Page 10 - AfrElec Week 26

AfrElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrElec
to the power sector and steady progress is being made on frontier exploration with the spud-in of Kolmani River-II Well.”.
e GMD said with the taming of security challenges and the commencement of the rehabilitation of the re neries and pipeline depots across the country, the corporation was on the right track to continue to add value to the national economy.
“Security challenges that had hampered exploration and production activities have been tamed; new business models have been developed across NNPC businesses, leading to phenomenal boosts in productivity and lessening of cash calls burden on government, achieved through alternative funding arrangements we developed”, he said.
NNPC
Nigerian gas producers highlight generators’ debt
Nigerian gas producers said power generation companies owe them a total of NGN1.3tn ($21bn) for the supply of the fuel to power stations.
e country generates most of its electricity from gas- red power plants, while output from hydropower plants makes up about 30 per cent of the total.
Total electricity generation in the country stood at 3,479.6MW this week, with the output of many of the power stations limited by gas constraint, according to the Nigerian Electricity System Operator.
e 1st Vice President, Nigerian Gas Association Victor Okoronkwo said gas pricing also remained an issue.
Okoronkwo, who is the Managing Director of Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production, spoke at a panel session at the Nigerian Oil and Gas Conference in Abuja.
He said the country had been struggling with how to use its abundant natural gas resources to move the economy forward.
He said, “Even though pricing still remains a big issue, I think that when you talk about the price for gas, you should look at the full scal environment for natural gas, both as it is
currently being used and as being proposed in the Petroleum Industry Bill, which has been in the works for too long.
“As we all know, electricity penetration in Nigeria is quite low, and we have natural gas which can give us the fuel we need to increase that electricity penetration, and it is electricity usage that will enable the domestic gas development in Nigeria because of the volume that the power sector consumes.”
e Commercial Manager, Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria, Mr Chijioke Uzoho, said gas supply to the power sector used to account for 80 per cent of the total domestic supply but this had dropped to 60 per cent.
FUEL-OIL-FIRED THERMAL
Karpowership seeks new clients
Currently supplying electricity to six
African countries, Istanbul-based company Karpowership is shaking up the power sector on the continent, and trying to add Morocco to its client list.
“We need to convince our customers to change their thinking,” says Zeynep Harezi, Sales manager at Karpowership, an a liate
of Turkey-based Karadeniz Energy Group. “During our meeting with [Morocco’s] National Electricity and Drinking Water Board (ONEE) in May, we explained that our power plants also o er medium and long- term solutions over twenty years and more, in addition to emergency solutions.?”
Armed with a clear and robust agenda, the niece of Orhan Karadeniz, the CEO of the eponymous parent company, was present at the Africa Energy Forum in Lisbon in mid- June to drive this message home.
Currently supplying electricity to six African countries (Gambia, Ghana, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique), the subsidiary is, according to experts, a game changer in the eld. Founded in 2010, the
company sells kilowatt-hours to national electricity operators through dual power plants (gas and heavy fuel oil) built on boats and “capable of connecting to any electricity grid and gas pipeline”. In short, they operate oating power plants, known as powerships.
e Turkish power company won their rst Africa contract in Ghana in 2014, starting with a barge equipped with a 200MW power plant and anchored in the coastal city of Tema.
To date, Karpowership has nearly 850 MW in operation in Africa. While this
gure is still low compared to well-established competitors in the region, it remains essential for the countries concerned.
e Istanbul-based company currently supplies 26% of the electricity produced in Ghana, 10% in Mozambique, 80% in the Gambia and Sierra Leone, and 10% in Sudan.
HYDRO
Zambia, Zimbabwe to start building Batoka HPP in 2020
Zambia and Zimbabwe will start building the USD 4 billion Batoka hydropower dam across the Zambezi River next year.
In a statement, the Zambezi River Authority says the project will commence next year, 25 years since it was rst mooted.
Authority Chief Executive O cer Engineer Munyaradzi Munodawafa explains that procurement of the developer for the project is underway and is expected to be engaged by the end of 2019.
Engineer Munodawafa added that
once engaged, the developer is expected to commence works in the last quarter of 2020.
He further says studies have revealed
that the project will have minimal
impacts regarding physical and economic displacements of the host communities as the reservoir will be contained within the gorge where there is limited livelihood at present.
He however stated that where physical
or economic displacement is necessary, the authority will prepare a resettlement action plan in consultation with the a ected parties and relevant government institutions to compensate such a ected households to a level better than before by applying national and international good practices.
Currently, the proposal is for two power plants, each with an installed capacity of 1,200 megawatts one on the Zambian side and another on the Zimbabwean side. e dam to supply the reservoir with water will be a 181 metres tall arch-gravity type.
P10
w w w . N E W S B A S E . c o m
Week 26 03•July•2019