The Nation Newspaper

Category: Energy

  • Content Board begins work on Cross River Oil, Gas Park

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has started the construction of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Park at Odukpani, Cross River State. It is aimed at  creating a regional low-cost manufacturing hub that would produce equipment components and spare parts for the oil and gas industry.

    The park is the first to take off among four planned sites. It will be followed by the site in Emeyal 1, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

    At the ground-breaking, the NCDMB Executive Secretary (ES), Simbi Wabote, praised his predecessors for initiating the Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Scheme (NOGAPS).

    “(It) fits nicely into our 10-year-roadmap aimed at raising in-country value retention in the oil and gas industry  to 70 per cent,” he said.

    He described the event as a great step towards achieving one of the board’s key mandates, which is “to develop capacity of local supply chain for effective and efficient service delivery without compromising oil and gas industry standards.”

    He said about 2,000 jobs would be created when the park begins operation while the indigenes of the host community and environs would benefit from on-the-job training.

    “This project will positively impact Cross River State and Odukpani community and its environs. This positive impact will be felt both at the construction and operations stages of the project,” he added.

    Wabote explained that NOGAPS sites were planned close to power plants while provisions were made to generate captive power to address the electricity challenge facing most manufacturers and businesses.

    He said the park occupies a land mass of about 25 hectares, and would comprise various warehouses, manufacturing shop floors and factories, training centre, hostels, administrative block, mini estate, security posts, fire station, including truck parking and holding areas.

    He charged the host community to support the project so that it could be completed on schedule, warning that the board would discontinue the project, if it faced unreasonable demands and disruptions by youths.

    The Deputy Governor, Prof Ivara Esu, congratulated the board on the take off of the project, promising that the state government would monitor and support its execution.

    The Clan Head of Odukpani, Ekpeyong Effiok, assured that the project would not be disrupted.

    He, however, pleaded that the youth be engaged in the park’s construction and management.

  • Why modular refineries haven’t taken off, by Iheanacho

    •Over 100  refineries for fuel sufficiency’

    Lack of technical technical know-how to run the operation of modular refineries is one of the reasons licensed refineries operators have not taken off, the Chairman, Integrated Oil and Gas Limited, Capt Emmanuel Iheanacho, has said.

    He also said progress has not been recorded in this area  because   existing and prospective investors do not have adequate information.

    He said many investors have failed to do their feasibility studies, market survey while others do not even know the cost of operating the refineries.

    In an interview, Ihenacho said people often blamed the government for issuing licences to investors without looking into their problems.

    He said: “It is quite unfortunate that investors are underestimating the operation of modular refineries in Nigeria. Many people do not know the kind of work and length of time needed to start operating modular refineries; they do not know what it means to conceive the idea of a refinery; they do not know the engineering aspects of the scheme, the financing and other issues. The non-availability of this information is hindering the take-off of many of such refineries.”

    He said the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has issued more than 40 licences, stressing that poor understanding and financing are delaying their take-off.

    He said having licence is an aspect of the business, adding that there are other aspects of the buisness which  investors are not ready to give enough attention to.

    Many investors, Ihenacho said, do not have enough funds to invest in the business, as banks are not ready to provide facility to them due to fears.

    He said there are micro and macroeconomic problems, such as foreign exchange fluctuations, huge cost of importation of equipment and taxes, that are delaying the take off of the refineries.

    He said the cost of setting up a modular refinery runs into millions of dollars depending on the capacity of the refinery, urging the Federal Government to assist operators to get funds for the business.

    “It is when the economic climate is conducive for the operators to do business especially the volatile and sensitive nature of operating refineries that operators would be able to fare better.  When this happens, the efforts by the government to improve fuel supply would not be in vain,” he said.

    Iheanacho said modular refineries are meant to complement traditional refineries and that these have to a reasonable extent, improved fuel supply in countries in Europe and America.

    The Federal Government mooted the idea of modular refineries to complement the four state-owned refineries that have failed to produce optimally.

    Iheanacho said Nigeria needs at least 100 modular refineries by 2020, if the country wants to improve fuel suply and stop scarcity of the product.

    He said the government  was moving in this direction by approving some refineries.

    He urged the government to  approve more refineries  to boost fuel supply.

    “Modular refineries, despite their lower capacity could complement the production of bigger and traditional refineries, if the government gives them the desired attention,” he said.

    Ihenacho said modular refineries refine between 10,000 barrels and 100,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), adding that for the country to be proud of refining 400,000 bpd, it must have 40 such refineries in place.

    He said Nigeria could have between 40 and 50 modular refineries in the next few years, if urgent attention was paid to the issue.

    Ihenacho said modular refineries refine between 10,000 barrels and 100,000 bpd, adding that for the country to be proud of refining 400,000 bpd, it must have 40 such refineries in

    “If the country will be self-sufficient in fuel supply, more modular refineries must come on stream to complement the production from the state-owned refineries and the Dangote Refinery, that is expected to come on stream by next year.

    ‘’If Dangote Refinery comes with a nameplate capacity in excess of 600,000 barrels and the government-owned refineries are operating at full capacity, in addition to the output from modular refineries, Nigeria can achieve fuel sufficiency,” he said.

     

  • Shrinking oil demand: SPE calls for investment in renewables

    As global demand for fossil fuels begins to dwindle, Nigeria needs to increase its investments in renewable energy, the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Nigeria Council, has advised.

    Its Chairman, Mr. Chikezie Nwosu, gave the advice while unveiling the society’s plan for the upcoming SPE annual Oloibiri Lecture series in Lagos with the theme: “Nigerian oil industry in a world of changing energy supply: Are we prepared?” He said it had become clear that with anticipated growth in energy demand and cleaner environment, the world was rapidly moving towards an age of cleaner sources of energy. He added that for fossil fuels, it would mean a greater reliance on gas and less reliance on oil and especially coal.

    Nwosu said hydro-electric and gas-powered cars would replace diesel engines and, with time, gasoline engines.

    He said: “Add to this is the growing investments in renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind, it becomes evident that Nigeria must rethink or rejig its energy policy to solidify on the gains in the oil and gas industry (the 7Big Wins), and leverage these learnings to prepare for an energy mix that will become less reliant on the more polluting fossil fuels.

    “The pressure from the next generation of leaders will drive technological advances that will result in less reliance on environmental damaging energy and we (Nigeria) must be ready now.”

    Nwosu noted that there were many opinions on how long reliance on fossil fuels would last. Many of these opinions are predicated on the huge remaining resources of oil and gas. However, one must note the often quoted statement that ‘the stone age did not end because mankind ran out of stones, and the oil age will end long before we run out of oil’.

    He maintained that fate had played a major role in ensuring that Nigeria would stay ahead with abundant energy from the sun, wind energy in many northern parts of the country, and an estimated 190 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas and prospective resources that could be as high as 600TCF.

    As an advocacy group, he said the SPE would continue to play a strong role in policy direction and execution through ensuring that the outcome of its engagements are well documented and presented to the authorities, encouraging its members to provide the expertise in their fields to government either through consultancy or service, provide forums for bringing the world to Nigeria and Nigeria to the world.

    Other areas of support, according to him, include collaborating with government agencies in such areas as indigenising research and development (R&D) capacity and capability, supporting the provision of pedagogical aids to universities and training Institutes.

    Also ensuring that the curriculum for  geosciences and related disciplines in the university delivers industry-ready graduates and supporting the strategic and ethical leadership of the next generation of entrepreneurs, employers and workers in the energy industry and aligned with the ‘7 Big Wins’ initiative of the Federal Government.

     

  • ‘Nigeria needs 100 modular refineries for fuel sufficiency’

    No fewer than 100 modular re-fineries should be operational by 2020, if the Federal Government wants to improve fuel supply and stop scarcity of the product, Integrated Oil and Gas Limited Chairman Capt Emmanuel Ihenacho has said.

    He said the government was moving in this direction by approving some modular refineries. He urged government to approve more for investors to boost fuel supply.

    Modular refineries despite their lower capacity, he said, can complement the production of bigger and traditional refineries, if the the government gives them the desired attention.

    Ihenacho said modular refineries refine between 10,000 barrels and 100,000 barrels of crude, adding that for the country to be proud of refining 400,000 barrels, it must have 40 such refineries in place.

    He told The Nation, that Nigeria could have between 40 to 50 modular refineries in the next few years if urgent attention was given to the matter.

    He said daily, Nigerians consumed about 48 million litres of premium motor spirit (PMS) as against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) estimate that the country consumed 39 million litres per day,

    “If the country will be self-sufficient in fuel supply, more modular refineries must come on stream to compliment the production from the state-owned refineries and the Dangote Refinery that is expected to come on stream by 2019.  If Dangote Refinery comes with a nameplate capacity in excess of 600,000 barrels and the government-owned refineries are operating at full capacity, in addition with the output from the modular refineries, Nigeria can become self-sufficient.

    According to him, the country’s yearly fuel import stands at 17.8 billion litres while consumption stands at 19.3 billion. “From all indications, we are yet to meet fuel needs despite billions of naira being spent on importation of fuel into the country. The huge foreign exchange that is being taken outside the country yearly under the guise of importation of fuel, will do a lot of things for the country if it is domiciled in Nigeria,” he added.

    He urged the government to provide an enabling environment by assisting modular refinery operators with funds as well as reduction in taxes. He added that by so doing, licensed operators yet to start refining crude would be gingered to do something.

     

  • Senators praise Total, partners on Egina FPSO

    The Senate Committees on Gas and Petroleum Resources (Upstream) have commended Total and its partners for the remarkable progress made towards the completion of the Egina Floating Storage, Production and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, which is currently being finalized at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard in LADOL Free Zone, Lagos.

    who is chair of The Senate Committee Chairman on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, and his counterpart, Senate Gas Committee Chairman, Senator Barnabas Gemade, led their committees members on an inspection tour of the 330m-long Egina FPSO, where they expressed delight with the pace of work on the unit and its massive Nigerian content profile.

    “Seeing the Egina FPSO has shown that a good investment has been made to ensure that Nigeria moves deeper and deeper into the sea to exploit its God-given endowment of oil,” Senator Alasoadura said, pointing out that touring the FPSO facility had been a very wonderful experience.

    “I believe that with Egina going operational very soon, Nigeria will be able to meet its quota not only to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) but also will have enough to meet its other commitments. I believe that it is a good project and Total has done a great thing bringing such a facility to Nigeria for integration of locally fabricated modules, making it first in Africa. This milestone has brought us to where we should be as the giant of Africa,” he added.

    On the local content work being done on the project, Senator Alasoadura said: “It is massive development of capacity. You cannot do much for local development without building capacity and that has been done by giving Nigerians the opportunity to build part of what we are seeing here today. I am sure the next time it will take less money and time to build something similar because of developed capacity.”

    In his remarks, Senator Gemade said: “We are very excited about the participation of Nigerians that are technically qualified in major and huge projects like Egina. This impact cannot just be swept under the carpet. Those responsible for actualising this project must be commended.”

    The Managing Director of Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Nicolas Terraz, thanked the senators for taking the time to visit the Egina FPSO saying, “What you are seeing here is a product of the hard work of our staff, many of whom are Nigerians, along with our very supportive partners and Nigerian authorities.”

    Other senators on the visit were Senators Gershom Bassey, Magnus Abe, Samuel Egwu, Peter Nwaoboshi, Benjamin Uwajumogu, Baba Garbai, Ogola Foster and Ibrahim Kurfi.

    Being the first project to be launched after the enactment of the Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry Content Development Act in 2010, the ongoing integration and work on the Egina project pushes the Nigerian local content on the project to the highest level and has set a benchmark for the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

  • Nigeria gas reserves up by 4.067tcf, says NNRC

    Nigeria‘s natural gas re-serves have risen by 4.067 trillion cubic feet (tcf) from 187.998tcf in 2014 to 192.065tcf in 2015, the Nigerian Natural Resource Chapter (NNRC) has said.

    In its “2017 Benchmarking Exercise Report” obtained by The Nation, the body said gas reserves in 2013 stood at 181.95 tcf, 182. 258tcf in 2012, 183.434tcf in 2011 and 182.817 tcf in 2010.

    The report added that the reserves included associated and non-associated gas, adding that the country remained one of the largest producers of natural gas.

    The report said: “The firm relies on statistics from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the monthly financial bulleting of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and other sources to arrive at the figures that were computed as the country’s natural gas reserves. The country has gas reserves of 192.065 tcf of gas in 2015 and 187.998 trillion cubic feet of gas in 2014.

    The body said many of the stakeholders interviewed raised concerns about the ability of the government to generate accurate figures because of lack of a strong research culture in the country.

    In the report, Nigeria is exporting part of the gas it is processing while at the same time uses part of it for electricity generation and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

    It said the country has become a major exporter of gas globally by selling its gas to countries in Asia.

    The report added that the country should substantially increase its gas production in order to make processing and exportation of gas a veritable source of revenue and immediately regain the market it has lost to the discovery of shale gas in the United States.

     

  • Gas preferred in global market forecast, says Attah

    Gas preferred in global market forecast, says Attah

    •NLNG may invest $10b in Train 7 gas supply, infrastructure 

    Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) Managing Director/CEO Tony Attah has said projections put gas in the top quartile of the most competitive and strategic investments in the global energy market.

    Attah, who spoke at an executive roundtable discussion titled: “Growth Outlook and Strategies for Staying Competitive after a Global Downturn”, at the first Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS), in Abuja, said a combination of factors would give gas an edge as the energy of the future. He added that the global LNG trade was projected to nearly triple from about 12 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in 2015 to around 31 Tcf in 2040.

    “Electric power sector carbon emissions are projected to be flat through 2050 as a result of favourable market conditions for natural gas and supportive policies for renewables, compared with coal”  he said, pointing out that the projections are underpinned by the prospect of the global economy growing at an average rate of 3.4 per cent per year, a population that expands from 7.4 billion today to more than 9 billion in 2040, and a process of urbanisation that adds a city the size of Shanghai to the world’s urban population every four months.

    Attah said global energy consumption would increase in the future, but on the other side of the fence, we also see the clamour for cleaner energy rising, and that is where gas comes in. Coal would be totally displaced as a source of energy followed by crude oil.

    “Oil will still be in demand, but (particularly as a source of power), will go down by about 50 per cent. Countries like the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway and many other countries are making moves to significantly reduce their carbon footprint. Norway aims for all new passenger cars and vans sold in 2025 to be zero-emission vehicles, while Sweden has committed to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2040.”

    He warned that Nigeria was losing the competitive space in the LNG industry. “Nigeria started 24 months after Qatar. Qatar now produces 77 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and is the number one LNG supplier in the world, while Nigeria is still on 22 MTPA. Australia is already flooding the market and will knock down Qatar to the third, or fourth place. In Africa, significant gas finds in excess of 127 Tcf in Mozambique have created the potential for another African super player. Mozambique is expected to become the second-largest exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) by 2025, as the country steps up production from 10 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) in 2017 to an envisaged 50 Mtpa.”

    Attah said the real investment opportunity was last year, when prices were low; but he, however, assured that it was not too late. He stated “that is why “we need to take the decision on Train 7 now so we can stay within the Top 5 space. The future is gas and NLNG is ready to play.”

    He said for Nigeria to remain competitive in the oil and gas industry, upstream investment needed to be increased. “It’s time to prepare for the likely demand outlook that’s positive and has out-performed projections in the last three years,“he said, adding, “let’s get back to exploration and production (E&P) activities.”

    Attah listed other strategies to include stable regulatory framework, ease of doing business, as well as strategic implementation of cost management by developing projects that are competitive under current pricing. In addition, he said implementing structural cost-saving measures, such as standardised, modular approaches to plant construction and embarking on new E&P projects that have shorter payback periods, are recommended. He said  Train 7 project by NLNG will increase its production capacity from the current 22 MTPA to 30 MTPA of LNG.

    Also, NLNG Deputy Managing Director,  Sadeeq Mai-Bornu, said the NLNG business model needs to be replicated so as to generate opportunities for the power and gas sectors in the country.

    He spoke at an executive roundtable discussion titled: “Africa as an Emerging Gas Producer: Prospects and Opportunities” also at the first Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) in Abuja.

    Other participants at the discussion included Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCO) Managing Director, Bayo Ojulari; President, Nigeria Gas Association and Managing Director of Frontier Oil Limited, Dada Thomas; Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO), Power and Gas at Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as well as other executives in the industry.

    Mai-Bornu said:  “Nigeria is a gas country with some oil. NLNG is a success story partly because we are in the mid-stream and most of the risks have been taken by the upstream companies. But the thing is that there is a market out there. We sign a 20-year contract for the supply of molecules and we can actually go to the bank and get the funding we need.  When NLNG was set up, it had guarantees and incentives that safeguarded investments and returns. There was also the sanctity of contracts. That is what has helped NLNG. This model needs to be developed in the upstream and downstream.

     

  • Shell, Chevron, NIPCO bag awards at NIPS

    • Oil giant lifts Industry Games trophy 

    The in-country Subsea Tree Refurbishment feat by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), has earned Shell Companies in Nigeria the Best Performing International Company in Technology and Innovation at the awards night of the maiden edition of the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) in Abuja.

    Chevron Nigeria Limited
    (CNL), operator of the joint
    venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – NNPC/CNL JV, also won two awards at the Summit.

    CNL carted away – “Top domestic gas producer in 2016/2017” and “The best Performing Upstream International Company in Social Contribution for 2016/2017”.

    NIPCO Plc  bagged oil and
    gas industry award over its
    unprecedented acquisition of ExxonMobil’s stake in Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc at the event.

    The state-organised event was attended by Nigerian and international industry leaders. SNEPCo pioneered the in-country feat and achieved significant savings in the cost of the subsea equipment led by Nigerian engineers.

    A Subsea Tree is an arrangement of valves and other components installed at the wellhead to control and monitor production flow and manage fluids injection. SNEPCo embarked on a Tree Refurbishment initiative in 2013 to ensure timely delivery of the equipment at lower cost for the Bonga Phase 2 project, an in-field wells delivery and hook–up programme within the Bonga Field, which has been in execution since 2007.

    On hand to receive the award presented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, were the Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria and Managing Director of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Mr. Osagie Okunbor and the Managing Director of SNEPCo, Mr. Bayo Ojulari.

    SNEPCo saves about $6 million for every refurbished Subsea Tree and this is delivered within 15 months as against 36 months for newly manufactured ones.

    The CNL certificates and plaques were presented to the firm amid many dignitaries including the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, representatives of the NNPC/industry regulators, participants from other African countries and other industry players.

    On hand to receive the awards, separately presented by Kachikwu and the Chief Financial Officer of the NNPC, Isiaka Abdulrazaq, who represented the Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru, was the General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, CNL, Mr. Esimaje Brikinn.

    Brikinn expressed CNL’s delight over the recognition and awards. He explained that CNL has a comprehensive and aggressive gas development programme that is driven by good environmental stewardship to eliminate gas flares in its operations, help meet Nigeria’s energy needs and convert Nigeria’s huge gas resources into wealth for the benefit of the nation.

    Brikinn also noted the efforts of other Chevron companies in social contributions in Nigeria. For instance, the Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited (a Chevron Company) and the other parties in the Agbami field, have also contributed to the sustainable development of Nigeria via interventions in health, education and economic empowerment. “From 2008 to 2016, the Agbami parties have invested N2.5billion on education infrastructure, N8.4 billion on scholarships and N2.2 billion on the provision of fully equipped modern chest clinics across the country. Over 16,000 students from all the states of Nigeria have benefitted from the Agbami Medical and Engineering Scholarship and among these, an impressive total of 456 have graduated with first class degrees,” he said.”

    Also presenting the award to NIPCO, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Folasade Yemi – Ojo, said it was part of Federal Government’s efforts to encourage operators, who have shown considerable interest in the growth of the industry.

    The acquisition of ExxonMobil’s stake in Mobil Oil Nigeria (MON) Plc by an indigenous company, she said, was assessed by the Federal Government as significant effort by indigenous operator, hence the award to NIPCO.

    NIPCO team at the event included the Managing Director, Sanjay Teotia, and the Chief Corporate Affairs Manager, Lawal Taofeek, who received the award on behalf of the company.

    Speaking after the award, Teotia said the laurel was a welcome development as the company’s continuous interest in the downstream sector is an affirmation of its belief in the Nigerian economy.

    The acquisition of majority shareholding in MON – now put at about 74 per cent of the entire shareholding, Lawal said, is to extend its stakes in the sector. He added that with the feat, NIPCO & 11Plc, formerly MON Plc, both companies now have about 500 retail outlets across the country.

    Also, for the third time running, Shell has won the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games (NOGIG), posting a commanding victory streak in the history of the 30-year old biennial competition. At the end of the week-long NOGIG 2018 in Lagos, Team Shell topped the medal table with 11 gold, 11 silver and eight bronze medals, leaving the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and ExxonMobil in second and third places respectively.

    “I’m excited at the performance of the team for making us proud,” said Osagie Okunbor, Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) Ltd and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, while reflecting on the performance of the contingent.

  • GE, Marinus Energy to build waste gas-to-power plant in Ghana

    GE Power and Marinus Energy has unveiled a pilot project to capture Isopentane gas to generate electricity.

    The Atuabo Waste-to-Power Independent Power Project will be the first in sub-Saharan Africa to use Isopentane gas, which will run on GE’s latest TM2500 gas turbines. The Isopentane gas would have been flared.

    Strategic Advisor of Marinus Energy, Mr. Fred Asamany, said: “Not only is the Atuabo waste-to-power plant enabling our company to lead in innovative energy solutions in Ghana, but by using a fuel source which would otherwise have been flared as waste, we are further reducing emissions and costs. This is good for our business, the climate and eliminates the potential environmental hazards facing the local community. GE is offering an innovative solution which gives us the confidence to move from pilot to commercial operations.”

    In the first phase, Atuabo will convert the Isopentane fuel into to about 25 megawatts (Mw), generating enough electricity to supply power to more than 100,000 Ghanaian households. As additional gas is brought onshore, the plant is expected to add about 100Mw. Additional Isopentane fuel will eventually be stripped off an offshore gas supply and processed at Atuabo by the Ghana National Gas Company. The gas turbine will start on lean gas and transfer to the Isopentane mix over time, and the power plant is intended to operate at base load throughout its life.

    “The TM2500 unit will provide unrivalled speed to deployment and flexibility to support the immediate needs of our customer – Marinus Energy, and then seamlessly transition to deliver capacity over the long term as they expand their operations,” said Leslie Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of GE’s Gas Power Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Atuabo project will add yet another TM2500 gas turbine to the existing fleet of ten units in the country earlier deployed in 2016,” Nelso added.

    With over 200 units deployed and over five million operating hours, GE’s TM2500 has proven flexibility can help bridge the power gap for short-and long-term energy planning, stabilise the grid, or reach and power remote locations.

    The TM2500 mobile power plant – a trailer-mounted gas turbine generator and containerised balance of plant – can be relocated to other power plants, and maintenance outages, or to remote areas.

    It can also achieve full power within 10 minutes, making it ideal for providing a base-load bridge to power installations or generating backup power for factories and industries.

    Last year, GE released several announcements reinforcing its commitments to strengthening the power sector in Ghana. The 400Mw Bridge power project will be the first LPG fired power plant in Africa and the largest LPG fired power plant in the world, while the 200Mw Amandi power plant will be one of the most efficient power plants in the country and will generate the power needed to supply more than one million Ghanaian homes.

    In addition, GE will set up an M&D (Monitoring and Diagnostics) centre in Ivory Coast which will provide the digital data and analytics service to improve the performance of GE equipment in the region.

  • Four off-grid firms seal financing pact in Niger Delta

    Four off-grid firms seal financing pact in Niger Delta

    Nigerian off-grid energy investment company, All On, has sealed  a pact with three firms – Lumos Global BV, Green Village Electricity and ColdHubs – on access to affordable and sustainable energy sources in the Niger Delta.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Boer Wiebe, announced a follow-up to the equity investment made last year to Nigeria Solar Home System market leader Lumos Global BV, in  form of a debt facility to facilitate a quick roll out.

    All On is also providing equity and debt to Port Harcourt-based Green Village Electricity (GVE), Nigeria’s leading mini-grid player, for expansion in the Niger Delta and across Nigeria, while ColdHubs is receiving a convertible debt facility to expand its solar-powered marketplace cold storage business to new markets in the region.

    The developments are coming barely three months after All On announced its first set of transactions in the off-grid market, and two months after the firm and United States Africa Development Foundation (USADF) announced a $3 million partnership to expand access to energy for underserved and unserved markets in Nigeria.

    “The investments made in these energy solution providers further demonstrate our firm belief that off-grid energy is indispensable in the improvement of Nigeria’s energy narrative. It, therefore, deserves adequate attention and financial backing from both the public and private sectors,” Boer said.

    Lumos’ CEO Davidi Vortman said: “This debt facility from All On both cements the strategic relationship between our two companies and goes a long way towards significantly accelerating the speed of penetration of Lumos Solar Home Systems in the Niger Delta region. All On has established itself as a leader in off-grid energy in Nigeria and we are, therefore, excited to work with All On to enhance energy access for Nigerians in the Niger Delta and across the country.”

    ColdHubs CEO Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu described the investment as a demonstration of All On’s commitment beyond simply addressing the access to energy gap to harnessing innovative renewable energy solutions for the preservation of perishable foods.

    “This support by All On will enable Cold Hubs to further refine its business model to improve the livelihoods of people and enhance food security in the Niger Delta,” he said.

    GVE Managing Director Ifeanyi Orajaka said: “We are excited about this relationship with All On. An investment from a world-class organisation, such as All On, further validates our position as one of the leading and most innovative indigenous clean energy solutions providers in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

    All On was seeded with funding from Shell, and works with partners to increase access to commercial energy products and services for under-served and un-served off-grid energy markets in Nigeria, with a special focus on the Niger Delta.