Power Sector News And Other Related Stories For Thursday 11th August 2022
Ikeja Electric, Enaro Energy Seal 24-Hour Electricity Pact
Ikeja Electric (IE) Plc has signed a Tripartite Interconnected Mini-Grid Agreement with Enaro Energy Limited and Ayobo community to provide uninterrupted electricity supply to Ishokan Phase1 Estate, MercyLand Estate and Mercy Land Phase1 residents in Ayobo, Lagos State.
The initiative is in line with the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission’s (NERC) goal of ensuring there is steady power supply across communities through partnerships between Distribution Companies and Independent Power generators.
The agreement, which was signed yesterday at IE’s headquarters, Alausa, Lagos, would rely on the Interconnected Mini-grid Initiative of the sector to provide the customers with uninterrupted power supply.
IE Chief Finance Officer, Seqinah Adewunmi, who represented the Chief Executive Officer, Folake Soetan, stated that the initiative was a landmark in the history of the sector in Lagos, as those communities would be the first to experience uninterrupted power supply in the state, via a blend of grid and off-grid generation and distribution of power.
https://thenationonlineng.net/ikeja-electric-enaro-energy-seal-24-hour-electricity-pact/
Electricity for Most Homes in Nigeria: A Mirage
In the last many decades, a lot has been written, debated and researched about the history of the electric power supply crisis in Nigeria, which goes back to soon after Independence and is related to not knowing how to spread responsibility and maintain equity. As far back as 1950, I can remember that it was the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN) that was given the order to integrate electricity power development and make it effective. The then-colonial government passed the ECN Ordinance No. 15 of 1950. With the ordinance in place, the electricity department and all those undertakings, which were controlled, came under one body.
In the early 1960s, the Niger Dam Authorities (NDA) and Electricity Corporation amalgamated to form the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN). Immediately after the end of the 1967-1970 Nigerian civil war, the management of ECN changed its name to the National Electric Power Authority, or NEPA. In the late 2000s, it became a public limited company (NEPA plc.), and then later the name was changed again from NEPA plc. to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/electricity-for-most-homes-in-nigeria-a-mirage/
7-Man American Team Arrives Today for Aba Power
A team of electricity experts from the United States will today (Wednesday, August 10) arrive in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State, to start work as the technical partner of Aba Power Limited, a member of Geometric Power Limited founded by Professor Bart Nnaji, a former Minister of Power and a globally respected engineer.
The seven experts are from the international arm of the National Rural Electrification Cooperative Association (NRECA), based in Arlington, Virginia, USA.
Formed in 1942, NRECA services over 90 electricity cooperatives across the United States while NRECA International, founded in 1962, has provided electricity to over 160 million people in 43 countries around the globe.
The experts arriving in Aba today are led by Dr Dan Waddle, the NRECA senior vice president.
“The arrival of this high-quality technical team in Nigeria which will work at the Aba Power Limited for five years is a huge boost to the country’s electric power sector”, said Patrick Umeh, the Aba Power Managing Director who used to be at the Los Angeles Water and Power Corporation in California before joining the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) as a commissioner.
https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/311011/7-man-american-team-arrives-today-for-aba-power.html
US Technical Partners Arrive Today for Bath Nnaji’s Aba Power
A team of electricity experts from the United States will today (Wednesday, August 10) arrive in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State, to start work as the technical partner of Aba Power Limited, a member of Geometric Power Limited founded by Professor Bart Nnaji, a former Minister of Power and a globally respected engineer.
The seven experts are from the international arm of the National Rural Electrification Cooperative Association (NRECA), based in Arlington, Virginia, USA.
Formed in 1942, NRECA services over 90 electricity cooperatives across the United States while NRECA International, founded in 1962, has provided electricity to over 160 million people in 43 countries around the globe.
The experts arriving in Aba today are led by Dr Dan Waddle, the NRECA senior vice president.
“The arrival of this high-quality technical team in Nigeria which will work at the Aba Power Limited for five years is a huge boost to the country’s electric power sector”, said Patrick Umeh, the Aba Power Managing Director who used to be at the Los Angeles Water and Power Corporation in California before joining the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) as a commissioner.
W/Africa Power Pool Plans Fund to Boost Liquidity in Electricity Market
The West African Power Pool, WAPP, has disclosed plans to set up a Liquidity Enhancement Revolving Fund, LERF, for the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Market.
The Chairman, Executive Board of WAPP, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, who disclosed this yesterday at the 54th meeting of the Executive Board in Cotonou, Benin Republic, stated, “The creation of this fund will provide the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Market with a very important tool for electricity trading by reducing the level of outstanding bills, thereby providing stakeholders in the trade with a high degree of robustness and sustainability”.
Speaking on the group’s financial statement, Abdulaziz who is also the the Managing Director of Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, stated: “when I look at the financial statement, I get the feeling that the WAPP is working hard and is quite transparent as shown by the independent audit, this attests that the financial statements are regular, sincere, and in accordance with international standards”.
Power Supply: WAPP to Create Revolving Fund for ECOWAS Electricity Market
Following the parlous situation of electricity supply in West Africa, the board of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) is planning to create a Liquidity Enhancement Revolving Fund (LERF) for the ECOWAS regional electricity market.
Chairman, Executive Board of WAPP, Dr Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, who disclosed this at the weekend, during the 54th meeting of the Executive Board Meeting in Cotonou, Benin Republic, explained that the fund would reduce the level of outstanding bills, thereby providing stakeholders in the trade with a high degree of robustness.
“The creation of this fund will provide the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Market with a very important tool for electricity trading by reducing the level of outstanding bills, thereby providing stakeholders in the trade with a high degree of robustness and sustainability,” he said.
Speaking further, he urged the participants to examine the documents carefully and make relevant comments on the documents proposed by the WAPP Finance Committee.
FG Pledges Improved Power Supply as ECOWAS Douses Liquidity Crisis
Federal Government, yesterday, said additional megawatts of electricity are being added to the national grid, as the West African Power Pool (WAPP) moves to create liquidity enhancement for the electricity market in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
To address the epileptic electricity sector in the country, Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, said the government has started construction of a 132 kilovolts transmission line, a two-by-60MVA transmission substation and a switching station in Ekiti State, to raise the state’s capacity by 204 megawatts (MW).
Aliyu, during the groundbreaking ceremony in Ado Ekiti, said the project consists of a 50-kilometre stretch of 132KV transmission line from Ikere (Ado Ekiti) with a turn in- turn out at Ijesa Isu that terminates at Ilupeju Ekiti.
It also has a two-by-60MVA, 132/33KV transmission substation with four line bays at Ijesa Isu Ekiti and a switching station at Ikere (Ado Ekiti).
https://guardian.ng/news/fg-pledges-improved-power-supply-as-ecowas-douses-liquidity-crisis/
Higher Electricity Connection Fees in South Africa
There’s been outrage from some quarters in South Africa about reports that the power utility Eskom and some municipalities intend to increase the connection fee for electricity users who also generate their own power.
A number of commentators – including the executive director of the Presidential Climate Commission – have also criticised the idea even though Eskom has said that no such proposal has been tabled officially.
We take a contrary view, for two main reasons.
Firstly, we believe that grid connection fees are crucial to protect the finances of both Eskom and municipalities. Secondly, they are needed to support the ‘just transition’ to which the South African government and energy experts claim to be committed.
There is a broad consensus that the world needs to move to ‘net-zero’ energy sources to avoid a global warming climate disaster. For South Africa’s coal-based society, this transition will have a major effect on peoples’ livelihoods and standards of living. A ‘just transition’ would distribute the costs, benefits and opportunities fairly.
Egypt Imposes Curbs On Electricity Consumption to Boost Natural Gas Exports
The Egyptian government has asked citizens to limit their electricity consumption to save natural gas for export as the country faces tough months ahead with a deepening recession and increased inflation.
Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Tuesday that lighting outside government buildings would be switched off at the end of the working day while illumination in sports arenas, public squares, and streets, will be reduced.
Madbouly said that the daylight saving clock will be implemented to help ease electricity consumption in shopping centres and big stores and that air-conditioning should be set at 25 degrees Celsius or more.
The new measures will take effect next week.
The Egyptian government’s strategy to ease economic hardship, which was intensified after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, is to export its natural gas to generate cash and foreign currency to shore up the state coffers.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-save-electricity-boost-natural-gas-exports
Electricity Crisis Worsens as Shortfall Reaches 6800mw
LAHORE: The energy crisis in Pakistan has deepened as the electricity shortfall widened to over 6,800 megawatts, causing power outages of five to six hours in cities and 8 to 10 hours in rural areas, ARY News reported on Thursday.
According to sources, the demand in the country for electricity has surged to 28,200 megawatts while the power supply is 21,800 megawatts.
Sources told ARY News that several power plants have been shut as Ministry of Power Division failed to meet the shortage of oil and gas. Meanwhile, the government has shut down expensive power plants in a bid to reduce circular debt.
Sources further said that the power plants would remain shut till September. Moreover, the shortfall has resulted in six hours of load-shedding in urban centres and 8 hours of power outages in rural areas.
A day earlier, the National Electric Power Regulation Authority (NEPRA) approved the federal government’s request to increase the power tariff for Karachi by Rs 0.57.
https://arynews.tv/electricity-crisis-worsens-as-shortfall-reaches-6800mw/
