LEDs enlighten Kenyan National Archives

Royal Philips has lit up the Kenya National Archives in Nairobi with digital light emitting diodes (LEDs) to save to 80% of its power costs. The project supports the ambitions of the Kenyan government to be more energy efficient.

The LEDs create more light, while ensuring better focus and control. They allow the archives to minimise light spill and direct light exactly to where it is needed. The system will also simplify the maintenance schedule as LED lights are claimed to have an extended lifetime of up to 100,000 hours compared to only 20,000 hours with conventional lighting.

Philips has provided all aspects of the lighting at the building, including design consultation, overseeing installation with local contractors, programming, commissioning and overall project management.

Dispute affects ore delivery from Guinea Conakry

London-listed Bellzone and the China International Fund (CIF), its joint venture (JV) partner in the Forécariah iron ore project (FJV) in Guinea, are in a dispute with the contracted barge operator (trans-shipper) at Konta Port.

The dispute arose over FJV management’s concerns about safety performance, operations efficiency, and charges raised by the trans-shipper.

According to Bellzone, FJV management is in discussions with the trans-shipper, and no shipments are expected to made until the dispute is resolved. The dispute has not impacted production.

A legal case has been brought against FJV in Guinea by a former contractor alleging an outstanding payment for construction works had been formally dismissed with costs in the Court of Appeal in Conakry. The JV is incorporated in Singapore with a wholly owned Guinea subsidiary as the operating company. FJV has delivered 268 000 tonnes to market so far this year, and has 68 000 tonnes ready for shipping.

Uganda selects final bidders for local refinery

Uganda last week made progress towards selecting a contractor for its oil refinery and picking a consultant for its portion of the 2,935km standard gauge railway (SGR) that will run from Mombasa in Kenya to Kigali in Rwanda.

As the Energy Ministry announced the final round of bidders for the refinery on June 24, the Works Ministries from Uganda and Rwanda hired Gauff Ingenieure, a German engineering consultancy firm, to carry out design studies for the Kampala-Kigali stretch of the SGR.

The ministries expect Gauff to submit its findings and recommendations in 12 months. On its part, the Energy Ministry hopes to announce the successful refinery bidder before the end of this year.

The SK Group-led consortium from South Korea and the RT Global Resources-led consortium from Russia beat Marubeni Corporation from Japan and China Pipeline Petroleum Bureau.

Marubeni lacked a bid bond as required by the request for proposals (RFP), and China Pipeline did not adequately satisfy all the requirements of the RFP, noted the statement from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.

Both the railway and the refinery projects are required to start by 2018. The projects face potential delays and could be derailed by outstanding compensation claims from people being displaced.

Kenya has started construction of its section of the SGR. Work on the railway is however moving slowly because land acquisition and compensation have not been finalised.

The government requires land inside Tsavo National Park, close to the capital Nairobi, and along the road to Tororo, much of it privately owned.

Uganda is not having it easy with land acquisition either. The government had planned to complete payment for the 7,118 people that the refinery will displace by June this year in time for the announcement of the successful refinery bidders.

To date, it has only paid half and expects to cover the rest by September 2014, at a cost of Ush35 billion ($13.2 million).

Civil society organisations working in the oil and gas sector have expressed doubt over the feasibility of the timeline and amount of money earmarked. This is especially so in regard to over 100 households who rejected the government’s assessment of their land and the property on it, and the 96 households who chose to be resettled.

“The government may be able to credit the accounts of those waiting for compensation money in the next three months, but saying they will resettle families within three months is a lie and insensitive,” said Winnie Ngabiirwe, who heads Global Rights Alert, one of the leading NGOs in natural resource governance in Uganda.

“There is no evidence to show that the government has already bought the land on which to resettle people. We have not seen the government calling for tenders for construction of houses, schools or churches in the resettlement areas. Are they going to resettle them in hotels or tents?” Ms Ngabiirwe asked.

She said the government is breeding fear and anxiety when it gives such short timelines.

Several organisations, including the Uganda Human Rights Commission and the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, have criticised the government over the way it has handled the people it is displacing for the refinery.

Analysts have condemned it as unfair and unconstitutional. They say it is a source of present and future unrest in the affected communities.

“There is a need for openness on the part of the government so that these fears and anxieties are addressed. I am glad the government is progressing with development in the oil sector. However, let this development not come at the expense of lost livelihoods, missed opportunities and human-rights violations,” Ms Ngabiirwe added

Source: The East African

Sierra Leone president sacks chief of staff over timber, mine deals

Sierra Leone's president has sacked his chief of staff, accusing him of lack of transparency in a mining deal and involvement in the illegal export of timber from the country, the president's office said in a statement on Monday.

The firing is likely to add weight to accusations that high-level corruption is crippling Sierra Leone's recovery from years of war and reducing the economic benefits from the export of its natural resources.

President Ernest Bai Koroma's office did not name the mining company involved in the alleged corruption or say when the negotiations took place.

It said that Richard Konteh, the chief of staff, had not been open and transparent in negotiations for an agreement and had therefore violated policy and potentially caused a loss of government revenue.

The statement also said Sierra Leone police were investigating reports that Konteh had handed out unauthorised open-ended timber export licenses in direct contravention of limits imposed by the president.

"Against this background, his Excellency the President has decided to relieve Dr Konteh of his duties with immediate effect while the police continue with their investigations," the statement said.

When contacted by Reuters, Konteh refused to comment on his sacking. He said only: "Time will tell."

Sierra Leone has gradually stabilised in the decade since its war ended, contributing peacekeeping troops to United Nations missions abroad and luring investors that led to iron-ore exports starting in 2011.

However, the government struggles to provide basic services to many of its citizens, institutions remain weak and transparency groups say corruption remains a major problem.

Source Reuters

Globeleq acquisition of +300 MW of capacity in Cameroon

Globeleq has completed the acquisition of majority interest in more than 300 MW of generation capacity in Cameroon. Through Globeleq’s majority owned independent power generation companies, Kribi Power Development Corporation and Dibamba Power Development Corporation, the company will own and operate the 216 MW natural gas-fired Kribi and the 86 MW heavy fuel oil-fired Dibamba facilities.

Both plants sell electricity to Société Nationale d’Electricité (Sonel), the national integrated utility company, under 20 year power purchase agreements. The republic of Cameroon retains its existing shareholding in the generation companies. Globeleq is wholly owned by Actis, the pan emerging markets fund manager, which also completed an acquisition of a majority stake in Sonel.

Commissioned in 2013 and located in southern Cameroon, Kribi uses offshore natural gas and currently supplies base load generation to the grid using 13 x Wartsila 18V50 DF generating sets.  A further expansion of the plant to increase capacity to 330 MW is being planned.  Originally designed to provide electricity during times of peak demand, Dibamba became fully operational in 2009.  The plant is located approximately 20 km to the east of Douala and uses 8 x Wartsila 18V38A generating sets.

With the addition of these assets, Globeleq has more than 1.2 GW in operation or under construction in five countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Its three renewable energy facilities in South Africa reached commercial operations during in April 2014 and the 139 MW expansion of the Azito facility in Côte d’Ivoire remains on schedule for commissioning in 2015.

Mikael Karlsson, Globeleq’s CEO says, “Our extensive experience owning and operating electricity generation assets in 26 countries is outstanding.  Dibamba and Kribi are the only two independent power projects in Cameroon and we are really excited to be an active participant in the country’s power sector and contributing to economic development. These quality assets add significant capacity to the company’s existing platform in the region.”

Chris Ford, Head of Asset Management for Globeleq Africa adds, “Globeleq has been active in Africa for many years and has a proven track record owning and operating power assets all over the world.  We look forward to providing the country with reliable and affordable electricity and support the ongoing growth of the electricity sector in Cameroon.”