Power Sector News and Other Related News Stories For Friday September 16th 2022
Electricity Workers Lambast Discos, Gencos Over Poor Power Supply Despite N2trn Intervention Fund
Electricity workers in Nigeria have criticised the distribution companies (Discos) and the generation companies (Gencos) over the continuous poor power supply in the country after privatisation and handing over the distribution and generation arm of the power sector to new owners.
The Zonal Organising Secretary (Liaison), National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Kolade Ayodele, specifically told journalists that the new owners of the power assets, whom he described as “hustlers” deceived the federal government into giving them N2 trillion intervention to them.
He said rather than being an intervention fund as claimed by the government and the power firms, the N2 trillion intervention fund was the companies’ way of collecting back the money the paid to acquire the assets in 2013.
Alleging that the private operators have continued to impoverish Nigerians and have contributed poorly to the power sector, leaving the country pillaged, Ayodele called for the government to immediately reverse the privatisation of the nation’s power sector,
Distributors Task Communities Collaboration with Service Providers for Improved Electricity
Mr Sunday Oduntan, the Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), has urged communities to cooperate and collaboration with service providers to enhance electricity supply.
Oduntan made the plea on Thursday at the IBEDC Information Session Meeting organised by ANED, a Macarthur Foundation Project, in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting was geared toward building customers awareness and strengthening the customers service capacity of electricity distribution companies.
The ANED executive director said though, electricity supply had improved in recent weeks all over the country, more still needed to be done to ensure the industry catered for the teeming Nigerians.
“The way forward is more cooperation and collaboration among service providers and the communities.
“From what I saw at the information session meeting here in Ibadan, most times, there is a disconnect in terms of awareness.
Electricity: Azura Pays FG 40% of $30m Monthly Invoice –MD
THE Managing Director of Azura-Edo Power Plant, Mr. Edu Okeke has disclosed that 40 percent of the company’s monthly invoice of about $30 million to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, NBET, goes back to the Federal Government as payment for gas supply and repayment of loans taken for the construction of the plant.
Mr. Okeke told journalists yesterday at the plant that the company pays $10 million monthly to gas suppliers made of Seplat and Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC and the Nigerian Gas Company, subsidiaries of NNPC Limited.
He said the company also pays the Bank of Industry, BoI, for the loan collected from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to build the plant.
He explained: “Every power plant invoice is made up of two parts, capacity and energy produced. Capacity is what you can put on the grid but only those companies with effective PPAs (power purchase agreement) get paid for capacity. We have five of these in the country: Azura, Omotosho, Olorunsogo, Okpai and Afam.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/09/electricity-azura-pays-fg-40-of-30m-monthly-invoice-md/
Powering Sub-Saharan Africa with Renewable Energy Opportunities
On September 23, 2022, the FIN International Trade & Investment Forum will host 300 international dignitaries, including world leaders and change-makers from 30 countries in New York, USA. With 20 experts speaking on its theme “Power for Africa”, this forum will address issues in power and renewable energy, explore Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) power-solving techniques and Africa’s access to electricity.
As energy demand continues to increase, hundreds of millions of people in Africa lack basic access to electricity and resort to the use of unclean fuels to cook and power their homes. A 2019 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) reveals that 770 million people have no electricity, 75 percent of this number live in sub-Saharan Africa. Most commercial entities in this region run on fossil energy, which is expensive and contributes to climate disruptions. The fact that Sub-Saharan Africa’s residential and industrial sectors suffer power shortages means that countries struggle to sustain their GDP growth.
The President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, speaking at the last AfDB’s African Economic Outlook 2022 at the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Accra, disclosed that Africa needs an annual investment of $32 billion to $40 billion in the energy value chain to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030. He also noted that the continent’s large economies like Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa accounted for about 33 percent of the gap.
Traders Laud EEDCO Over Improved Power Supply
Traders under the aegies of South-East Amalgamated Market Traders Association (SEAMATA) have commended the management of
Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) over what it called improved electricity supply and services within the South-East geo- political zone.
According to the traders, the commendation is in “recognition of the remarkable improvement in power supply within the South-East”.
SEAMATA also passed a vote of confidence on the company in its recent national meeting.
The commendation was conveyed in a letter addressed to the Chairman, Board of Directors, EEDC, Sir Emeka Offor, and co-signed on behalf of the association by its President-General, Chief Gozie Akudolu and Secretary-General, Mr Alex Okwudili.
A copy of the commendation letter, made available to newsmen in Enugu by the Head, Corporate Communications of EEDC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, said SEAMATA appreciates “the very challenging business environment in which EEDC had been operating”, and expressed delight that despite this, the company had consistently improved on the quality of service to its customers.
https://www.thetidenewsonline.com/2022/09/16/traders-laud-eedco-over-improved-power-supply/
FG, EU, AFD Complete N104bn Electricity Agreement
The Federal Government and the French Development Agency, on Thursday, signed a grant agreement of €25m for the Northern Corridor Project, an electricity scheme jointly funded by the European Union, AFD and the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
It was gathered that the €25m grant agreement of Thursday was the contribution of the EU to the €238m (N103.76bn at the official exchange rate of N435.97/€) required for the project.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja, the Managing Director, TCN, Sule Abdulaziz, stated that the project was not just critical to the Northern corridor but would also improve the country’s power transmission in general.
“This will surely give a boost to power transmission in general because it is very critical to not just the Northern corridor but to the entire system,” he stated.
The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, and the AFD Country Director in Nigeria, Xavier Muron, signed the agreement in the presence of the Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, and the Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Cecile Tassin-Pelzer.
https://punchng.com/fg-eu-afd-complete-n104bn-electricity-agreement/
Electricity Workers Lament Power Sector Woes, Seek Reversal of Privatisation
The National Union of Electricity Employees, (NUEE), has decried the persistent crisis that has plagued the power sector despite the privatisation, which has failed to deliver the promised benefits to Nigerians.
This is as the union urged the federal government to reverse the privatisation of the nation’s power sector, describing new owners of the privatised companies as ‘hustlers’ and ‘hawks’ that have contributed poorly to the sector in the nine years after.
Speaking to journalists on behalf of his colleagues, zonal organising secretary (Liaison) of NUEE, Ayodele Kolade, yesterday, also condemned nonpayment of entitlements of some of the workers of the defunct PHCN thus inflicting untold hardship on them and their dependents.
The union also accused the new owners of deceiving the federal government into paying N2 trillion subvention, insisting that they have continued to impoverish Nigerians, leaving the country pillaged.
https://leadership.ng/electricity-workers-lament-power-sector-woes-seek-reversal-of-privatisation/
Nigeria Signs €25 Million Agreement with France to Improve Electricity Supply
The Nigerian government and the French Development Agency (AFD) have signed a grant agreement of €25 million for the Northern Corridor Project jointly funded by the European Union and the AFD. The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, and the AFD Country Director in Nigeria, Xavier Muron, signed the agreement Wednesday in the presence of the Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, and the Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Cecile TASSIN-PELZER.
The Northern Corridor Project, being implemented by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), is meant to strengthen low-carbon economic growth in West Africa by improving the quality of the electricity network in Nigeria and supporting the development of a regional electricity market under the West African Power Pool (WAPP).
The specific objectives of the project, in line with the Nigerian Energy Transition Plan (ETP), are to:
— reinforce globally the north-west network and develop access to electricity for the population
— help evacuate/distribute the solar-generated power from future projects in the North
— participate in the WAPP interconnection project with Niger Republic
The project will build more than 800km of 330 kV double circuit transmission lines and construct or upgrade 13 substations.
FG, EU, AFD Sign €25m to Strengthen Electricity Grid in Northwest
The Federal Government, the European Union (EU) and the French Development Agency (AFD), have signed a €25 million agreement to strengthen electricity grid in the Northwest.
The effort, according to the Embassy of France in Abuja, will witness the development of access to electricity by the Northwest region.
The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, and the Country Director of AFD in Nigeria, Xavier Muron, signed the agreement in Abuja.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, and the Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Cecile Tassin-Pelzer.
“The Nigerian Government and the French Development Agency (AFD) have today signed a grant agreement of €25 million for the Northern Corridor Project jointly funded by the European Union and the AFD. The Honourable Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, and the AFD Country Director in Nigeria, Xavier Muron, signed the agreement in the presence of the Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, and the Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Cecile TASSIN-PELZER.
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/power-fg-eu-afd-sign-e25m-to-strengthen-electricity-grid-in-northwest/
Experts Attribute Improved Electricity Supply to Rising Sea Levels
Experts attribute improved electricity supply to rising sea levels. Nigerians across the country are currently experiencing improved power supply. A recent article from Nairametrics provided a number of reasons why power supply has improved lately.
However, rising sea levels are cited as a major contributor to improved power supply, especially for the country’s hydropower generation. During Nigeria’s rainy season (April to October), hydropower shores up the power supply in the country.
Engr. Hafeez Tijani, an Assistant Manager at Kainji Hydro Power Plant, Mainstream Energy Solutions, says that the higher the lake water level, the greater the potential to create the required mechanical torque expected by the hydropower turbines. So as the lake level drops, the unit generating capability drops.
Zimbabwe Electricity Provider Warns of Increased Power Cuts till Tomorrow
Zimbabweans have been urged to use electricity sparingly as the country’s electricity grid remained constrained, according to the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company.
The company said due to depressed generation on the grid coupled by increased electricity demand as a result of increased economic activities, the grid remained under pressure.
“Our engineers are working around the clock to ensure full restoration of services,” said a statement by the company this week.
As Zimbabwe’s grid struggles with increased electricity demand, as new housing projects are added, the government is emphasising the need for renewable energy and for thermal solar water heaters in homes and buildings.
Zimbabwe has in the past endured severe electricity blackouts – known locally as load shedding – that last up to 18 hours as a result of drought reducing dam levels at its main hydropower plant and breakdowns of coal-fired generators.
