Power Sector News And Other Related Stories For Thursday 28th July 2022
Metering, High Billing Top Complaints at AEDC Forum
Issues involving electricity meters and high billings topped complaints by consumers at a forum organized by the Federal Competitions and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, to resolve challenges affecting consumers in Mararaba area of Nassarawa State.
Of the 315 complaints registered by the consumers, 149 were on metering (vending and installation issues), 117 were on high billing with 29 on supply issues.
While all the issues on metering were successfully resolved, 98 complaints on high billing were resolved and 21 of the supply complaints were also resolved. In total, 281 of the 315 complaints were successfully resolved within the four days the forum held. 32 unresolved cases were escalated.
AEDC disclosed that customers from FCT East Region were predominantly in attendance while few customers from other regions were also in attendance.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/07/metering-high-billing-top-complaints-at-aedc-forum/
Lawmakers Urge State Power Agency to Synergise With AEDC for Constant Power Suppy
- Nasarawa State House of Assembly Committee on Works, has urged the State Power Agency to synergise with Abuja Eletricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to ensure adequate power supply in the state.
- That will improve on the well being and standard of living of the people of the state.
- Mr Abdulazi Danladi, the Chairman of the committee, made the call when the management of the Agency appeared before the committee on its 2022 budget assessment on Wednesday in Lafia.
- Danladi said that adequate power supply would also boost the socio-economic activities and revenue base of the state.
- ” This will further improve on the standard of living of our people and others,” he said.
- He lauded the agency for ensuring power supply in the state and emphasised the need for more consolidation for economic prosperity of the people.
- The chairman said the committee decided to invite the agency, to assess its 2022 budget performance.
https://nnn.ng/lawmakers-urge-state-power-agency-to-synergise-with-aedc-for-constant-power-suppy/
Takeover of DisCos Long Overdue
The eventual takeover of five ailing Electricity Distribution Companies otherwise referred to as DisCos by the government and Fidelity Bank was long overdue. Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Benin and Ibadan were taken over in what the government called restructuring. PMnews reported that; “the Nigerian government in conjunction with Fidelity Bank and AMCON have taken over the affairs of five electricity distribution companies over debts owed to Fidelity Bank.
Government took the step to save the companies from insolvency, among other reasons. The announcement was precipitated by Fidelity Bank’s activation of the call on the collaterised shares of KEDCO, BDEC, and Kaduna Electric. The companies have failed to repay loans obtained to pay for assets acquired in the 2013 privatisation exercise.
The statement announcing the restructuring was signed on Tuesday by the Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Sanusi Garba, and Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alex Okoh. They added that the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) would be a placeholder board for IBEDC in a temporary capacity while the PHED undergoes restructuring to prevent its imminent insolvency.
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/takeover-of-discos-long-overdue/
Lekki Residents Task FG on Power Generation
Residents of Lekki area of Lagos, under the auspices of Lekki Peninsula Residents Association, (LERA), have called for improved power generation in the area.
They stated that since the Federal Government approved a new performance-based electricity tariff, Lekki residents have not benefitted from it. They lamented that the area was still experiencing poor power generation and it has affected small scale businesses.
The vice chairman of the association, Mr Malachy Ezeoke, disclosed this during a launch of the maiden edition of the LERA Magazine, called ‘Lekki Phase 1 News’.
Ezeoke stated that the magazine would boost sales for small-scale businesses and create employment opportunities for the youths. He said most businesses need information to bridge innovative gap and networking.
He said: “With the launch of the magazine, many businesses would thrive as information and ideas would be shared timely and also project the mirror image of the estate.”
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/lekki-residents-task-fg-on-power-generation/
Expect More System Collapse, Poor Electricity Supply — Labour
General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and a Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, in a chat on the crisis in the nation’s power sector, warns Nigerians to expect more system collapses and power failures among others. Excerpts:
THE corruption in the power sector is second to none. Obasanjo government spent over $16 billion. If Nigeria has no pole or wire, with $16 billion, at the then international global practice of one billion dollar per 1,000MW, we would have had about 16,000MW. But all has gone down the drain.
Between that time and now, all that have been spent have gone down the drain. Nothing is working. The operators of the power sector in Nigeria lack competence. From the top most to the least in this country, they have no idea on how to address the challenges of the sector.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/07/expect-more-system-collapse-poor-electricity-supply-labour/
How Mobile Map Technology Helped in Deepening Mass Metering –Mojec
The leading meter manufacturer in sub-Saharan Africa, Mojec International Limited, has said the introduction of mobile MAP technology has greatly helped in deepening the distribution of prepaid meters across the country. The company disclosed that it had successfully delivered on its meter allocation to the distribution companies (DisCos) across the country.
It stated that it was able to record the achievement under the Federal Government initiated National Mass Metering Programme. With the power sector beset by issues spanning from generation to distribution, as well as a difficult operating environment, it has practically become the standard for Nigerian electricity consumers to shoulder the burden of epileptic power supply and anticipated billings. Surprisingly, this drain extends from individuals to corporations and even government institutions, to a degree where over 10 million Nigerian families have yet to experience the feeling of being supplied with electricity through meters.
To address these issues, the Federal Government launched the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) in collaboration with the country’s eleven electricity distribution companies (DisCos), MOJEC International Limited, and other metering manufacturing companies.
https://www.newtelegraphng.com/how-mobile-map-technology-helped-in-deepening-mass-metering-mojec/
As Energy Scarcity Grounds Nigeria
The crippling energy scarcity that has practically grounded Nigeria has exposed the futility of all the policy thrusts purported to have been applied since 2015 to retune the sector and boost the economy. This is the worst the country has ever had. There is no stable framework for managing Nigeria’s energy sector.
Nigerians and indeed, foreigners in the country, are overwhelmed by the ugly turn of events. The end, they say, justifies the means. If the end of the All Progressives Congress (APC), power re-engineering programme in nearly eight years has brought us to this messy end, then, the entire process was seriously flawed. It didn’t work. The plan, or call it framework failed woefully. This is a big lesson for the in-coming administration in 2023 to change the framework.
Everyone is questioning what sort of decisions and actions were taken or channeled into the energy sector that cannot show the slightest improvement after huge funds were expended. Rather than see improvement, the energy sector nosedived, leaving the entire economy practically grounded.
https://guardian.ng/opinion/as-energy-scarcity-grounds-nigeria/
Developing New Green Energy Solutions
Hydrofuel Canada Inc. (Hydrofuel), a company engaged in the last mile production and delivery of Green Ammonia and Hydrogen to its customers, has entered into a share purchase agreement with Lumos Laboratories Nigeria Limited (Lumos). Lumos has patented technology to produce green hydrogen, ammonia, fertilizer, electricity and other commodities from human and animal wastes. Under the terms of the share purchase agreement, Hydrofuel will provide funding to commercialise the technology.
Lumos developed its technology to address the serious health concerns of communities without centralised sanitary sewage treatment. Untreated sewage poses a major risk to human health as it contains waterborne pathogens that can cause serious illness, such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that nearly three billion people lack access to improved sanitary facilities, with the lowest coverage in sub-Saharan Africa (37 per cent), Southern Asia (38 per cent) and Eastern Asia (45 per cent). Lumos technology would provide decentralised treatment of sewage on a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood basis.
https://guardian.ng/features/science/developing-new-green-energy-solutions/
Zimbabwe, South Africa to Import Electricity from Zambia this August
Zambia will commence electricity exports to Zimbabwe next month following a power export agreement signed recently.
The country’s Minister of Energy Peter Kapala said state power utility Zesco Limited will start exporting 100 megawatts of electricity to Zimbabwe next month. Kapala said in a statement seen by Xinhua:
This was the same deal I referred to last week as the one where power from Kafue Gorge Lower (power plant) would be exported to Zimbabwe and Namibia through deals signed in the last few months.
He noted that neighbouring Zimbabwe was currently facing a shortage of electricity due to depressed degeneration at its power plants.
The power export deal has a three-to-five-year tenure and negotiations were premised on Zimbabwe making pre-payments for the 100 megawatts of US$6.3 million per month.
Meanwhile, Zambia has welcomed plans by South Africa to import power to meet its power needs.
Eskom in Talks with Neighboring Countries to Acquire Surplus Energy
Hamstrung power utility Eskom said it was in talks with countries that have a surplus in energy capacity.
This comes as the country experienced bouts of power cuts this month. Moreover, South Africa has experienced electricity cuts for the past 14 years.
The Botswana Power Corporation, Eskom said, was one of the entities that it was in touch with.
Ealier this week, the government announced that Eskom would import electricity from countries through the Southern African Power Pool – which is under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has this week announced more specific plans of how government plans to tap more power into the national grid and bring an end to years of load shedding.
https://ewn.co.za/2022/07/28/eskom-in-talks-with-other-countries-over-a-surplus-in-energy-capacity
Zimbabwe Raises Mines Power Tariff by 8% to Meet Production Cost
Zimbabwe’s power utility ZESA Holdings Ltd. will no longer charge mining houses tariffs below cost of production as it is struggling to service “ballooning power import debt.”
Exporters, such as mining companies, will be charged 10.63 US cents per kWh from Aug. 1, ZESA Executive Chairman Sydney Gata said in a letter to miners. Power from diesel-run Hwange plant, which is under expansion to add 300 megawatts, is produced at 10.7 US cents/kWh, translating to 12 cents for customers, he said.
“ZESA will no longer be able to continue supplying electricity to exporting customers at USc9.86 as it is unsustainable,” he said.
The southern African country generates an average 1,200-1,300 megawatts of its own electricity and relies on imports from Zambia, South Africa and Mozambique to cover shortfalls. ZESA requires $17 million monthly for those imports, the company has said in the past.
Saudi Prince to Sign Deal for ‘Cheaper Energy’ in Greece
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced upcoming bilateral projects on a visit to Greece Tuesday, including for a power cable between both countries to provide Europe with “cheaper renewable energy”.
Prince Mohammed landed in Greece on Tuesday on his first Europe trip since the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and is set to head to France later in the week.
“I believe we have… historical opportunities, that we are going to finalise a lot of it today,” Prince Mohammed said at a press conference with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the capital Athens.
This would include linking electricity grids to “provide Greece and southwest Europe through Greece with… much cheaper renewable energy,” he added.
The Greek foreign ministry said agreements on maritime transport, energy and defence technology among other things were due to be signed on Wednesday.
Khashoggi’s killing and dismemberment by Saudi agents in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate in October 2018 brought the powerful crown prince international condemnation.
https://guardian.ng/news/saudi-prince-to-sign-deal-for-cheaper-energy-in-greece/
