see if there is interest in its assets in Nigeria, some of Reuters’ sources said, as the U.S. supermajor is now predominantly focused on boosting production in the Permian and developing the huge oil discoveries offshore Guyana.
Exxon is set to soon open in Nigeria the so-called data room with details about the oil and gas fields it plans to divest, one source told Reuters.
Exxon is one of Nigeria’s largest foreign oil operators and its production in 2017 stood at 225,000 bpd.
Nigeria, however, has been a difficult international scene for supermajors in recent years with militant violence disrupting export pipelines and streams and pipeline vandalism leading to spills.
Exxon is now primarily focused on getting the most out of the Permian and of the Guyana discoveries, which are its key growth areas for the coming years.
Exxon plans to significantly boost its earnings and cash flows through 2025, also thanks to asset sales.
“Cumulative cash flow from operations and asset sales over the period from 2019 to 2025 is $24 billion higher than what was communicated at last year’s analyst meeting, including $15 billion from anticipated asset sales from 2019 to 2021,” Exxon said last month.
In its Investor Day presentation in early March, one of Exxon’s key upstream messages was to aggressively enhance its portfolio competitiveness by executing industry-leading exploration opportunities, improving operations, and increasing divestments.
Source: Oilprice.com
Mozambique: Five provinces to gain electricity access
Its interesting Ghanaians are not tolerant of one week power disturbance – Deputy Energy Minister
Deputy Energy Minister, William Owuraku Aidoo is in ‘shock’ over the reactions of Ghanaians towards government with regards to recent power outages in the country. Particularly after what appeared to be a rather extended period of ‘Dumsor’ under the erstwhile John Dramani Mahama administration, he is surprised that the same persons who suffered for well over months will be complaining about power outages he claims would last for just 12 days. The power cuts which have been ongoing for almost three weeks now has seen sector officials trying to salvage the situation and reassure Ghanaians of better services. Aside from the usual reassuring of citizens that government is working around the clock to bring relief, the deputy minister’s latest interpretation was to refer Ghanaians to the erstwhile Mahama administration where ‘dumsor’ was persistent, irregular, and unpredictable for several years. According to the deputy minister, if Ghanaians could endure such serious power outages and rationing that has been around for over three years, then they should be able to manage with just twelve days of unstable power supply. “It is really interesting that Ghana has gotten into the state that we are. Within two years of Nana Akufo-Addo’ government, Ghanaians are not of one week of power disturbance and that is saying something. It is only a week and it’s causing a lot of difficulties and inconvenience to people but they cannot stand it unlike sometime back when we had to endure years and years of dumsor”, he stated. Background Seven out of sixteen regions in the country are expected to experience 12-days of load-shedding known in the local parlance as ‘Dumsor’ starting March 30, 2019. According to sources, the Greater Accra, Central , Western, Eastern, Ashanti, Volta Regions are part of the affected areas following a 300MW loss of power as a result of the shutdown of Atuabo Gas Processing Plant for mandatory maintenance The valve of Atuabo Gas Processing plant in the Western Region was closed Saturday March 30 for a 12-day outage to complete the final tie-in works under the Takoradi-Tema Interconnection Project. As a result of the termination of gas flow from the west, the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has requested a total load reduction of 300MW from 08:00hrs to 18:00hrs. Source: Ghanaweb. com