Page 16 - DMEA Week 09 2021

DMEA NEWS IN BRIEF DMEA

agreed to exit the Union Fenosa Gas (UFG) was forced to curtail production owing to the appointment as managing director KPA and
joint venture, which owned 80% in the drop in prices. noted that all the candidates scored below
Damietta plant, with the remaining 20% split Egyptian exports – from the Idku plant, the desired threshold of 70 per cent in the
evenly between EGAS and EGPC. The new which is operated by Royal Dutch Shell and interview,” said Mr Yatani.
ownership structure will see the plant owned is the only other liquefaction terminal in Last week, the KPA board interviewed six
50% by Eni, 40% by EGAS and 10% by EGPC. the country – have since rebounded. They candidates and nominated three of them for
Eni will also take over UFG’s marketing of stayed strong over the initial weeks of 2021 as appointment by Mr Yatani after President
natural gas in Spain, expanding its footprint in winter demand for LNG soared. Kenyatta transferred the port authority
the European market. BNE functions from the ministry of Transport to
The Italian company said this week that the Treasury.
the new agreement had received all required Search for new KPA boss to Among the candidates was former Lamu
authorisations and that its final closing was Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport
anticipated in the first half of March. A start afresh for third time (Lapsset) Chief Executive Officer Sylvester
previous deal to resolve the dispute and restart Kasuku, who headed Lapsset from its
LNG exports fell apart in April 2020 when The search for Kenya Ports Authority’s new inception in March 2013 until January 5 when
conditions attached to it were not met. managing director is back to the drawing his term expired.
The Damietta plant has a capacity of board for the third time after Treasury and Planning and Devolution Principal
5mn tonnes per year (tpy). Its restart comes Planning Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani Secretary Mabruk Mwanamaka and James
as Egypt is trying to boost gas exports rejected three nominated candidates for the Ng’ang’a, a former KPA insider who is
and become a regional energy hub. These position citing low scores. currently the infrastructure director Northern
ambitions suffered a setback last year as the In a circular dated March 2, 2021, Corridor at TradeMark East Africa were also
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused addressed to the board chairman Joseph in the race for KPA’s top job.
demand for LNG to collapse, pushing down Kibwana, the Treasury directed KPA to begin EAST AFRICAN
spot prices for the super-chilled fuel. Egypt afresh the recruitment process within 45 days.
is among a small group of exporters that are “I have reviewed the list of names, scores
particularly exposed to the spot market, and and ranking of the candidates proposed for

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