Page 13 - AfrElec Week 21 2021

AfrElec NEWS IN BRIEF AfrElec

A four-member investment and technical Nairobi city hall to pay off with some getting closed while staff and those
team of Ghana’s independent power producer, seeking services forced to use the stairs to
Sunon Asogli, led by Togbe Afede XIV, co- Kenya Power debt access remaining offices, some up to the tenth
Founder and Director, is in Liberia to engage floor.
the country and to negotiate a deal in the Nairobi City Hall has set aside KES691mn to
power generation sector. clear its debt to Kenya Power in a bid to bring
Togbe Afede, also the Agbogbomefia of to an end perennial power blackouts caused
the Asogli State, explains that the first of the by the utility firm cutting off electricity supply. GENERATION
three-pronged offering by Sunon Asogli seeks Different installations and institutions
to acquire an interest in the existing 88MW belonging to the county government have Rio Zim says Zimbabwe
Mt. Coffee Hydro Power Plant in Liberia. suffered power blackouts due to disputes
Secondly, his company seeks to invest to arising from failure by City Hall to offset the power plants on course
expand the existing Mt. Coffee Hydro Power debt.
Plant by additional 60-80MW in the medium According to Nairobi County Debt Rio Zim Limited says its energy projects -
term to increase its output to about 168MW. Management Strategy Paper for financial the 2,800-MW Sengwa Power Station and
The third offering, according to Togbe year ending June 30, 2022, City Hall owes the the 178-MW Solar project - are progressing
Afede, in the long-term plan will be to develop power distributor KES691.58mn in electricity well despite financing setbacks and delays in
a new hydro power plant on the St. Paul River bills. finalisation of power purchasing agreements
to add to the generation capacity of Liberia. Nairobi County Assembly Budget and with state utility company, Zimbabwe
Touching on the expected benefits of the Appropriation committee chairman Robert Electricity Transmission and Distribution
investment to the government and people Mbatia said the county government owes Company (ZETDC).
of Liberia, he said the acquired interest in Kenya Power millions in electricity bill, some For the solar project, the Company
the existing Mt. Coffee Hydro Power Plant is inherited from the defunct city council, which received four Independent Power Producer
to provide capital to help the government’s has often led to services at City Hall being (IPP) licences for the establishment of solar
resolution of the challenged power interrupted whenever electricity supply is cut. farms at Cam & Motor Mine, Renco Mine,
distribution sector along the electricity supply The allocation, he said, is intended to bring Dalny Mine and Murowa Diamonds Mine
value chain. to an end the back and forth between City for own use with excess energy to be sold to
Togbe Afede XIV disclosed that the deal Hall and Kenya Power over debts owed to ZETDC.
would enable Liberia to become self-sufficient each other. “The Company obtained independent
in energy and a net exporter of power by The Ann Kananu-led administration has power producer (IPP) licenses for the solar
taking advantage of the West Africa Power also claimed that the utility provider owes power projects for each operating location.
Pool transmission line that connects Cote them Sh856 million in wayleave charges that The Company is progressing with selecting an
d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. have not been paid for years. EPC contractor whilst awaiting finalisation of
The investment, he said, will not only “We have experienced power blackouts Power Purchase Agreements with ZETDC,”
inure to the benefit of consumers of power in in City Hall because of the pending bills of the company said in its 2020 Annual Report.
Liberia, but eventually, electricity tariff in the Kenya Power and the county government In 2018, RioZim penned a financing deal
country would become very competitive and want to clear that bill in totality,” said Mr towards the construction of solar plants at
trigger industrialisation. Mbatia. its four locations with a combined output of
Among members of the delegation from Earlier in the year, City Hall said it will 178 megawatts worth $210mn with China
Asogli were Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, negotiate with Kenya Power to swap the Gezhouba Group International Engineering
Rocky Agyeman Prempeh and Li Julong Sh691.58mn electricity bill with money Corporation (CGGC).
who were received by officials of the country due for wayleave charges from the power Meanwhile, the Sengwa coal power project
and the Liberia Electricity Regulatory distributor. now in phase two meant to expand plant
Commission. This was after Nairobi County offices were capacity from 700 MW to 2 800MW is still
SUNON ASOGLI in November last year plunged into darkness battling financing constraints.
for three days running after Kenya Power cut “The efforts to secure financing to
electricity supply to City Hall and City Hall commence Phase 1 of the project were
POWER DEBTS Annex over the power bill debt. significantly hampered by the uncertainties
This led to disruption of operations in most presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
county offices located in the two buildings The Company is focused on advancing the

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