Rather trhan exporting gas, Ghana will use it for creating electricity at home. Reuters
Rather trhan exporting gas, Ghana will use it for creating electricity at home. Reuters
Rather trhan exporting gas, Ghana will use it for creating electricity at home. Reuters
Rather trhan exporting gas, Ghana will use it for creating electricity at home. Reuters

Ghana benefits from making gas deposits bankable


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New gas discoveries are commonplace across Africa these days but monetising the resource is difficult – which is why some countries are now using it for local electricity, rather than seeking to export it.

This is a practical way to make gas deposits bankable, while also helping to close the energy deficit that most countries on the continent experience.

Victor Mallet, sales director for US based APR Energy says small, quick to install gas plants are increasingly being deployed to countries that have plenty of gas but are starved for electricity.

“One example of gas’ potential in Africa is in Ghana, where the country’s massive Sankofa development is expected to start production this year," Mr Mallet says. It will provide around 2,000 megawatts of generation capacity to Ghana’s power grid, enough for around 20,000 homes.

The plants deployed can be set up in a matter of weeks, a big advantage over conventional power plants that can take years to construct. Instead, gas plants are up and running in under 90 days for the most part.

The speed at which these plants are installed is especially useful for countries that struggle to raise the large sums of capital needed over the years of building a conventional coal, hydro or even nuclear power station.

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“In countries where construction of permanent generation is delayed due to lack of funding, such as Rwanda, bridging power provided by mobile fast-track power generation can stimulate immediate economic growth, contributing to the country’s GDP and creating revenue to invest in long-term power solutions,” Mr Mallet says.

Part of the success of this strategy is that it depends on simple technology that is shipped in containers that are slotted into place, similar to Lego blocks. In APR's case, jet-engine-like turbines are hooked up to the gas network and can be fired up almost instantly.

Aggreko, a Scotland-based company uses reciprocating engines that can run on diesel or gas. In 2015 the company set up a 110Mw plant in Southern Mozambique in five months. A fleet of gas-fired generators was connected to a nearby pipeline that ran between Mozambique's offshore gas fields across to South Africa.

A report published by Ernst & Young Global Limited notes that gas consumption in Africa has been increasing at a rate of about six per cent a year over the past two decades. Traditionally North Africa was the continent's source of oil and gas, but discoveries south of the Sahara have changed the picture substantially.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Rwanda and Sudan have emerged as viable LNG producers. The report, Natural Gas in Africa, also notes that oil’s dominance in West Africa is gradually giving way to gas, while East Africa’s gas sector has progressed from virtually non-existent to the so-called “next epicenter” for gas production in just 10 years.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The bio

Who inspires you?

I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist

How do you relax?

Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.

What is favourite book?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times

What is your favourite Arabic film?

Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki

What is favourite English film?

Mamma Mia

Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?

If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.  

 

Sinopharm vaccine explained

The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades. 

“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.

"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

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