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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.

Energy minister Boakye Agyarko was sacked on 6 August after an attempt to renegotiate a build, own, operate, transfer deal for a 250MW combined-cycle gas turbine plant with its owner, Africa Middle East Resources Investment Group (Ameri), and engineering, procurement and construction contractor Metka went wrong. President’s head of communications Eugene Arhin told Joy News the decision was a result of the botched deal.Akufo-Addo put himself in the line of fire at the end of July when he approved an apparently renegotiated deal for the plant by executive order.

Following the start-up of production in July, Eni has started delivery of gas from the Sankofa field on the Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) Block to Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. Gas is flowing from two of the four deep-water subsea wells and gas volumes will increase gradually as the country’s downstream gas infrastructure undergoes further commissioning.Partner Vitol said the project would provide approximately 180mcf/d for at least 15 years, sufficient to supply half of Ghana’s power generation requirements.

Tullow Oil has opted not to appeal against a court ruling in favour of Seadrill Ghana Operations Limited over the early termination of the West Leo rig contract and has paid the $248m awarded by the court. At the same time, a panel of arbitrators at the International Chamber of Commerce has ruled in favour of Kosmos Energy Ghana in relation to its dispute with Tullow over its share of the liability for costs related to the West Leo rig beyond 1 October 2016.

Parliament approved a concession arrangement on 24 July that will see a consortium led by the Philippines’ Manila Electric Company (Meralco) take over Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). The concession agreement for Ghana’s largest distribution utility is one of the criteria that must be met by 6 September to unlock a $190m grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation.The process of appointing a concessionaire has faced numerous hurdles.

An electricity interconnection allowing Ghana to supply Burkina Faso with an initial 50MW, ramping up to 100MW, is poised to come into service, according to Ghanaian officials. The 208km (37km in Ghana and 171km in Burkina Faso) 225kV simple-circuit transmission line from Bolgatanga to Ouagadougou is designed to export lower-cost hydropower and gas-fired thermal energy generated in Ghana to landlocked Burkina Faso. The project reflects Ghana’s shift from being a net importer to exporter of power.

Ghana’s Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has urged the government to delineate the maritime border with Togo to defuse a potential row over the East Keta Ultra Deep Block, operated by GNPC Operating Services Company Limited (Gosco).“PIAC is concerned that companies exploring in the East Keta Ultra Deep Block jointly owned by Gosco, Bluestar and Heritage are facing challenges from the Togolese authorities regarding the maritime boundary between Togo and Ghana.