Page 10 - AfrElec Week 44

AfrElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrElec
INVESTMENT
$1.66bn of donor finance
increases power capacity
in Nigeria
Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) managing director Alhaji Usman Mohammed said that the $1.66bn dollars received from international donors had increased generation capacity in the country.
TCN recently received $1.66bn from multi-lateral donors to boost power supply in the country, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.
Mohammed disclosed this at the Nigeria electricity awareness walk, organised by TCN and Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited in conjunction with other Nigerian Electricity Industry Stakeholders on November 2 in Abuja.
He said that the capacity was less
than 4,000MW but had increased to
over 7,500MW, which also increased the distribution capacity from about 3,500MW to 5,375MW in the highest peak in February.
“There is need to sustain investment into the sector especially in distribution segment, careful investment planning, regulatory consistency and transparency,” he said.
The TCN boss said United Nations’ SDGs classified infrastructure along industry
and innovation as goal number nine, while availability of clean and affordable energy was made to stand alone as goal number seven.
Mohammed said power stands out as the most important infrastructure, adding that many citizens knowingly or ignorantly were contributing to the crisis confronting the sector.
He attributed the poor development of the sector to vandalism of power infrastructure, building under power lines, preventing acquisition of power line right of way (ROW) among others.
The TCN boss also said that electricity theft through illegal connection, meter by- pass and the refusal to pay electricity bills by consumers was a challenge for the sector.
Mohammed said the objective of the walk was to highlight the need for all Nigerians
to appreciate sustainable development and growth of the Nigeria electricity industry as a national issue.
He said the electricity awareness walk was also targeted at ensuring that every Nigerian understood his or her role in the development of the electricity industry.
“Electricity industry is key to the sustainable development of the nation. Power infrastructure is expensive and requires extensive planning,“ he said.
TECHNOLOGY
Aramco announces JV plan, signs seven MoUs
Saudi Aramco today announced its intention to establish the Jazan Power Joint Venture. The JV will be 46% owned by Air Products, 25% by ACWA Power, 20% by Saudi Aramco and 9% by Air Products Qudra. In addition, the Company signed seven MoUs at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmad A. Al-Sa’adi, Saudi Aramco’s Senior Vice President of Technical Services, attended FII in addition to Nabil Al Nuaim, Saudi Aramco’s Chief Digital Officer, who headlined a panel discussion on how business can best leverage data to anticipate risks, improve performance and optimise operations.
Senior Vice President of Technical Services, Ahmad A. Al Sa’adi, reaffirmed
the Company’s position, saying: “Saudi Aramco aims to promote business investment opportunities through technology across the Kingdom’s energy services sector ecosystem. The agreements signed today support the Kingdom’s plans to develop industrial
zones, create jobs and attract foreign direct investment, as well as drive economic diversification.“
The MoUs represent new collaborations with companies from six countries. These include France, Norway, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain and the United States. The MoUs are intended to support Saudi Aramco’s operations and Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification strategy by increasing the efficiency of technology used in upstream, downstream and engineering services. In
the long term, these agreements aim to help improve sustainability and technological efficiency throughout the value chain.
SAUDI ARAMCO
HYDRO
Egypt to holds GERD talks with Sudan in Washington
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Sunday headed to Washington for US- brokered talks over the controversial dam constructed by Ethiopia on their shared Nile River, Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Slated for November. 6, the meeting will gather the foreign ministers of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan and will be attended by the World
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Week 44 06•November•2019