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CrossBoundary Energy Ghana (CBE) announced on 15 February the entry into commercial service of a 400KWp rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) plant at a bottling facility in Accra owned by local beverages producer Kasapreko. The installation is Ghana’s first power purchase agreement (PPA)-financed solar plant for a commercial customer, according to CrossBoundary Energy, an investment fund that finances off-grid solar rooftop projects for companies in Africa.

Deputy energy minister responsible for power William Aidoo has said the formal handover of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to a consortium led by the Philippines’ Manila Electricity Company (Meralco) will happen on 1 March. Aidoo was speaking at the Powering Africa Summit in Miami on 26 February. Meralco will hold an initial 30% stake in the consortium alongside Angola’s Aenergia (19%) and Ghanaian companies TG Energy Solutions (18%), Santa Baron Ventures Ghana (13%), GTS Engineering Ghana (10%) and TBK Ghana (10%).

Helius Power Company invites prequalification applications by 12 March for the implementation of a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) plant with an installed capacity of around 12MWp and associated network at the Tema Free Zones Enclave. Helius, the power generation subsidiary of Southern Utilities, part of Ghanaian conglomerate LMI Holdings, said it has secured financing for the project, which is to be installed on the 92,000m2 roof space of Mega Warehouse, owned by LMI subsidiary International Warehouse Company.

Operator Aker Energy has announced results from the Pecan-4A appraisal well on the Deepwater Tano Cape Three Points (DWT/CTP) Block. The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 4,870 metres in 2,667 metres of water, with the aim of confirming Aker’s understanding of the geology and identifying deep oil-water contact in the Pecan reservoir. “Based on these results, we will optimise the plan of development (POD) for the Pecan field.

The transfer of management of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to Power Distribution Services Ghana Ltd, which is owned by a consortium led by the Philippines’ Manila Electricity Company (Meralco), is expected to take place on 1 February, Millennium Development Authority (Mida) chief executive Martin Eson-Benjamin told a media briefing in Accra this month.Mida is responsible for implementing Ghana’s $469.3m compact with the US’ Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Sixteen companies have submitted applications for one or more of five offshore blocks in Ghana’s first exploration licensing round, according to the energy ministry. The companies are Tullow Oil, Eni, Kosmos, Vitol and Aker Energy, which all have existing operations in Ghana, and potential newcomers Total, Cairn Energy, Harmony Oil and Gas Corporation, ExxonMobil, CNOOC, Qatar Petroleum, BP, Global Petroleum Group, First E&P, Sasol and Equinor.

Containerised solar rental company Redavia Global Asset SCA has signed a $2m financing agreement with the European Commission-funded Electrification Financing Initiative (ElectriFI) to support its activities in Ghana’s commercial and industrial sector. The financing follows a $4m facility agreed with responsAbility Investments AG in October last year. The loan is expected to increase Redavia’s fleet of solar plants by around 15MWp.

Denham Capital’s Endeavor Energy announced on 13 December that construction has begun on the 202MW first stage of the Bridge Power thermal power project in Tema. Project company Early Power Ltd is majority owned by Endeavor alongside GE and Ghanaian fuel company Sage Trading Group. Both the power plant and associated liquid petroleum gas (LPG) infrastructure are being built by engineering, procurement and construction contractor Metka, despite having separate owners. Metka was awarded the contract in June 2017 following the signing of a power purchase agreement (PPA) in October 2016.

The row over South African construction company Group Five’s disastrous contract with Cenpower Generation Company Ltd to build the 340MW Kpone combined-cycle gas power plant in Tema has escalated after Cenpower attempted to terminate it. Cenpower issued written notification of the termination on 30 November following numerous delays. However, Group Five said the notice of termination was wrongful as it claimed recent delays were the result of the contamination of fuel supplied by Cenpower.

The Millennium Development Authority, which manages Ghana’s $498m compact with the US Millennium Challenge Corporation, is inviting bids to supply and install an upgrade of the Electricity Company of Ghana data centre and communication network. A pre-bid conference will be held on 11 December and bids are due by 15 February 2019. No prequalification is being carried out for the tender. Contact: Procurement agent, Millennium Development Authority, 3rd Floor, Heritage Tower, 6th Avenue, Ridge West, Accra, Ghana. Email: [email protected].

Ghana launched its first upstream oil licensing round on 15 October, offering six offshore blocks with the aim of bringing fresh exploration and development impetus to West Africa’s newest oil exporter. At a time of rising crude prices and ongoing uncertainty over the direction of new petroleum policy in regional oil superpower Nigeria, the round’s timing could not have been better, but rather than the usual upbeat bid round launch message stressing Ghana’s upstream potential and generous fiscal terms, President Nana Akufo-Addo used the launch event to warn existing licenceholders that they needed to step up the pace of exploration.

Petrel Resources said on 17 September it had resolved its dispute with Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) over the Tano 2A Block. “All legal proceedings have been withdrawn so, after normal consultations, the next stage is for the petroleum agreement to be sent to cabinet for review,” said Petrel director David Horgan.

President Nana Akufo-Addo on 15 September commissioned a 20MW solar plant at Gomoa Onyaadze in Central Region built and operated by local developer Meinergy Ghana. With government having committed to generating 10% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, Akufo-Addo said his administration has put in place measures “that will help us, within a decade from there, to have renewable energy as the majority of the generation mix of our country”.

Norway’s Aker Energy has awarded contracts for the Pecan-4A appraisal well on the Deepwater Tano Cape Three Points (DWTCTP) Block. The well is due to spud in Q4 2018 to test the extension of the Pecan field, discovered in 2012 by former operator Hess. Aker has contracted Maersk Drilling for one firm well, Pecan-4A, and two optional wells. The deep-water drillship Maersk Viking will drill the well in a water depth of 2,674 metres.

Helios Investments’ Tema LNG Terminal Company Limited signed an agreement with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) on 2 September for the construction of a $350m liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Tema. CHEC, which is involved in the current Tema port expansion project, is constructing the marine facilities, while China’s Jiangnan Shipyard will construct the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU). The CHEC deal follows a 12-year gas supply agreement signed by Ghana National Petroleum Corporation and Rosneft in May for supply of 1.7m t/yr.