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Ghana: Parliament Approves Energy Levy Amendments To Curb Fuel Subsidy Abuse

Michael Creg Afful
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Ghana: Parliament Approves Energy Levy Amendments To Curb Fuel Subsidy Abuse

Ghana’s parliament on Friday approved amendments to the Energy Sector Levies Act aimed at boosting revenue collection and tackling abuses in the downstream petroleum sector.

The amendments increase the Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy on fuel oil to 1.93 cedis per litre from 0.24 cedis, aligning the rate with those applied to diesel and marine gas oil.

They also extend the Road Fund Levy to fuel oil.

The government said the measures were designed to close revenue leakages and prevent abuse of fuel subsidy programmes intended for industrial users.

Authorities say some beneficiaries have misused the subsidies for private gain, undermining the programme’s effectiveness.

Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson said industrial users would now pay the applicable levies upfront when importing fuel oil and claim refunds afterward, replacing the current system of granting exemptions before importation.

“Some individuals are taking advantage and smuggling, buying diesel and disguising it as fuel oil and collecting the taxes on it,” Forson told parliament.

He said the government would maintain tax exemptions for legitimate industrial users but shift the system from an ex-ante to an ex-post refund mechanism.

“There will not be a tax increase on petroleum products,” Forson said, adding that fuel oil is used by industry rather than motorists.

He also said the government would amend the Revenue Administration Act to shorten the processing period for fuel oil tax refunds to 14 days from 90 days.

Ukraine Strikes Lukoil’s Volgograd Refinery As Drone Attacks Resume

Michael Creg Afful
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Ukraine Strikes Lukoil’s Volgograd Refinery As Drone Attacks Resume
Ukraine has struck one of Russia’s biggest refineries, Lukoil’s Volgograd processing facility, the Ukrainian forces said on Friday as they resumed attacks on Russian refining capacity. The Volgograd refinery, which has the capacity to process 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude, produces gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. It was hit by Ukrainian forces, Ukraine’s Security Service said in a Telegram post on Friday. The hit was “successful,” Ukraine said, without offering details as to the extent of damage. Andrei Bocharov, the governor of Russia’s Volgograd region, said on Friday that a fire broke out at an industrial facility in the fuel and energy complex in the region following a mass drone attack. Bocharov did not name the site. This is not the first strike on the Volgograd refinery, which early this year had to suspend crude oil processing after a Ukrainian drone attack triggered a fire at the plant. The renewed drone attacks on refineries from Ukraine come after several weeks of a lull, during which Ukrainian forces focused on hitting tankers in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. The brief respite in the attacks on refineries allowed some units to resume operations after repairs. This past weekend, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that the fuel crisis in Russia had started to ease as some refineries have restarted operations. However, this week Russia extended the ban on gasoline and diesel exports from July 31 to the end of the year in a sign that the situation has not improved too much. Amid peak demand season, Russia has been suffering from gasoline and diesel shortages for nearly three months, as Ukraine’s drone campaign to strike Russian refineries forced many large processing sites offline in the spring and early summer. The overnight attack on the Volgograd refinery could now worsen the crisis.

Ghana: BPA CEO Calls For Smarter Power Systems To Accelerate Africa’s Energy Transition

Michael Creg Afful
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Ghana: BPA CEO Calls For Smarter Power Systems To Accelerate Africa’s Energy Transition
The Chief Executive Officer of the Bui Power Authority (BPA), Ghana’s state-owned power generation company, Ing. Kow Eduakwa Sam, has called on African electricity utilities to invest in smarter and more resilient power systems to accelerate the continent’s clean energy transition.
Sam made the call on Thursday, July 30, 2026, while delivering the welcome address at the APUA-IRENA-UNEZA Capacity-Building Workshop on Renewable Energy Grid Integration, held as part of the 60th Annual Meetings of the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA) at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.
The workshop brought together utility executives, policymakers, technical experts and development partners from across Africa to explore solutions for integrating renewable energy into electricity grids while maintaining system reliability.
Sam said Africa’s energy transition must be supported by investment in modern electricity infrastructure, smart grid technologies, energy storage systems, regional collaboration and continuous capacity building.
Drawing on BPA’s experience, he highlighted the integration of hydropower, utility-scale solar photovoltaic generation and battery energy storage systems as practical examples of technologies that enhance grid flexibility and reliability.
He also joined representatives of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in a presentation on the challenges and opportunities of managing high shares of renewable energy in electricity grids.
Held under the theme, “Accelerating Africa’s Electricity Market Integration: Advancing Regulatory Readiness, Regional Market Development and Strategic Partnerships,” the 60th APUA Annual Meetings brought together more than 200 utility leaders and energy stakeholders to strengthen regional cooperation and advance sustainable electricity development across the continent.
BPA said its participation reflects its growing leadership in renewable energy development and its commitment to supporting Africa’s transition to a resilient and sustainable electricity sector.

South Africa: Ramaphosa Launches First Phase Of Seriti Green’s 10 Billion Rand Wind Project In Mpumalanga

Michael Creg Afful
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South Africa: Ramaphosa Launches First Phase Of Seriti Green’s 10 Billion Rand Wind Project In Mpumalanga

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday unveiled a commemorative plaque marking the start of commercial operations at the Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility in Bethal, Mpumalanga.

The first phase of the project comprises 155 megawatts (MW) of wind generation capacity and forms part of a planned 900 MW renewable energy programme.

The 10 billion rand (equivalent of $605,182,400.00) project, being developed by Seriti Green, is expected to increase renewable electricity generation capacity and strengthen South Africa’s power system.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Ramaphosa said the project demonstrated the value of partnerships between the government, state utility Eskom, the private sector and local communities.

He said the project highlighted the importance of creating meaningful local economic participation while ensuring surrounding communities benefited directly from the investment.

Ramaphosa said the project had created more than 1,000 jobs, with about half going to people living within a 10-kilometre radius of the site.

“I am told that more than 18,500 people have registered on the Seriti Green Skills Hub, where they will be able to access current and future opportunities,” he said.

“Many of the people who have worked on this project have brought valuable skills developed in the mining industry into the construction of South Africa’s next generation of energy infrastructure,” he added.

Ramaphosa said the government had made it clear that the country’s energy transition should be just, inclusive and leave no one behind.

He said South Africa’s transition to cleaner energy was being implemented through practical measures aligned with both domestic and international commitments.

“It should strengthen local businesses, equip young people with new skills and leave communities stronger than before,” he said.

Ramaphosa said that with rolling power cuts, locally known as load shedding, which had constrained economic growth for more than a decade now largely over, progress was also being made in addressing load reduction in several provinces, including Mpumalanga.

He said reforms in the electricity sector were aimed at delivering a reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity supply for all South Africans.

 

Nigeria: Federal Government To Phase Out Electricity Subsidies From 2027

Michael Creg Afful
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Nigeria: Federal Government To Phase Out Electricity Subsidies From 2027
Nigeria plans to phase out electricity subsidies from 2027, Power Minister Joseph Tegbe said on Friday, as the government seeks to tackle mounting debt in the power sector. Speaking during a media briefing, Tegbe said the government would gradually eliminate electricity subsidies from next year but pledged that consumers would continue to receive reliable power services. “We have the mandate of Mr. President to clear the legacy debt and put in place sustainable structures to ensure this does not accumulate again,” Tegbe said. “By God’s grace, next year we will put a stop to this so-called subsidy in the power sector. We will not deprive Nigerians of anything. We will ensure consumers continue to have electricity while improving power services,” he added. Tegbe also said the government had no immediate plans to raise electricity tariffs. The planned phase-out is in line with recommendations by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has urged Nigeria to remove electricity subsidies as part of broader fiscal reforms. The federal government has previously highlighted the growing cost of electricity subsidies, estimating the burden at about 3 trillion naira ($1.9 billion) as of February 2024. The Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC) has said the government owes power generation companies about 6.5 trillion naira in outstanding payments. Tegbe’s announcement comes as the government steps up efforts to reduce the sector’s debt. President Bola Tinubu has approved the issuance of a 4 trillion naira bond to settle legacy obligations in the electricity sector. In January, the government issued an inaugural 501 billion naira bond under the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme (PPSDRP). On July 20, it announced a second tranche worth about 729 billion naira to settle verified legacy debts owed to power generation companies. Earlier this year, Tinubu directed all ministries, departments and agencies to rely on existing electricity sector laws to determine how electricity subsidy costs should be shared among the federal, state and local governments in preparing the 2026 budget.

Tanzania: TANESCO Signs TZS 204.7 Billion Contract For 100 MW Kishapu Solar Project

Michael Creg Afful
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Tanzania: TANESCO Signs TZS 204.7 Billion Contract For 100 MW Kishapu Solar Project

Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) has signed a contract with Sagemcom Energy & Telecom SAS and STEG International Services for the second phase of the Kishapu Solar Power Project, which will generate 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

The contract, valued at 204.7 billion Tanzanian shillings ( equivalent of $77,318,283.22), was signed on July 27 and the ceremony was witnessed by Energy Minister Deogratius J. Ndejembi and Deputy Energy Minister Salome Makamba.

The project will be implemented in the Ngunga area of Kishapu District in Shinyanga Region.

Ndejembi said the Kishapu Solar Power Project forms part of the government’s strategy to diversify Tanzania’s electricity generation mix and expand access to reliable, affordable power from renewable energy sources.

He said the project is being implemented in two phases with a combined installed capacity of 150 MW. The first phase, with a capacity of 50 MW, cost 118.3 billion Tanzanian shillings and is in the final stages of construction.

The second phase, with a capacity of 100 MW, officially commenced following the signing of the implementation contract and will cost 204.7 billion Tanzanian shillings, bringing the total cost of the two phases to 323 billion Tanzanian shillings.

According to the government, the project is expected to increase electricity generation from renewable energy sources, strengthen the reliability of Tanzania’s power grid and support efforts to meet rising electricity demand.

Iran Says Two Oil Tankers Abandon Attempt To Transit Hormuz

Michael Creg Afful
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Iran Says Two Oil Tankers Abandon Attempt To Transit Hormuz

Two oil tankers that attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz with U.S. support via the southern shipping lane near Oman turned back after one of them caught fire, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday, as the war in the Middle East showed no signs of easing.

“Last night, two oil tankers, encouraged by American aircraft, attempted to leave through the unsafe southern route of the Strait of Hormuz,” the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by AFP.

“After a major fire broke out on one of them, both vessels quickly turned back,” the statement said.

The southern shipping lane along Oman’s coast is believed to be protected by the United States and has been described by Iran as “unsafe.”

Since the collapse of the ceasefire, Iran has struck vessels transiting the southern lane near Oman.

As a result, many ships, including oil tankers, attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz have done so in so-called “dark mode,” with their transponders switched off to avoid detection.

Tanker operators have largely suspended attempts to transit the Strait since hostilities resumed and Iran restarted attacks on and harassment of vessels in the waterway.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had carried out a major wave of strikes against IRGC targets in Iran late on Wednesday in response to what it described as attempted Iranian missile attacks on U.S. forces on Tuesday.

The IRGC said on Thursday: “The Strait of Hormuz cannot be reopened as long as the bluster and threats of U.S. officials and their interference in maritime movements in the region continue.”

“The Strait of Hormuz is our territory, and the IRGC Navy firmly controls it,” the statement added, as the conflict in the Middle East threatened to escalate further after the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

As tensions in the region persisted, Brent crude rose above $90 a barrel early on Thursday. The international benchmark was up about 1.5% at more than $92 a barrel during early European trading.

Kenya Hit By Widespread Power Outage, Kenya Power Works To Restore Supply

Michael Creg Afful
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Kenya Hit By Widespread Power Outage, Kenya Power Works To Restore Supply
Several parts of Kenya were hit by a widespread power outage on Wednesday evening, leaving thousands of customers without electricity, including those in Nairobi, the Coast region, the Mt. Kenya region and parts of the Central Rift. However, electricity supply remained uninterrupted in parts of the North Rift and Western regions. Kenya Power confirmed the outage in a statement issued at 9:05 p.m. local time but did not disclose the cause. “We wish to inform our customers that we are experiencing a widespread power outage affecting customers in Nairobi, the Coast region, the Mt. Kenya region and parts of the Central Rift. However, parts of the North Rift and Western regions remain on supply,” the utility said. Kenya Power said its technical teams were working to restore electricity to the affected areas as quickly as possible. “We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience as restoration efforts continue,” the company said. Reports of the outage began emerging shortly after 8:30 p.m., when electricity supply was disrupted across several parts of the country. Social media was quickly flooded with posts from customers reporting blackouts. Users in Nairobi and surrounding areas, Eldoret, Mombasa and several other towns said power was lost at around the same time, suggesting the outage affected a significant portion of the national electricity grid. Many customers took to social media to seek updates from Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), while others expressed concern over the cause of the outage and when electricity supply would be restored.

Glencore Expects $3.3 Billion First-Half Marketing Profit After Iran War Fuels Market Volatility

Michael Creg Afful
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Glencore Expects $3.3 Billion First-Half Marketing Profit After Iran War Fuels Market Volatility
Global commodity producer and trader Glencore expects to report adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of about $3.3 billion in its marketing division for the first half of 2026, buoyed by extreme market volatility during the Iran war that boosted trading profits. The company disclosed the forecast on Wednesday in its half-year production report ahead of its detailed interim earnings due next week. “We are pleased to report a strong production performance for the first six months of the year, where our key assets largely performed in line with expectations and previously communicated guidance,” Chief Executive Gary Nagle said. Nagle said full-year production guidance for copper, zinc and nickel remained unchanged, while the midpoint of energy coal guidance was raised by 1 million metric tons and steelmaking coal guidance was lowered by 1 million metric tons. “In our Marketing segment, we expect to report a strong half-year Marketing Adjusted EBIT of c.$3.3 billion,” he said. Read Also:Ghana Suffers Nationwide Blackout After Grid Disturbance Glencore did not disclose how much of the marketing profit came from energy trading, but further details are expected when the company releases its half-year results next week. The first-half marketing profit already exceeds the $2.9 billion adjusted EBIT reported for the division in the whole of 2025. Glencore posted a record $6.4 billion in marketing EBIT in 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted global energy markets and sent oil prices above $120 a barrel. The company said at the time the record performance was driven mainly by its energy trading business, which benefited from extreme volatility across crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), refined products, coal and logistics. Trading houses and integrated oil and gas companies with large trading operations have benefited from heightened volatility in energy markets since the outbreak of the Iran war.

Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority Concludes Electricity Study Tour In Nigeria

Michael Creg Afful
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Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority Concludes Electricity Study Tour In Nigeria
The Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority (ZURA) has concluded a study tour of Nigeria’s power sector agencies to strengthen regulatory cooperation and promote knowledge exchange in electricity sector regulation. The visit, which ended on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, gave the ZURA delegation first-hand insights into Nigeria’s evolving electricity market, regulatory framework and institutional arrangements. NERC Vice Chairman Yusuf Ali said sustained collaboration between the two regulators was important and reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to continued knowledge sharing under an existing cooperation framework. As part of the programme, NERC arranged meetings with key stakeholders in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), including a courtesy visit to the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe. The delegation also visited the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and held technical sessions with electricity sector officials. The discussions focused on Nigeria’s electricity market structure and regulatory framework, the development of the renewable energy sector, grid code enforcement and the operation of the national grid. The delegation also visited the grid-connected rooftop solar mini-grid at Wuse Market in Abuja to study the project as a potential model for replication in Zanzibar. The study tour is part of NERC’s efforts to support capacity building and strengthen regional cooperation among electricity regulators in Africa.

Ghana Suffers Nationwide Blackout After Grid Disturbance

Michael Creg Afful
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Ghana Suffers Nationwide Blackout After Grid Disturbance
Ghana suffered a nationwide power outage early Wednesday after the country’s Interconnected Transmission System experienced a major power system disturbance at about 3:11 a.m. (0311 GMT), grid operator Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) Ltd has confirmed. GRIDCo said the blackout was triggered by the simultaneous tripping of several generating plants across the national power system, resulting in a widespread interruption of electricity supply. The company said it had activated its established system restoration procedures, with engineers and system operators working continuously in close collaboration with other power sector stakeholders to restore electricity supply as quickly as possible without compromising safety. GRIDCo said a comprehensive technical investigation had also been launched to determine the exact cause of the system disturbance. The grid operator apologised for the inconvenience caused and thanked the public for its patience and understanding. “GRIDCo remains fully committed to restoring supply to all affected customers as quickly and safely as possible and will provide further updates as more information becomes available,” the company said in a statement. 

Many Ghanaians took to social media to express frustration over the power outage.

Power supply was restored to parts of the affected areas later in the afternoon, while other areas remained without electricity.

The grid operator had yet to provide a further update on the situation.

Ghana: GOIL CEO Bawa Urges NPA To Mandate Technology Transfer In Petroleum Licences

Michael Creg Afful
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Ghana: GOIL CEO Bawa Urges NPA To Mandate Technology Transfer In Petroleum Licences
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of GOIL PLC, Edward Abambire Bawa,  has called on Ghana’s downstream regulator, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), to make technology transfer a condition for licensing new investors in the petroleum sector. Speaking at the 7th Ghana International Petroleum Conference (GHiPCON) in Accra, Bawa said the centrality of the issue was how licences are issued. “The centrality of it is how we license. Our licensing regime must have a situation where these things are captured when issuing the licence,” he said. “The licence should be able to give measurable ways in assessing how technical know-how is transferred.” Bawa said regulators should focus on outcomes rather than inputs when evaluating joint ventures between local and foreign firms. “If you were to go into a joint venture with a foreign company that has the technology and the capital, you need to be able to clearly indicate that in the course of that relationship there are measurable ways in which the technology that has been brought is transferred and it will remain,” he said. He added that companies often cite the number of conferences and training programmes as evidence of technology transfer, but that does not guarantee competence. “You can have four or five training programmes, you can expose people to technology and what have you. But in doing that you only can talk about statistics and numbers. But in reality people do not have the competence. People are not familiar with the technology that is being used in the industry,” Bawa said. He urged the NPA to emulate the upstream sector, where the licensing regime already sets out requirements for technology transfer. “It boils down to licensing and how we structure the licensing. If we can do that very well and the regulator is on top of his job, trust me we will be able to ensure. This is a problem that is even found in the upstream, and I believe that in the upstream there are examples that can be taken,” he said. Bawa said such a requirement would help ensure technology retention for local staff working with foreign operators in Ghana’s downstream sector.

Ghana: GRIDCo CEO Says Power Sector Reforms Doubled Ghana’s Transmission Network

Michael Creg Afful
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Ghana: GRIDCo CEO Says Power Sector Reforms Doubled Ghana’s Transmission Network
The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) Ltd., Ing. Frank Asirifi Otchere says Ghana’s power sector reforms, particularly the unbundling of the transmission business, have significantly improved the country’s electricity transmission network. Speaking on the topic, *”Understanding the Reform Landscape: What Has Changed Since 2019? From Evidence to Action: Reform Priorities for African Utilities,”* at the 60th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA) in Accra, Otchere said GRIDCo was carved out of the Volta River Authority (VRA) in 2008 to manage the national transmission grid. He said Ghana’s transmission network was largely obsolete before the creation of GRIDCo. According to Otchere, GRIDCo’s immediate priorities after its establishment were to expand the transmission network and improve the reliability of the national grid. “Since the creation of GRIDCo, the circuit kilometres of the transmission network have more than doubled. That is a testament to the impact of the reforms in the power sector,” he said. Otchere said substantial investments had also been made to improve the reliability of the transmission system and enable the grid to evacuate electricity generated from renewable energy sources, particularly solar power. As a result, he said, GRIDCo’s transmission network has been adjudged the best in West Africa. Otchere said the reforms also opened the power generation segment to private sector participation, helping to increase generation capacity. Despite the progress, he said, more work remains to strengthen the resilience of Ghana’s power sector and ensure it can meet growing electricity demand while supporting the country’s energy transition.

Ghana Ready To Share Energy Expertise With Africa, Deputy Minister Says

Michael Creg Afful
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Ghana Ready To Share Energy Expertise With Africa, Deputy Minister Says
Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition Richard Gyan-Mensah highlighted Ghana’s achievements in the energy sector and pledged the country’s readiness to share its expertise with other African nations. Delivering a keynote address on behalf of the sector minister, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, at the ongoing 60th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA) at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, Gyan-Mensah said Ghana’s electricity access rate currently stands at 89%, with installed generation capacity exceeding 5,300 megawatts (MW) against peak demand of about 4,700 MW. He added that the country’s power transmission network records an availability rate of about 99.5%. Gyan-Mensah also said the government had paid GH¢1.4 billion to clear part of the legacy debt owed to independent power producers (IPPs). “These are not mere statistics. They represent businesses powered, hospitals running, industries expanding and lives transformed. Financial reforms have been the foundation,” he said. Gyan-Mensah said Ghana is prepared to share its experience and expertise with other African countries to support the continent’s energy development. He noted that sustainable utilities depend on sound governance, strong finances, reliable infrastructure and forward-looking investment. He urged African power utilities to prioritize financial sustainability to strengthen their operations and support economic growth across the continent.
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