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Ghana raises clean energy capacity by 40%, as gas flows at Sankofa

Production of natural gas has started offshore Ghana, from two of the four deep-water subsea wells in the Sankofa field, connected to the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel “John Agyekum Kufuor”

Published

6 years ago

July 10, 2018

Africa News Watch

The gas producing part of the Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) Integrated Oil and Gas Project, is scheduled to provide 180Million standard cubic feet per day (MMscf/d) for at least 15 years, “enough to convert to gas 40% of Ghana’s current power generation capacity”, according to a statement by the World Bank.

“After the final steps of commissioning of the offshore facilities, production will gradually flow via a dedicated 60km pipeline to the Onshore Receiving Facility (ORF) in Sanzule, where gas will then be compressed and distributed to Ghana’s national grid”, says ENI, the Italian giant who is the project operator.

The headline price for sale to power generation companies is of $9.8 per Million British Thermal Units ($9.8/MMBtu), or roughly $9.2 per thousand cubic feet ($9.2/Mscf).

The World Bank is heavily involved in the $7.7Billion OCTP project, largely because of this gas component. The bank helped devise a payment mechanism “that ensured all the receipts from the on-sale of the Sankofa gas to the power sector in Ghana flowed to a single designated account from which the private sponsors would be paid in priority for their share of the gas. Should there be any payment shortfall under the Gas Sales Agreement, the sponsors would be able to access an escrow account funded by GNPC with the equivalent of 4.5 months of gas sales ($205Million)”.

“OCTP is the only deep offshore non-associated gas development in Sub-Saharan Africa entirely destined to domestic consumption”, ENI reports. “The project has a strategic relevance: gas from OCTP can help Ghana shift from oil-fueled power generation to a cleaner power source, with financial as well as environmental benefits, and contribute to the Country’s sustainable economic development”.

ENI operates OCTP with 44.44%. Partners include Vitol 35.56% and GNPC 20%.

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VenturesNow

Nigeria has received $10.9 billion multi-sector investments from AfDB— Official

Published

4 days ago

July 23, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Nigeria has received $10.9 billion from the African Development Bank (AfDB), comprising $4.9 billion in public and private sector initiatives.

AfDB Director-General of the West Africa Region, Lamin Barrow, said the bank’s Nigeria funding approvals total $10.9 billion since it started operations.

Barrow made the revelation at the Second Interactive Session and Workshop on Developing Bankable Business Proposals/Business Plans for Youths in Agriculture in Abuja on Monday.

It was part of the bank’s 60th anniversary celebrations with stakeholders. Nigeria is the AfDB’s largest shareholder, and the bank’s relationship with it has grown, Barrow said.

The AfDB invests in Nigeria’s energy, power, transport, water, and sanitation infrastructure.

“Over the last 60 years, the Bank has grown into a trusted partner and the continent’s premier development financial institution.

“Our cooperation with Nigeria has expanded over the years, especially considering that Nigeria is the largest shareholder.

“Since it started operations in the country, cumulative financing approvals have reached 10.9 billion dollars and our portfolio currently stands at 4.9 billion dollars supporting projects in the public and private sectors,” he said.

After taking office eight years ago, AfDB President Dr Akinwumi Adesina prioritized the High 5—Power, Feed, Industrialize, Integrate, and Improve Africa’s quality of life—Barrow added. He said these were accelerators for achieving the SDGs and Agenda 2063 ambitions. The projects and programs supported during this time have reportedly affected over 400 million individuals.

VenturesNow

Analysts expect Egypt’s economy to rise 4.0% in 2024/25

Published

4 days ago

July 23, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

A recent study that sampled seventeen economists by Reuters has predicted slower economic growth for Egypt in April after a $8 billion IMF accord in March.

The median projection for GDP growth in the fiscal year starting July 1 was 4%, down from 4.35% in April and 4.15% in January.

The poll predicted the GDP grew 2.9% in the fiscal year ending June 30. This is below their April and January predictions of 3% and 3.5%. Poll: 2025/26 growth should rise to 4.99%.

After the IMF agreement, Capital Economics’ James Swanston predicted slower growth due to tighter fiscal and monetary policies and a weaker pound.

“The overall net impact is that economic growth will be weaker this fiscal year, but there are reasons to be more optimistic on GDP growth from FY2025/26 onward,” Swanston said.

Egyptian tourism and Suez Canal revenue have slowed due to the Gaza crisis, which has cut Egypt’s foreign revenue by more than half.

Egypt’s planning ministry predicted 4.2% growth in 2024/25 on June 2. Analysts expect the Egyptian pound to fall to 49.50 per dollar by June 2025 and 52.50 by June 2026.

Before dropping it in March 2024, the central bank kept the pound at 30.85 per dollar. It’s roughly 48.40 per dollar.

The survey forecast 20.5% headline inflation in 2024/25 and 12.05% in 2025/26. In June, inflation dropped to 27.5% from a record high of 38.0% in September, exceeding the central bank’s objective of 5%-9%.

The analysts expect the central bank’s overnight lending rate to drop to 21.25% by June 2025 and 15.25% by June 2026.

Foreign money shortages have slowed the Egyptian economy. However, a $24 billion real estate transaction with the UAE in late February, a significant currency devaluation, and a $8 billion IMF accord in early March have mitigated that.