Power Sector News And Other Related Stories For Friday 29th July 2022
Towards Bridging Nigeria’s Electricity Metering Gap
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 estimated billings. Surprisingly, this drain extends from individuals to corporations and even government institutions, to a degree where over six 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 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos), MOJEC International Limited, and other metering manufacturing companies. The programme’s objectives included the reduction of collection losses while increasing financial flow to achieve a 100 per cent remittance obligation to the DisCos.
MOJEC, a leading indigenous meter manufacturing company in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, supplies meters to eight of the 11 DisCos across Nigeria’s regions, including Ikeja Electric (IE), Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Kaduna Electric (KE), Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
https://leadership.ng/towards-bridging-nigerias-electricity-metering-gap/
ACE TAF: UK-Funded Solar Programme Closes, Pledges Continued Support for Rural Electrification
The Africa Clean Energy Technical Assistance Facility (ACE TAF), a four-year programme funded by the United Kingdom Government, says its interventions and advocacy for the energy sector will continue, even as its programme tenure in Nigeria ends.
The Nigeria Country Manager for ACE TAF, Mr Chibuikem Agbaegbu, made this known in a statement on Friday to announce the closure of the programme.
Agbaegbu said that many of the ACE TAF interventions and advocacy for the sector would continue through other organisations and partners supporting the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
He, listing the achievements of the programme since commencement in 2018, declared its efforts at improving the enabling environment for high-quality, stand-alone solar products and facilitating private sector investment and growth, a success.
Nigeria’s Epileptic Electricity Supply Worrisome – Peter Obi
The Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, Dr. Peter Obi has lamented Nigeria’s epileptic electricity supply, saying it is a matter of deep concern.
Obi, in series of tweets on Thursday, said South Africa, with a population of 60 million generated over 50,000 megawatts of electricity, while Nigeria could only generate 4,000 megawatts.
“Nigeria’s epileptic electricity supply remains a matter of deep concern. Although South Africa, the second biggest economy on the continent has a population of over 60 million, and generates over 50,000 megawatts.
“Nigeria, the African giant with over 200 million people, generates a paltry 4000 megawatts, which is less than 10% of South Africa’s without declaring a power crisis or emergency.
“Nigerians should take a cue from global governance best practices; grasp what people-oriented leadership is all about and rise up for effective change,” he tweeted.
https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2022/07/28/nigerias-epileptic-electricity-supply-worrisome-peter-obi/
Western Cape Government Energy Summit
1.Just days after President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled his government’s energy crisis plan, the Western Cape Government (WCG) wasted no time in stepping up its efforts to tackle the country’s power generation problems.
- As part of WCG‘s ongoing efforts, bold proposals and solutions were put on the table for serious and swift consideration.
3.Included in that were measures that the WCG strongly believes will help end power outages and other impediments to power generation: Independent Power Producers: The summit was told there has been an encouraging response from the IPP market at the since the announcement of the exemption for integrated generation licenses.
- plants of less than 100 MW, with more expected after removal of license requirements.
5.The Provincial Government is working with municipalities to plan for increased implementation of renewable energy in municipal networks to support the connection of these IPPs to the grid.
- Green Hydrogen: Green hydrogen has great potential to help alleviate energy deficits.
https://nnn.ng/western-cape-government-energy-summit/
Botswana Steps Up to Help South Africa with Load Shedding Woes
The Botswana Power Corporation (BCP) says that it wants to sell its excess electricity to South Africa’s embattled power utility Eskom. In an announcement, the BCP says that it has started engaging with Eskom to begin the exporting process.
This comes just after South African president Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation’s citizens about the government’s renewed plans to end rotational blackouts in the country due to Eskom’s deficiency in electricity generation. A part of that plan includes the importing of power from neighbouring African countries, including Botswana.
“Neighbouring countries in southern Africa, such as Botswana and Zambia, have more electricity capacity than they require for their economies. Eskom will now import power from these countries through the southern African power pool arrangement,” said President Ramaphosa during the address.
https://www.itnewsafrica.com/2022/07/botswana-steps-up-to-help-south-africa-with-load-shedding-woes/
South Africa: Electricity Poles Uprooted by Shack Dwellers Demanding Power
About 400 shack dwellers from Area 11 informal settlement, Gunguluza, took to the streets of Kariega in the early hours of Thursday morning. Several electricity poles were uprooted, and a car and truck were set alight. They were demanding electrification of the settlement.
Protesters said they will intensify the protest if Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality officials did not respond by 5pm with a date to meet and discuss plans to electrify the area.
In June, GroundUp reported on the area when protesting resident Nkosinathi Lukas died after an electrical pole uprooted during a protest fell on him. Area 11 is among 156 informal settlements in Nelson Mandela Bay that are set to be formalised as part of a council resolution of 30 April 2021. This process includes the installation of electricity.
On Thursday, protesters said they were tired of municipal officials not keeping their promises to set out plans for electrifying their shacks.
“Every year they do verification of our shacks, but when will they do the electrification of all of them? We are living in the darkness,” a woman shouted from the crowd that had gathered in heavy morning fog.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202207280473.html
Botswana Plans to Sell Off-Peak Electricity to South Africa
For the past three months, Morupule A and B Power Plants were in full operation dispatching an average of 580 MW to the national grid daily, which has been meeting local energy needs during off-peak hours, said the statement.
In an interview with Radio Botswana in Gaborone on Thursday, Minister of Minerals and Energy Lefoko Moagi stated that the national grid requires an average of 365 MW daily during off-peak hours and 580 MW during peak demand.”Therefore we will be able to export excess power to South Africa,” Lefoko said.
The BPC has started engaging Eskom, a state-owned electricity utility of South Africa, to sell the excess electricity supply generated during off-peak times (weekends) in order to protect the plants against load management fluctuations and also to ensure that surplus electricity has a secured market.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday revealed plans to import electricity from its neighbours to supplement the country’s constrained energy supply.
https://newsghana.com.gh/botswana-plans-to-sell-off-peak-electricity-to-south-africa/
Ethiopia to Become Kenya Power’s Second Biggest Source of Electricity
Ethiopia will become Kenya’s second biggest source of hydropower from November under a deal by Kenya Power to buy 600 Megawatts from East Africa’s most populous nation.
This follows a 27-year power purchase agreement signed on Thursday that will run till 2047 as Kenya turns towards cheaper sources of electricity.
The power from Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP) is expected to cost between Sh6 and Sh7 seven cents a kilowatt hour which is lower than the average of Sh10 a kilowatt hour offered by power producers.
The new deal which is expected to edge out the expensive power from the national grid promises to increase the capacity charges – the money paid to thermal power generators when Kenya Power does not buy power from them.
But the lower tariffs will help the State-owned utility further lower bills on households and businesses, helping ease the pain on the cost of living and boost Kenya’s attractiveness to manufacturers.
