Ghana: WAPCo MD Calls For Regional Support To Address Gas Supply Deficit
The Managing Director of West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo), Michelle Burkett, has called for stronger collaboration among the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) states, comprising Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria, to resolve persistent payment challenges contributing to a regional gas supply deficit.
Speaking at the West African Gas Pipeline Committee of Ministers (CoMs) meeting in Accra on April 29, 2025, WAPCo’s MD stressed the urgency of coordinated action to stabilize gas flow and drive energy security in the sub-region.
She emphasized that tackling these financial bottlenecks is critical to ensuring a reliable minimum base load to support power generation and industrial activity across West Africa.
“Our ability to fully unlock the WAGP’s potential is increasingly shaped by the collective effort from all stakeholders represented here today.”
Ms. Burkett used the opportunity to highlight three key areas where WAPCo needs the Committee’s support.
She emphasized securing sustainable gas supply of a minimum base load supply of 150,000 MMBtu per day through the ELPS into the WAGP pending the completion of ongoing enhancement projects.
She also highlighted strengthening financial stability through collaborative solutions to help establish a shared pathway to resolving all outstanding commercial matters.
Furthermore, she emphasized the need for facilitating the timely passage of the WAGP Fiscal Amendment Acts in Ghana, Togo, and Nigeria to ensure a harmonized approach across all WAGP states.
“WAPCo remains committed to this shared vision and stands ready to drive forward a compelling new chapter of economic opportunity for all stakeholders involved,” she stated.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Fire Guts Achimota Bulk Supply Point, Causes Power Outage In Parts Of Accra
The Electricity Company of Ghana’s Achimota Bulk Supply Point in Accra, the capital of Ghana, was gutted by fire at about 11:00 am on Sunday, May 4, 2025.
This has resulted in a power outage in several parts of Accra.
The affected areas include Legon, parts of Kwabenya, Nima, Circle, parts of Adenta, Madina, Ashomang, Dome Pillar 2, South Industrial Area, parts of New Achimota, Kokomlemle, Kanda, parts of Osu, Burma Camp, Power House, Cantonment, Flagstaff House which is the Dear of Government, Pantang, and Focus.
According to a statement by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the Abelemkpe Fire Station received an emergency call at exactly 11:11 am and responded promptly. Within two minutes (11:13 am), firefighters, led by ADO II Arhim Daniel, arrived at the scene to combat the fire.
The blaze was brought under control at 11:22 am and fully extinguished at 11:28 am, according to the GNFS.
The fire, which affected an earthing transformer, also extended to an outdoor air conditioner unit.
“No injuries were recorded,” the GNFS said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
In a statement, ECG assured affected customers that its engineers are working to restore power supply as soon as possible.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
The Gambia Bids Goodbye To Karpower
The Gambia’s National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) has formally announced the expiration of the eight years’ contract with Turkish power firm Karpowership, effective 2nd May, 2025.
Since 2018, Karpowership has played a pivotal role in The Gambia’s electricity sector, supplying a significant portion of the country’s energy needs through its floating power plant.
In a statement by NAWEC on Friday, May 2, the West African nation appreciated the dedication, professionalism and collaboration that Karpowership demonstrated throughout the years.
NAWEC is transitioning towards greater energy independence, including the reactivation of its own generators and the continued expansion of sustainable domestic energy sources in line with The Gambia Energy Road Map 2022-2040.
“While this marks the end of our formal engagement with Karpowership, we recognise and value the partnership that has contributed to The Gambia’s energy sector over the years,” NAWEC said.
NAWEC assured The Gambians that measures are in place to minimise disruptions and maintain stable electricity supply during this transition.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
NAWEC is transitioning towards greater energy independence, including the reactivation of its own generators and the continued expansion of sustainable domestic energy sources in line with The Gambia Energy Road Map 2022-2040.
“While this marks the end of our formal engagement with Karpowership, we recognise and value the partnership that has contributed to The Gambia’s energy sector over the years,” NAWEC said.
NAWEC assured The Gambians that measures are in place to minimise disruptions and maintain stable electricity supply during this transition.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com Ghana: Regulatory Bodies Back Petroleum Hub Project, Assure Speedy Permitting Process For Investors
Ghana’s $60 billion petroleum hub project, to be sited in Jomoro in the Western Region of the country, has received the backing of environmental and petroleum regulatory bodies, pledging speedy issuance of permits to investors who want to invest in the project.
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (formerly Town and Country Planning) have all affirmed their commitment to the project.
The petroleum hub, which is spearheaded by the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC), is expected to establish three refineries,each with a capacity of 300,000 barrels per stream day minimum.
Additionally, the hub will have five (5) petrochemical plants, each with a minimum processing capacity of 90,000 barrels per stream day as well as two jetties with multiple berths.
In a bid to attract both local and foreign investors, the government has declared the petroleum hub area, which covers 20,000 acres of land, as a free zone enclave. This means that prospective investors will enjoy tax holidays and other incentives.
The PHDC was established by an Act of Parliament (Act 1053) in 2022 to promote investment and drive enhanced job creation, reducing Ghana’s alarming unemployment situation.
Speaking at the Inter-Agency Dialogue in Accra, the capital of Ghana, on April 30, 2025, which brought together several stakeholders, the Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC), Dr. Toni Aubynn, described the petroleum hub project as a game-changer that must be supported by stakeholders to ensure its success.
He urged stakeholders to work cohesively to eliminate bureaucratic delays and inefficiencies that deter potential investors.
“For us to move forward effectively, inter-agency coordination must not be an afterthought; it must be a culture. We must streamline processes, align on timelines, reduce duplication, and ensure that our communications are consistent and timely. Investors are watching. Citizens are watching. And they’re looking to us for leadership not just in vision but in execution,” he said.
Dr. Aubynn reaffirmed the PHDC’s commitment to creating an investor-friendly environment that not only attracts but also retains investment in the Petroleum Hub.
“We envision a hub that is more than just a collection of refineries, tank farms, pipelines, and ports. We envision a hub that becomes the beating heart of energy transformation in West Africa—a hub that creates jobs, drives innovation, builds local capacity, and strengthens Ghana’s economic sovereignty,” he said.
The Deputy Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Hon. Richard Gyan-Mensah, representing his minister, reminded the agencies in the sector, saying, “Let me emphatically state that the success of the Hub is not the sole responsibility of the Corporation but is a collective one for all stakeholders in the sector.”
In this respect, he tasked them to share a sense of purpose by simplifying the procedures needed to operate in the sector to engender investment and capture the petroleum and petrochemical market in Africa and beyond.
“Let us promote a collective sense of national responsibility that will help us achieve success. Let us work together by simplifying our processes,” which will help us become champions in the sector, not only in Ghana but also to compete globally.
The Acting National Coordinator of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Mr. Benjamin Asiam, representing his office, expressed optimism that Ghana is blessed to have the PHDC.
He stressed that with the right structures, Ghana can take full advantage of the petroleum and petrochemicals market in Africa, which will boost the nation’s economy by developing the hub to attract the right investment and make it competitive in the petroleum and petrochemicals industry, particularly in Africa and the world.
He said that through the AfCFTA platform, Ghana stands a chance to develop, build, and market products and its human resources to better its socioeconomic development drive.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com South Africa: Fuel Prices Set To Drop Again In May
Fuel prices are expected to decrease in May, according to the latest data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF).
Petrol prices may drop by up to 19 cents per liter, while diesel prices could fall by 37 cents per liter.
This anticipated reduction follows a price relief in April, where petrol prices were cut by 58-72 cents per liter and diesel prices decreased by 84-86 cents per liter.
Grant Nader, Portfolio Manager at Benguela Global Fund Managers, attributes the predicted decline to drops in global oil prices and a stronger rand.
Nader notes that the Rand oil price has dropped 13% for the month, which could lead to further cuts in petrol prices.
He estimates potential reductions of around 20 cents for petrol and 37-38 cents for diesel, building on the significant cuts seen in April.
If these price levels are maintained throughout May, further decreases may be expected.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Edmond Kombat Takes Over As Acting MD Of TOR After Dr Sulemana Moved To Energy Ministry As Technical Advisor
The Deputy Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery, Edmond Kombat Esq., has been elevated to the Acting Managing Director position, this portal can confirm.
This follows the reassignment of Dr. Yussif Sulemana, the Managing Director, to the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition as a Technical Advisor.
This portal broke the news of Dr. Yussif Sulemana’s reassignment to the Ministry on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
An internal notice communicating the appointment of Edmond Kombat stated, “This is to inform you that the company’s Acting Managing Director has been reassigned to a new position.”
The notice, bearing the signature of Nelson M. Obuo, Acting Human Resources and Administration Manager, indicated that the Deputy Managing Director has been appointed by the President of the Republic of Ghana as the new Acting Managing Director pending the constitution of the company’s Board.
“Thank you for your attention and cooperation,” the notice concluded.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Gambia: Falling Tree Causes Total Blackout In Central, Upper River Regions
The Gambia’s National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) has announced a total blackout across the Central River and Upper River Regions of the West African nation since 3:00 am on Friday, May 2.
According to a statement issued by the utilities provider, electricity supply from the Senegalese national electricity company, Senelec, to Basse was interrupted at about 3:00 am due to a large tree falling on the main incoming transmission line around Kaba Kanman.
Although Koina was isolated, power could not be restored using the available generator due to a technical issue, the statement said.
NAWEC assured that its engineers were working assiduously to restore power supply to the affected regions.
“Our teams have been mobilized and are working diligently to resolve the problem and restore supply as quickly as possible,” the statement said.
The company apologised for the inconvenience and appreciated the patience and understanding of consumers during this time.
Source:https://energynewsfrica.com
Ghana: Gov’t Will Not Privatise ECG– President Mahama Assures Organised Labour
The President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, has assured Ghanaians that his administration will not privatize the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), despite ongoing concerns about the state of the country’s power sector.
According to him, what the government is seeking is private sector participation in the operations of ECG, and not an outright sale of ECG as speculated.
Addressing Ghanaian workers at the May Day celebration at Black Star Square on Thursday, May 1, the President addressed growing fears about the possible privatization of ECG.
“Let me assure you that it is not my intention to privatize ECG as an institution. Our attention is more on a public-private collaboration to inject efficiency into our downstream electricity distribution system,” the President said.
He explained that ECG is currently burdened with debt and inefficiencies, which threaten the stability of the entire power sector.
“The ECG has been brought to its knees by a culture of poor governance over the last eight years, with a debt of GH¢68 billion and rising. If we do not do something drastic, our whole power sector will collapse. We can only bring down power tariffs if we improve efficiency in the distribution of power,” he stated.
President Mahama said public-private partnerships offer a workable solution and pointed to a successful model from his previous term in office.
“When I was President, in the free zones, a private company, Enclave Power, was given the right of metering and billing in the free zone. ECG provided them with a bulk supply of power. They pay ECG, and until today, they still pay ECG monthly on time. Their billing and collection in the free zones enclave is 99% of revenue collected,” he said.
He said this example shows that partnerships with private entities can help improve efficiency without handing over ownership.
“I am sure that we can make our electricity distribution more effective through public-private partnerships, but I can assure you that electricity as an institution will not be privatized,” President Mahama emphasised.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
Zambia: Energy Regulatory Board Extends Emergency Tariffs For ZESCO Limited
Zambia’s Energy Regulation Board has extended the ZESCO Emergency Tariffs for another three months, effective from May 1 to July 31, 2025.
However, the tariff will not be increased.
In a statement issued by the Board Chairperson of ERB, James Banda, the Board observed that the factors that led to the declaration of the emergency tariffs still exist.
He explained that the extension is also due to low water levels in reservoirs and that ZESCO has still not been able to ramp up generation arising from the prolonged drought situation over Southern Africa.
According to Banda, the emergency period and emergency tariffs have been subject to review by ERB at intervals of three months.
Banda further indicated that the ERB, in October 2024, approved ZESCO’s application for an emergency period tariff for retail customers, which was approved after public consultation meetings.
ZESCO Limited applied for emergency tariffs about eight months ago to enable them to procure 300 MW of power to shore up generation due to the severe drought that resulted in low inflows into Kariba Dam.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: GRIDCo And ECG Report Power Outage In Western, Central, Northern Regions And Part Of Accra
Ghana’s power transmission company, GRIDCo, and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have announced that the Central, Western, and Northern regions, as well as parts of Accra, the capital of Ghana, have been cut off from the power supply.
According to a statement jointly issued by ECG and GRIDCo, they attributed the power cut to a system disturbance that occurred at 1:42 pm on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
The statement said a tipper truck discharging stones at a private developer’s construction site near the Nkawkaw-Konongo Transmission Line lifted its bucket into the line conductor, damaging the line and causing the disturbance.
“This incident caused all power plants at Aboadze and Anwomaso to trip, taking off supply to the Western, Central, and Northern parts of the country, as well as some customers in Accra,” the statement said.
The statement informed that engineers have mobilized to the location to repair the damaged transmission line, assuring that work is ongoing to restore all affected areas by 6 pm today. GRIDCo and ECG apologized to electricity consumers for the inconvenience this incident has caused.
In view of this unfortunate development, the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) has issued a statement informing its customers about the situation.
NEDCo assured its customers that power supply would be restored as soon as the issue is resolved by GRIDCo.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: TOR MD Reassigned To Energy Ministry As Technical Advisor
The Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery, Dr Yussif Sulemana, has been reassigned to the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition as a Technical Advisor, this portal can confirm.
Dr Sulemana was appointed in February 2025 and replaced Kofi Tagoe Mocumbi who served as the Managing Director in President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration.
During Akufo-Addo’s administration, TOR had four Managing Directors, including one Acting Managing Director and an Interim Management Committee (ICM).
Despite several attempts, attempts to revamp the refinery remained unsuccessful during the eight-year administration.
As one of the energy sector agencies frequently in the news, TOR attracted significant attention from industry watchers.
Dr Sulemana has over 15 years of experience in the energy industry, specialising in oil production, oil refinery process systems optimisation and systematic troubleshooting.
His credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, a Master of Science in Management (Oil & Gas), and a Doctor of Business Administration in Energy Management.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Mahama Appoints Charlotte Osei, Totobi Quakyi, 7 Others To Ghana Gas Board
Ghana’s President, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, has appointed eight members to the Board of Directors for the Ghana National Gas Company, the national gas aggregator of the Republic of Ghana. The new board includes a former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei.
The rest of the newly appointed board members are Mr. Kofi Totobi Quakyi (Chairman), Ms. Judith Adjobah Blay (Acting CEO), Mr. Emmanuel Vincent, Ms. Nasira Afrah Gyekye (MP), Mr. Samuel Kwame Borlu, Awulae Agyefi Kwame II, Mr. Baba Abdul Jamal Adama, and Mr. Blay Nyameke Armah (MP).
In a statement issued on Wednesday, April 30, Ghana Gas said the appointments reflect the President’s confidence in the new board’s ability to lead the company effectively.
“We look forward to working with the new Board to enhance the company’s operations, address challenges, ensure quality standards, and foster peaceful coexistence,” the statement said.
The Ghana National Gas Company was established in July 2011 as a limited liability company with the responsibility to build, own, and operate natural gas infrastructure required for gathering, processing, transportation, and marketing of gas.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria Dismisses Managing Directors Of Three State-Owned Refineries
Nigeria has dismissed the managing directors of three state-owned refineries and replaced them, local reports suggest. The dismissed managing directors are Ibrahim Onoja, Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC); Efifia Chu, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC); and Mustafa Sugungun, Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC).
According to reports, their dismissal is part of a broader organizational shake-up to bring efficiency to the operations of the refineries. However, the move has been viewed by many Nigerians as a deliberate attempt to oust loyalists of the dismissed Group CEO and Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.).
Last month, President Bola Tinubu sacked the board of NNPC Ltd, including its GCEO, Mele Kyari, and board chairperson Pius Akinyelure. The president also approved Bayo Ojulari as the new GCEO of NNPC and Ahmadu Kida as non-executive chairman. NNPC Ltd announced the appointment of a new 8-member senior management team, stating that the appointments take immediate effect, following the recent appointment of Mr. Ojulari and the Board of Directors.
Although the company’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, did not respond to inquiries on the matter when contacted, multiple impeccable sources at the firm familiar with the development confirmed the shake-up by the new management team.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ukraine, US Sign Minerals Deal Sought By Trump
Ukraine and the U.S. on Wednesday signed a deal heavily promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump that will give the United States preferential access to new Ukrainian minerals deals and fund investment in Ukraine’s reconstruction.
According to a report by Reuters, the two countries signed the accord in Washington after months of sometimes fraught negotiations, with uncertainty persisting until the last moment with word of an eleventh-hour snag.
The accord establishes a joint investment fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction as Trump tries to secure a peace settlement in Russia’s three-year-old war in Ukraine.
The agreement is central to Kyiv’s efforts to mend ties with Trump and the White House, which frayed after he took office in January. Ukrainian officials have hoped that the deal would ensure continued U.S. support for Ukraine’s defence against Russia.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko were shown signing the agreement in a photo posted on X by the Treasury, which said the deal “clearly signals the Trump Administration’s commitment to a free, sovereign, prosperous Ukraine.”
Svyrydenko wrote on X that the accord provides for Washington to contribute to the fund.
“In addition to direct financial contributions, it may also provide NEW assistance – for example air defense systems for Ukraine,” she said. Washington did not directly address that suggestion.
The U.S. has been Ukraine’s single largest military donor since Russia’s 2022 invasion with aid of more than 64 billion euros ($72 billion), according to the Kiel Institute in Germany.
Before the signing, Trump repeated on Wednesday that the U.S. should get something for its aid to Kyiv, thus the effort to secure a deal for Ukraine’s plentiful deposits of rare earth minerals.
In announcing the deal, the U.S. Treasury said the partnership recognized “the significant financial and material support that the people of the United States have provided to the defense of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion.”
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com