Page 7 - AfrElec Week 38

AfrElec FUELS AfrElec

Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire develop

new fuel infrastructure

WEST AFRICA GHANA has launched West Africa’s largest oil a 12,000-tonne LPG storage facility to meet its
products terminal, while neighbouring Cote fast-growing demand for the fuel. National oil
d’Ivoire is to build the largest LPG storage facility company (NOC) Petroci entered into a joint
in sub-Saharan Africa. venture agreement last week on the project
The terminal in Ghana’s western port of Tako- with Sahara Energy Logistics, a unit of Nigeria’s
radi was inaugurated by the West African coun- Sahara Group.
try’s Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia in a At a cost of $43mn, the storage facility is to be
ceremony on September 16. It will unload vessels developed in two stages due for completion in
carrying up to 60,000 tonnes of petroleum prod- November 2021 and October 2022 respectively.
ucts, the government has said, and will meet over The joint venture between Petroci and Sahara
half of Ghana’s demand for these fuels. will build, operate and maintain the unit.
“This project ties in with the government’s “It is a historic event that will pave the way
drive towards ensuring efficiency in the country’s for robust and seamless storage, distribution and
port operations by allowing for deeper anchor- supply of LPG,” Petroci’s director-general, Ibra-
ing and also to make it a major petroleum hub in hima Diaby, said in a statement. “This translates
the sub-region,” Bawumia said at the ceremony. to more clean energy, growth and productivity
Local firm Ibistek won a concession to build in Cote d’Ivoire.”
and operate the terminal in 2017 and construc- The facility will lift Cote d’Ivoire’s LPG capac-
tion began the following year. Its $57mn cost ity by 60%, enabling the country to store 27 days
was covered with funding from the Ghana Infra- of supply rather than just 15, according to offi-
structure Investment Fund and the Consolidated cials. It will not only serve the domestic market
Bank Ghana. The terminal consists of a berth but also buyers in neighbouring countries such
14-metres in depth, loading arms for gasoline, as Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea. Cote d’Ivoire
diesel, LPG, bitumen and other heavy fuels and is the region’s fast-growing LPG market. Con-
full berthing structures including fenders on dol- sumption expanded from 175,000 tonnes in
phins, bollards and hooking points. 2013 to 380,000 tonnes last year, far outpacing
Meanwhile, Cote d’Ivoire is set to construct growth in demand for other liquid products.™

Nigerian fuel shortages loom

NIGERIA THERE is a risk of fuel shortages in northern leaders, we have to do the necessary and protect
Nigeria, following the shutdown of key road the lives of our members from avoidable acci-
links used to bring fuel imports to the region dents and attacks from hoodlums,” the union
from the south. said. “So starting September 17, our members
The Niger State government stopped fuel will not be lifting products from Lagos to the
tankers and other heavy vehicles from using link northern part of the country.”
roads in the province’s Minna area on September Operations will not resume until the Bida-
15, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) union Agai-Lapai-Lambata road is made usable or
said in a statement. This step was taken so that Minna roads re-open, it said.
repair work on the roads could be done faster. Niger State authorities responded to the
The PTD has subsequently halted the supply halting of fuel shipments saying that it was the
of fuel from the port of Lagos through Niger federal government’s job to repair Bida-Agai-
State to Nigeria’s north. The union explained Lapai-Lambata, as it is a federal road. The
that the only alternative road, Bida-Agai-Lap- roads the local administration closed in Minna
ai-Lambata, was not suitable for motor vehicles, belonged to the state, and it was acting within
describing it as a “death trap.” the law to do so.
Union leaders got wind of the Niger State “We are affirming our position: There is no
government’s plan weeks ago and urged author- going back on the state government’s decision on
ities to fix the poorly maintained Bida-Agai-Lap- the ban on articulated trucks from playing the
ai-Lambata route. They got assurances that this state-owned roads,” Ibrahim Balarabe, the chief
would be done, the PTD said. of state of the Niger State governor, told report-
“Unfortunately, over two weeks after our dis- ers. “We will stand on our position and we will
cussion nothing has been done on the road. As not relent on that.”™

Week 38 24•September•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P7