Page 13 - AfrElec Week 19

AfrElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrElec
registered with the municipality.”
Once registered with the municipality, the
customer’s details are loaded on the Eskom system where they get credited with free electricity tokens.
INDUSTRY
Zambia copper miner fights $132mn electricity bill
Vedanta Resources Ltd.’s Zambian unit, which is in provisional liquidation, is fighting to keep the lights on after a power company threatened to reduce supply because of a $132mn bill, according to court filings, Bloomberg reported.
Konkola Copper Mines Plc, Zambia’s biggest single power user, on May 13 won an interim order from the High Court preventing Copperbelt Energy Corp. from curbing
its electricity. KCM disputes the payment
that CEC is demanding, and says power restrictions would cause irreparable damage to its facilities, according to an affidavit from the mining company.
The case is the latest in a series of financial troubles at KCM, which the government placed under provisional liquidation a
year ago, through a state-owned minority shareholder. It’s also not the first time that CEC has moved to restrict supplies because of non-payment; there was a similar dispute in 2014.
“KCM’s non-payment for power consumed has resulted in liquidity challenges for the CEC business and exposed the company
to extensive liability,” it said in response to emailed questions.
At the time of liquidation, KCM owed $47mn in unpaid bills, according to the affidavit signed by Mbobe Nyondo, the
company’s energy and risk manager. While KCM said it had paid $45mn, CEC said it is still owed $132mn. The power provider then warned it would restrict supply, relying on a notice from a year ago that has since lapsed, according to Nyondo.
The High Court in Kitwe, where KCM is based, will hear the matter on May 26. KCM didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
GAS-TO-POWER
Axxela reaches landmark 5mn LTI-free man-hours
Axxela Ltd, sub-Saharan Africa’s preferred fast-growing gas and power portfolio company, has achieved 5mn man-hours without any lost time injury (LTI) across its operations. The noteworthy achievement was reached on Friday, May 1, 2020.
LTI is a measure of injury sustained on
the job that is capable of preventing a worker from performing or continuing with a task or resulting in downtime in operations. It is an oil and gas industry benchmark that evaluates adherence to safety and environmental requirements in the course of operations, and is a critical Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for Axxela’s conformity with the industry’s best practices.
Speaking on the monumental safety milestone, Bolaji Osunsanya, Axxela’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We are proud
to celebrate Axxela’s advances in safety performance. This safety mark underscores Axxela’s unwavering commitment to
health and safety best practices across all facets of our enterprise. Our integrated Environment, Health, Safety and Quality (EHSQ) management strategy revolves
around operational excellence, stringent safety processes, high standards, strict compliance, comprehensive training, capability building, and vigilant monitoring. Building on our 4mn LTI free man-hour record achieved in 2018, we are excited about this new accomplishment and are already working towards the next ground-breaking milestone. Safety is firmly entrenched in every aspect of our business and I must commend our managerial and operational teams, along with our partners and contractors for their relentless efforts in upholding our robust safety guidelines.”
Achieved over 8 years, the 5mn LTI-free manhours included operation time in the 12-inch (305-mm), 128-km Eastern Horizon Gas Company pipeline traversing Akwa Ibom and Cross River States (divested in 2014); the 12.15-MW Akute Power Plant Project (divested in 2016); the Gas Network Services Ltd Compressed Natural Gas
(CNG) Mother Station (a 5.3mn cubic feet per day CNG Plant); the 10.4-MW Alausa Power Plant Project (divested in 2017); the 12-inch, 8.5- km GLIV gas pipeline project taking gas from Ijora to the Marina in Lagos State; the 12-inch, 8.5-km Central Horizon Gas Company pipeline expansion project from Trans-Amadi through the greater Port Harcourt area; the installation of Eight CNG Daughter stations across SouthWest Nigeria; and commencement of a 12-inch, 120-km gas pipeline project in Sagamu, Ogun by Transit Gas Nigeria Ltd.
Axxela’s EHSQ Manager Uche Okpala attributed the remarkable feat to the dedication of employees and contractors to ensuring an incident-free work environment. He said, “This new safety record is indicative of company-wide adherence to our Occupational Health and Safety standards in line with ISO 45001:2018.
While we are elated, our vision remains zero accidents to our employees, contractors, customers, suppliers and host communities, and continued collaboration with our stakeholders to maintain a safe environment for all.” In 20 years of delivering innovative energy solutions to the Nigerian and West African markets, Axxela has built and maintained a safety culture supplemented
by a rigorous EHSQ management system
for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting performance.
Axxela holds monthly EHSQ meetings and an annual EHSSQ Day to deepen awareness and strengthen an incident-free work culture.
The company is also the first organisation in the Nigerian oil and gas space to achieve and hold a trifecta of Integrated Management Systems: Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2015), Environmental Management
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