Power Sector News And Other Related Stories For Thursday 14th July 2022
FG Insists on New Boards for Benin Disco, Others
The Federal Government has insisted on new Boards for Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, and others, recently affected by last week’s decision to set up new boards.
The other Discos whose boards were equally reconstituted were those of Kano, Kaduna, Ibadan and Port Harcourt. BEDC had on July 8, 2022, obtained an interim order of the Federal High Court in an attempt to halt the board’s reconstitution process.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/07/fg-insists-on-new-boards-for-benin-disco-others-2/
DisCos Restructuring: Concerns Persist on Power Privatization
Industry watchers, who spoke on the recent restructuring of the boards of the DisCos by the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), said the government should focus on some unresolved problems that affected the sector prior to the privatisation.
“One of the original issues that led to the privatisation exercise was the expectation that equity would come in, and efficiency in the sector would improve. But that so-called equity hasn’t come in as much as it ought to,” said Oyebode Fadipe, a power sector governance expert and former corporate affairs official for the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
https://www.icirnigeria.org/discos-restructuring-concerns-persist-on-power-privatisation/
Remittances to NBET by Discos Dip 4.6 % to N146.5bn
THE remittances of 11 electricity distribution companies, DISCOs, to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading PLC (NBET) has declined by over 4.6 per cent to N146.5 billion in four months ending April 2022, from N153.2 billion in the corresponding period of 2021.
According to the latest monthly report of the NBET, the DISCOs were issued an invoice of N266.9billion between January and April 2022, but could raise only N146.5billion, about 44.9 per cent.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/07/electricity-remittances-to-nbet-by-discos-dip-4-6-to-n146-5bn/
8 of 10 Nigerians Lack 10 Hours of Power Supply – Survey
A recent online survey by BusinessDay has revealed that 79 percent of Nigerian households and businesses get less than 10 hours of electricity supply daily, with the worst-hit regions being the North-East and South-East (93 percent each), and South-South (81 percent).
They are followed by the North-Central (78 percent), South-West (77 percent), and the North-West (66 percent) geopolitical zones.
The survey was conducted about the time Kano, Benin, Ibadan, Port Harcourt and Kaduna distribution companies have their assets taken over by Fidelity Bank and Afreximbank in conjunction with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) following their inability to repay the loans they obtained to acquire these assets during the 2013 privatisation exercise.
https://businessday.ng/energy/article/8-of-10-nigerians-lack-10-hours-of-power-supply-survey/
FG Plans 3,863mw to Boost Power Grid – Report
An additional capacity of 3,863 megawatts of electricity is to be made available to boost power supply to customers across the country in the next 24 months, the Federal Government has said.
It also stated that it had identified solutions with the Transmission Company of Nigeria and electricity distribution companies on addressing key interface challenges confronting the different power firms.
https://punchng.com/fg-plans-3863mw-to-boost-power-grid-report/
Electricity Update: Power Generation in Nigeria Rises Sharply to Highest in Over Two Months
Nigeria generated a total of 95,116.18MWh of energy on Tuesday, 12th July 2022, improving by 5% compared to 90,621.28MWh recorded in the previous day, representing the highest in over two months.
This is according to information from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). The last time Nigeria’s energy topped 95,000MWh was 4th May 2022, when electricity generation hit 96,278.96MWh.
Solar Firms Seek Funds as Demand Booms in Power-Deficit Nigeria
Solar providers in Nigeria are seeking to raise additional funds to expand as a surge in diesel prices to run generators prompts companies to switch to the renewable power source.
Solar energy providers are seeing increasing installations this year after diesel prices surged 181% in the West African country. Most companies in the continent’s biggest economy rely on private generators to run everything from factories to offices as the national grid is unable to supply enough electricity.
Nigeria Expected to See Biggest Growth in African Power Rental Market
A new analysis by Verify Markets shows the African Power Rental Market was valued at $1,065.2 million in 2021 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 8.0% from 2021 to 2028.
The growth will primarily be driven by low electrification, high population growth and increasing investments in infrastructure projects in the construction, mining and tourism industries in Egypt, South Africa and Nigeria. Higher commodity prices are also fueling investment in the mining and oil and gas sectors, driving the demand for power rental in the region.
Africa: Green Hydrogen – A Viable Option for Transforming Africa’s Energy Sector
Africa seeks ways to meet massive energy demand while on net-zero path
With each passing day, global alarms ring louder about climate change threatening the planet. In a race against time, momentum for exploring innovations that will reduce humanity’s carbon footprint, especially in the energy sector, increases. Not surprisingly, energy (electricity, heating/cooling and transport) is the largest contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at 73 per cent.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202207140016.html
Just How Much More Renewable Energy Does South Africa Need?
At the start of the 2022 winter the utility warned the public to expect up to 100 days with rolling power outages. At the end of June there was at times a 6,000 MW shortfall in electricity supply, which corresponds to about 20% of the evening peak demand.
While there is consensus that new electricity generating plants are urgently needed to minimise power outages, there are radically differing views on how this is best achieved. The official electricity plan approved three years ago is already out of date. Its implementation is furthermore two years behind schedule.
Libyans Endure Longer, Frequent Power-Cuts
Mahmud Aguil has a comfortable house in Libya’s capital Tripoli, but chronic power outages in the war-battered country and roasting summer heat now force him to sleep in his air-conditioned van.
“This is my bedroom,” the 48-year-old said pointing to the cramped vehicle, its back seats removed to make space for him and his two young children. “In the morning I wake up with a terrible backache.
“That’s our life these days.”
The people of Libya are enduring electricity cuts of up to 18 hours a day, despite their country sitting atop Africa’s largest proven oil reserves.
https://www.africanews.com/2022/07/14/libyans-endure-longer-frequent-power-cuts/
