Atlantis CSP - Concentrated Solar Power
  •  
  •    
    News:   All   Concentrated Solar Power   Clean Energy   Climate Change   Water Supply   Pollution
    Wed, 1st Feb 2023 11:15:00
    Nigeria election 2023 in Rivers state: The oil giant with no electricity
    There is a rhythm to the frenzy in this tailoring shop in the heartland of Nigeria's oil zone. The whirring of four electric sewing machines, snips from two industrial-sized scissors and the sizzle of moist fabric as steam billows from a large pressing iron. But another sound jars as the six sweaty men work: the metallic grind of a generator. It is behind a wall to muzzle its noise, but that cannot hide its high pitch or the smoky fumes it exudes. "I have two of those, just in case one fails," says Ozu Adah, a lean-muscled man with cropped hair who runs this shop in Choba, a university community in the southern state of Rivers. Like millions of other small business owners in Nigeria, the 37-year-old tailor cannot rely on electricity from the national grid as blackouts are common and the 5,000 megawatts distributed is only enough to serve around five million average households in urban areas. Most of Nigeria's 210 million people must provide their own electricity - Africa's largest economy is run on a variety of Chinese- and Lebanese-made generators "Since I was born, I have never experienced stable power supply. We call ourselves the giant of Africa but we can't fix electricity," complains Mr Adah as he works on a buttonhole. Despite being blessed with large oil and gas reserves and hydro and solar resources, successive governments since independence in 1960 have failed to achieve a stable electricity supply. With just weeks to the next presidential election, all three front-runners - Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party - have listed fixing the power supply as a key point in their manifestoes. Though the campaign promises can sound hollow given outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari failed to deliver during his eight years in office on providing at least 20,000 more megawatts. Mr Adah's operations rely on electricity and he spends 3,000 naira ($6; £5) every day to fuel his generator. But since November, there has been a widespread shortage of fuel in Nigeria, which has worsened recently, forcing many to sleep overnight in queues at petrol stations. He is frustrated that he lives in an oil-rich state with so little to offer its citizens. As a boy he dreamed of working in the oil industry - as his father had done. But by the time he finished studying geology at the University of Port Harcourt, he was unable to find a job in that sector. Instead, he turned to what he saw his mother do - making clothes. She used the popular but labour-intensive manual Butterfly machines imported from China. Like a generation of young people forced to turn to jobs they would rather not do - he found an innovative way of pursuing it, using modern electric-powered machines. They are three times more efficient - but need electricity. 'No money in electricity' Those in the electricity sector complain that the business environment does not encourage expansion as they are unable to make profits, let alone break even. Nigeria has 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves - the largest in Africa and ninth in the world - and 25 out of 28 electricity-generating firms (a mix of public and private ownership) are powered by gas. But investors say low tariffs - set and regulated by the government - discourage investment. "Nobody will invest in what is clearly a loss-making venture," said Olumuyiwa Abiodun, CEO of private electricity supplier Eden Power. Many electricity customers, such as Mr Adah's tailoring shop and thousands of households in Choba, are unmetered, and have to pay an estimated bill that is usually at variance with what they consume. Mr Adah's monthly electricity bill is 8,000 naira ($17; £14) for the compound in which he has his business, a house with at least eight rooms and two flats. Many Nigerians do not even pay for electricity. "Many communities here don't want to pay for electricity as they feel the gas belongs to them," said John Onyi, a Port Harcourt-based electricity consultant. Mr Adah, like many younger people in urban parts of Nigeria, is rooting for Mr Obi, who hails from south-eastern Nigeria. He believes the 61-year-old politician is serious about fixing the power sector, pointing out that the Labour Party candidate visited Egypt last year to study that country's electricity supply system. "He is not yet president and he has travelled to learn how to fix the problem, it clearly shows how committed he is to solving it," he says. Key battle ground Like most residents in Choba, he has voted for only the PDP in the past but his intended switch this time to the Labour Party is reflective of how Rivers state has emerged as a key battleground in this presidential election. Its 3.5 million registered voters are the fourth highest in Nigeria's 36 states, yet their loyalty is being tested with the APC and Labour Party seemingly making sizeable inroads that could split the vote. Rivers state reveals some of the internal battles the PDP is facing. Outgoing Governor Nyesom Wike tried and failed to win the PDP's presidential ticket - supported by four other powerful PDP governors - and is now suspected to be backing Mr Tinubu, the APC candidate. A larger-than-life politician who travels with his own band, Mr Wike continues to support the PDP at the state level and is backing the PDP candidate for governor. Many in Rivers state also seem to be wearing this dual cap - wanting to vote for one party at the state level and perhaps another in the presidential election. This was on show when thousands turned up for the PDP rally across the Choba River at Rumuji, an oil-producing village near Bayelsa state. To witness a rally in a small village, far away from the city centre, is to be treated to what Nigerians call "party structure" - the well-oiled campaign machinery that many believe is only available to the APC and PDP countrywide. Under the sun, women, men and youths, most hired by local politicians, gathered. Today they are here for the PDP, tomorrow it may be for another campaigner. One woman in a blonde wig ushered a dozen disinterested teenagers from a canopy into the sun. Their banner said: "Golden Babes of Egbeda". They jostled for space around a podium that included Joseph Yobo, a former Nigerian international footballer, and musician Harrysong. The noise was as chaotic as the spectacle - an array of colours turned sepia from the fine dust raised by the thousands of legs trampling the earth. There was a group blowing dozens of vuvuzelas, the latest addition to Nigeria's campaign rallies. Its 3.5 million registered voters are the fourth highest in Nigeria's 36 states, yet their loyalty is being tested with the APC and Labour Party seemingly making sizeable inroads that could split the vote. Rivers state reveals some of the internal battles the PDP is facing. Outgoing Governor Nyesom Wike tried and failed to win the PDP's presidential ticket - supported by four other powerful PDP governors - and is now suspected to be backing Mr Tinubu, the APC candidate. A larger-than-life politician who travels with his own band, Mr Wike continues to support the PDP at the state level and is backing the PDP candidate for governor. Many in Rivers state also seem to be wearing this dual cap - wanting to vote for one party at the state level and perhaps another in the presidential election. This was on show when thousands turned up for the PDP rally across the Choba River at Rumuji, an oil-producing village near Bayelsa state. To witness a rally in a small village, far away from the city centre, is to be treated to what Nigerians call "party structure" - the well-oiled campaign machinery that many believe is only available to the APC and PDP countrywide. Under the sun, women, men and youths, most hired by local politicians, gathered. Today they are here for the PDP, tomorrow it may be for another campaigner. One woman in a blonde wig ushered a dozen disinterested teenagers from a canopy into the sun. Their banner said: "Golden Babes of Egbeda". They jostled for space around a podium that included Joseph Yobo, a former Nigerian international footballer, and musician Harrysong. The noise was as chaotic as the spectacle - an array of colours turned sepia from the fine dust raised by the thousands of legs trampling the earth. There was a group blowing dozens of vuvuzelas, the latest addition to Nigeria's campaign rallies. Its 3.5 million registered voters are the fourth highest in Nigeria's 36 states, yet their loyalty is being tested with the APC and Labour Party seemingly making sizeable inroads that could split the vote. Rivers state reveals some of the internal battles the PDP is facing. Outgoing Governor Nyesom Wike tried and failed to win the PDP's presidential ticket - supported by four other powerful PDP governors - and is now suspected to be backing Mr Tinubu, the APC candidate. A larger-than-life politician who travels with his own band, Mr Wike continues to support the PDP at the state level and is backing the PDP candidate for governor. Many in Rivers state also seem to be wearing this dual cap - wanting to vote for one party at the state level and perhaps another in the presidential election. This was on show when thousands turned up for the PDP rally across the Choba River at Rumuji, an oil-producing village near Bayelsa state. To witness a rally in a small village, far away from the city centre, is to be treated to what Nigerians call "party structure" - the well-oiled campaign machinery that many believe is only available to the APC and PDP countrywide. Under the sun, women, men and youths, most hired by local politicians, gathered. Today they are here for the PDP, tomorrow it may be for another campaigner. One woman in a blonde wig ushered a dozen disinterested teenagers from a canopy into the sun. Their banner said: "Golden Babes of Egbeda". They jostled for space around a podium that included Joseph Yobo, a former Nigerian international footballer, and musician Harrysong. The noise was as chaotic as the spectacle - an array of colours turned sepia from the fine dust raised by the thousands of legs trampling the earth. There was a group blowing dozens of vuvuzelas, the latest addition to Nigeria's campaign rallies. Its 3.5 million registered voters are the fourth highest in Nigeria's 36 states, yet their loyalty is being tested with the APC and Labour Party seemingly making sizeable inroads that could split the vote. Rivers state reveals some of the internal battles the PDP is facing. Outgoing Governor Nyesom Wike tried and failed to win the PDP's presidential ticket - supported by four other powerful PDP governors - and is now suspected to be backing Mr Tinubu, the APC candidate. A larger-than-life politician who travels with his own band, Mr Wike continues to support the PDP at the state level and is backing the PDP candidate for governor. Many in Rivers state also seem to be wearing this dual cap - wanting to vote for one party at the state level and perhaps another in the presidential election. This was on show when thousands turned up for the PDP rally across the Choba River at Rumuji, an oil-producing village near Bayelsa state. To witness a rally in a small village, far away from the city centre, is to be treated to what Nigerians call "party structure" - the well-oiled campaign machinery that many believe is only available to the APC and PDP countrywide. Under the sun, women, men and youths, most hired by local politicians, gathered. Today they are here for the PDP, tomorrow it may be for another campaigner. One woman in a blonde wig ushered a dozen disinterested teenagers from a canopy into the sun. Their banner said: "Golden Babes of Egbeda". They jostled for space around a podium that included Joseph Yobo, a former Nigerian international footballer, and musician Harrysong. The noise was as chaotic as the spectacle - an array of colours turned sepia from the fine dust raised by the thousands of legs trampling the earth. There was a group blowing dozens of vuvuzelas, the latest addition to Nigeria's campaign rallies. But this was more than a jamboree for local government, it was the governor's show of force on a national stage. He wanted to show the main contenders his influence before he officially says which presidential candidate he will back. "They can't win the election without Rivers state, let them try it," said Mr Wike to a rapturous cheer when he took to the stage. His personal band played during an interlude - a song about him being a big man, to which he swayed. Outside the rally ground a tailor sewed a wax-print garment, seemingly oblivious to the chaos across her. On loud speakers, the governor made a promise to electrify parts of the community still without power. But it did not matter to her - she was using a brown manual Butterfly sewing machine.
    Read original full article
    #Electricity
    #Government Policies
    #Oil
    #Social & Economic
     
         



    Back to Featured Articles
     
    LATEST NEWS
    Wed, 10th May 2023
    How bankruptcy helps the coal industry avoid environmental liability
    Jeff Hoops built Blackjewel into the nation’s sixth largest coal company by acquirin... more
    #Coal
    #Environmental
    #Investment
    #Social & Economic
    German lawmakers mull creating first citizen assembly
    German lawmakers are considering whether to create the country’s first “citizen as... more
    #Climate Change
    #Government Policies
    #Protests
    #Social & Economic
    Yousaf: Just transition away from oil and gas is a moral imperative
    The Scottish First Minister also said his Government will ‘rise to the challenge’ ... more
    #Alternative Energy
    #Carbon Footprint
    #Fossil Fuels
    #General Clean Energy
    #Government Policies
    #Social & Economic
    Labor’s hydrogen pledge a ‘great start’ but more needed to become global player, experts say
    Australian Hydrogen Council welcomes $2bn funding but MP Sophie Scamps calls it ‘a d... more
    #Government Policies
    #Hydrogen
    #Investment
    #Social & Economic
    Tue, 9th May 2023
    US support for nuclear power soars to highest level in a decade
    A Gallup survey released in late April found that 55 percent of U.S. adults support th... more
    #Carbon Footprint
    #Energy Supply
    #Government Policies
    #Nuclear
    #Social & Economic
    Italian oil firm Eni faces lawsuit alleging early knowledge of climate crisis
    Exclusive: Company accused of ‘lobbying and greenwashing’ for more fossil fuels de... more
    #Carbon Footprint
    #Climate Change
    #Environmental
    #Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    #Oil
    #Social & Economic
    Saudi oil group Aramco to pay more to state despite profits drop
    World’s largest energy company’s first-quarter profits fall by 19% to $32bn after ... more
    #Government Policies
    #Oil
    #Social & Economic
    Mon, 8th May 2023
    UN Forum on Forests: 5 things you need to know
    The sustainable management of the world’s forests takes centre stage at the UN Forum... more
    #Climate Change
    #Deforestation
    #Environmental
    #Government Policies
    #Social & Economic
    ‘Lack of vision’: UK green energy projects in limbo as grid struggles to keep pace
    Clean electricity plans stuck for years because of ‘negligence’ by governments ove... more
    #Alternative Energy
    #Climate Change
    #Energy Supply
    #General Clean Energy
    #Government Policies
    In Norway, the Electric Vehicle Future Has Already Arrived
    A traffic intersection in Oslo as the sun is setting. A vehicle is turning to the left... more
    #
    #Government Policies
    #Social & Economic
    #Transport
    Countries must forge ‘Global Blue Deal’ to protect the ocean: UNCTAD
    The ocean can provide vast opportunities for developing countries to build more innova... more
    #Climate Change
    #Environmental
    #Pollution General
    #Social & Economic
    #Water Pollution
    Sun, 7th May 2023
    Climate change: Vietnam records highest-ever temperature of 44.1C
    Vietnam has recorded its highest ever temperature, just over 44C (111F) - with experts... more
    #Climate Change
    #Environmental
    #Extreme Weather
    UK solar energy firm offers ‘shared’ scheme that could save £200 a year
    If you would love to have solar panels but don’t own your home or can’t afford the... more
    #Carbon Footprint
    #Energy Supply
    #General Clean Energy
    #Photovoltaic Solar Power
    #Social & Economic
    Canadian province of Alberta declares wildfire emergency
    Alberta has declared a state of emergency after wildfires spread across the western Ca... more
    #Environmental
    #Extreme Weather
    #Health
    #Wildfires
    Fri, 5th May 2023
    Filipino activists appeal to British banks over region devastated by oil spill
    Environmentalists from the Philippines urge investors to avoid LNG projects which they... more
    #Environmental
    #Health
    #Social & Economic
    Shell looks to sell off its stake in controversial Cambo oilfield
    Energy firm’s 30% stake in field off Shetlands up for sale amid fierce opposition to... more
    #Climate Change
    #Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    #Protests
    #Social & Economic
    Drought prompts French ban on garden swimming pools
    Garden swimming pools are to be banned from sale in a part of southern France over wor... more
    #Drought
    #Environmental
    #Fresh Water
    #Government Policies
    Thu, 4th May 2023
    Can Morocco solve Europe’s energy crisis?
    Morocco has big ambitions to export electricity produced by solar and wind farms to Eu... more
    #Concentrated Solar Power
    #Electricity
    #Energy Supply
    #Photovoltaic Solar Power
    Pro-Putin businessman emerges as pick to chair Italy’s biggest energy firm
    Fears appointing Paolo Scaroni as Enel CEO would undermine US and EU attempts to curb ... more
    #Fossil Fuels
    #Government Policies
    #Natural Gas
    #Social & Economic
    Wed, 3rd May 2023
    Northern Territory clears way for fracking to begin in Beetaloo Basin
    Environmental groups and scientists say move will have an unacceptable impact on the c... more
    #Climate Change
    #Government Policies
    #Natural Gas
    #Protests
    #Social & Economic
    New temperature records, food security threats likely as El Niño looms
    The development of an El Niño climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean this year is more ... more
    #Extreme Weather
    #Farming/Agriculture
    #Health
    #Social & Economic
    Snowy Hydro 2.0 project hit by delay of up to two years and another cost blowout
    Government-owned company pushes earliest start date of pumped hydro project to the sec... more
    #Government Policies
    #Hydrogen
    #Social & Economic
    Australia warned of ‘over-mining’ risk in race to secure minerals needed for clean energy
    Research says mining boom to support renewable energy risks ‘significant social and ... more
    #Alternative Energy
    #Construction
    #General Clean Energy
    #Government Policies
    #Social & Economic
    Tue, 2nd May 2023
    Climate change: life in ocean ‘twilight zone' at risk from warming
    Climate change could dramatically reduce life in the deepest parts of our oceans that ... more
    #Climate Change
    #Environmental
    #Pollution General
     
    Results: 4212   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176    
       


    Consultation & Development Enquiries
    Whatever stage your project is at find out how we can either help to
    improve production, reduce costs or assist with development
    Name
    Company/Regional Dept.  
    Email (Required)
    Telephone (Optional)
    Enquiry
    Spam Filter
    Enter only dark letters
    B I H I H E
     
    Your details will only be used for Atlantis CSP to contact you regarding this enquiry and will not be shared with any third party


    Energy News
    How bankruptcy helps the coal industry avoid environmental liability
    Wed, 10th May 2023 18:04:00
    German lawmakers mull creating first citizen assembly
    Wed, 10th May 2023 17:00:00
    Yousaf: Just transition away from oil and gas is a moral imperative
    Wed, 10th May 2023 14:15:00


    How bankruptcy helps the coal industry avoid environmental liability
    Wed, 10th May 2023 18:04:00
    German lawmakers mull creating first citizen assembly
    Wed, 10th May 2023 17:00:00
    Yousaf: Just transition away from oil and gas is a moral imperative
    Wed, 10th May 2023 14:15:00