Page 10 - AfrElec Week 50

AfrElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrElec
PERFORMANCE
Uganda’s UEGCL posts profit
Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) announced on December 17 that it had made a net profit of UGX24.7bn ($6.6mn) for the financial year 2018/19, up from a loss of UGX10.8bn ($2.9mn) a year before.
Officials said the profit, the first since
the company’s inception in 2001, mainly
came from electricity that was sold from the recently commissioned 183MW Isimba Hydro Power Dam.
The company had never made profit because, according to officials, “it was only earning little money termed as ‘administration fee’ from Nalubaale Hydropower Electric Station”.
Officials said that with the launch of Karuma dam (600MW) and more demand for power from consumers, the company’s profitability is expected to improve going forward.
“This is cardinal to UEGCL as our intention is to ensure that the generation assets are run efficiently and their posterity guaranteed,” said Executive Director Eng. Harrison Mutikanga.
“UEGCL can effectively finance or co-fund future generation assets,” he said.
Company officials including Proscovia Margaret Njuki and Mutikanga the Board Chairperson and Executive Director for the company respectively presented the financial performance to Ministry of Finance Ministers Matia Kasaija and Evelyn Anite (in charge
of privatisation) during the annual general meeting.
TRADING
Egypt boosts exports to Jordan, Libya
Egypt exported EGP1bn ($62mn) worth electricity to Jordan and Libya in the fiscal year) 2018/19, with the largest share paid by Jordan, local media reported.
The total capacity of power interconnection with Libya and Jordan reached about 800MW. Egypt’s electricity exports are set to further
increase after the operation of the power interconnection line with Sudan, increasing power exports to Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
The Ministry of Electricity aims to increase the electrical interconnection with neighbouring countries to about 2,000MW
next year, especially with achieving surplus after fulfilling the needs of the local market.
In a parallel context, Sabah Mashaly, chairperson of the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), said that the national grid is being strengthened to turn Egypt into a regional energy hub. The plan also includes boosting existing regional interconnection projects with Jordan and Libya, and accelerate the implementation of other projects with Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, and Sudan.
She revealed the EETC is negotiating with several sides over new renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 2,570MW, including 1,820MW from wind and 750MW from solar energy.
Mashaly added that several power purchase agreements have been signed with renewable energy plants with a total capacity of 2,165MW. The agreements last for 20 years for wind farms and 25 years for solar energy projects.
She stated that the agreements include the purchase of 1,465MW of solar energy from the feed-in tariff projects in Benban Solar Park, 500MW from wind farms operating under B.O.O system, and 200MW of solar energy from other projects.
COAL
Fire interrupts coal supply at SA’s Majuba power plant
A fire struck South Africa’s second biggest power station on December 18, interrupting coal delivery to the 4,000MW Majuba plant, state utility Eskom said.
Eskom said the fire had been extinguished but had affected the conveyer belt at the rail offloading facility, so it would have to use road delivery of coal instead.
“We will have to wait for the facility to cool down in order to start a forensic investigation to determine the cause of the fire,” Eskom said
in a statement.
It added that Majuba power station’s coal
stock is healthy, at more than 50 days worth. Eskom has been beset by technical
and financial difficulties that have caused rolling power blackouts across Africa’s most industrialised nation this year. Last week heavy rains partly shut down operations at its coal fired Medupi plant, wiping thousands of megawatts off the grid and causing unprecedented levels of power cuts.
HYDRO
AfDB to support hydro in Madagascar
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has agreed to support Madagascar’s Sahofika hydro-power project with partial risk guarantee (PRG) of $100m.
Located on the Onive River, 100km south- east of the capital Antananarivo, the 205MW Sahofika hydropower project is expected to generate 1,570GWh of clean energy annually.
This addition of renewable energy
capacity to the national grid will benefit
more than twomn people in the region. The PRG provided by the bank will support the payment requirements of the state-owned off- taker JIRAMA.
AfDB Power, Energy, Climate Change and Green Growth acting vice-president Wale Shonibare said: “The bank’s support to the national utility, JIRAMA, through the PRG provides much-needed credit enhancement as JIRAMA continues to build its track-record as a bankable electricity off-taker that will in- turn mobilise investments into Madagascar’s energy sector.
“This will enable the country to achieve its strategic goals in terms of increased energy access, a more diversified energy mix and least cost generation.”
Construction of the hydroelectric power plant involves building a 110km transmission
P10
w w w . N E W S B A S E . c o m
Week 50 19•December•2019