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Democratic Republic of the Congo
The 13 fastest-growing economies in the world and the Congo is #3
Dominovas please take your time and hurry up here.
2015 GDP: +8.00%
2016 GDP: +8.50%
2017 GDP: +9.00%
2014-2017 GDP CAGR: +8.62%
Economy: The Democratic Republic of Congo has huge natural-resource wealth, which it hasn't been able to efficiently monetize because of systemic corruption, conflict, and political instability. That said, its economic is slowly recovering since the tumultuous 1990s.
In this day and age it doesn't exist if there isn't a conflict or a feud. I hope this shines a bright spotlight on DNRG. I only pray its not a police spotlight on the DNRG & Power Africa Initiative.
Then why bring it up here in this MB or are you drawing parallels?
Economics is a subject that does not greatly respect wishes. So if careful of what to wish for here...
Google acquiring a 12.5% stake in powering Africa by purchasing a stake held by Vestas (VWDRY). Overseas private investment corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s Development Finance Institution, signed an agreement today recognizing a $15 million commitment to Nova-Lumos (Lumos) Solar.
News picking up on powering Africa, so Dominovas can't be too far away with heavy news.
Links to Google & OPIC pieces:
http://qz.com/530603/a-company-owned-by-vietnams-military-will-put-1-billion-into-tanzanias-mobile-market/
http://www.realestaterama.com/2015/10/22/opic-partners-with-lumos-to-power-nigerian-homes-and-businesses-ID029071.html
Google to invest Sh4 billion in Lake Turkana Wind Power Project. DNRG are you still part of the Africa project?
Google to invest Sh4 billion in Lake Turkana Wind Power Project - See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/google-invest-sh4-billion-lake-turkana-wind-power-project#sthash.x6F4IbdD.dpuf
DNRG may just get left behind on this one. Hey Eric you still awake or are you on the phone with "quality stocks"? you need to get back in the game or you'll end up just getting played my friend.
Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance. We are all desperate men in search of desperate fortune. In other words pirates that will go down with the ship cause of the GOOFY MGMT. Dominovas team its time to wake up and be forth coming with plans for 2016 cause its going to happening with or without you just take a look at the city of David project.
Just found this OPIC Partners With SolarReserve And ACWA Power To Develop Landmark South African Solar Energy Facility This could be why the usaid.gov private sector page is down and they're just updating and adding Solor Reserve to the private sector list. I know that OPIC is listed under the U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES in the Power Africa site so this is likely why the private sector list is down at the moment.
could be nothing but the usaid.gov private sector is coming up with a PAGE NOT FOUND.
Here's the link does it work for you?
https://www.usaid.gov/powerafrica/partners/privatesector
What Dominovas needs now is Oprah to buy into this stock. Cause damn that women carries POWER just had a look at Weight Watchers stock and where it's gone since Tuesday and it impressive. Does Oprah have a school named after her in South Africa and my next question is how many Rubicon's should DNRG put you down for Ms. Winfrey?
Good response, hard to argue with what the facts are. What tends to happen is the fewer the facts, the stronger the opinion.
What's shaky to me about DNRG at the moment is up to this point they have only commitments - which are binding with Delphi & Al-Rushaid Group. Come the new year I would hope they would have PR laying out what 2016 will look like for the company and powering Africa. If DNRG goes past January with little or no heavy lifting news then well your imagination can take from there. The response from DNRG on their FB was "The team is confident and pleased with the progression of steps it is taking to meet all targeted projections". I know may be reading between the lines here, but "progression of steps it is taking" I would hope for the progression of steps it has made.
Also, a curious question, does someone on the MB know what levels or how much Co2 emissions the Rubicon emits compared a standard SOFC off hand?
Likely won't hear any news on Africa until the January. DNRG isn't in any hurry to disclose much of any information about anything. So we'll have to continue to read between the lines until new PR.
I would like to ask how has the DINO company came into the picture with DNRG. Someone has mentioned the company and now it's more than likely true? The art of reading between the lines is as old as manipulated information or better explained as a different kind of truth.
Does anyone think DNRG will get up-listed to the NASDAQ by end of '16 or is it not until '17? And would DNRG take the act of doing some kind of reverse spilt?? What's the overall consensus here on the board.
Corrections on FB comment, its on the LEFT-SIDE at VISTOR POSTS.
DNRG's FB post is under visitor posts (on the right side) its a reply to "Steve Laird" and his question:
"Any chance of a response at all? Even a "hey, we're working hard here and are confident our work will pay off in the future" - just something to let us know you're out there?"
/Users/theory_818/Desktop/Screen Shot 2015-10-14 at 12.36.01 PM.png
Dominvas Facebook response to a comment today (10/15/15) @ 2:40pm
"Dominovas Energy Corp. The Company is working diligently to complete its mission to deliver the RUBICON and change the paradigm of how electricity is distributed on the continent of Africa. The team is confident and pleased with the progression of steps it is taking to meet all targeted projections. Thank you for your continued support and interest in Dominovas Energy"
Has anyone read through the MOU again with DEPHI? There is no way logistically that DNRG & DELPHI can go through the "proof of concept" and be ready by the end of 2016 if they haven't started months go by now. The idea that DNRG has still not started with DEPHI on the "proof of concept" for the rubicon is the "mind blowing" news we are waiting to hear here. The idea that well they can start their proof of concept in the beginning of the year that is true but at this point every step in the proof of concept has to go 100% correctly and as we all know (at least those who work for a living) nothing goes 100% the way you thought it would and that increses time. On the USAID.GOV site it states the following:
As part of its commitment to the Power Africa Initiative, Dominovas Energy intends to:
Support and advance the Power Africa goal of providing access to clean, reliable energy, and efficient energy via its commitment to expanding capacity through projects like the City of David project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a project that requires an initial deployment of three-megawatts (3MW) of power over the next 18 months. That is 3000 households with power.
The news of DNRG supporting the Power Africa act started in May/June of this year so they have 12 months to get through proof of concept then start manufacturing and at that time it would be 2017. The timeline is way too tight and leaves no room for one set back in the process. I understand all the folks on this MB staying positive but you can only stay positive for so long before you start to look like a liar. It should be welcomed that as investors on this MB that we look at are investments and see where we can polk holes in it because as of right now all of us have no idea whats going on with this company because there is no dialogue between the DNRG and its investors. And yes a dialogue would display confidence.
Here is the MOU between DNRG & DELPHI. (whats your guess on total time to complete proof of concept?)
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1343254/000116552715000077/ex10-07.htm
www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1343254/000116552715000455/g8007.htm
Correction on DATE Oct 12 Shorts 180,000 / 13% Longs 1,232,545 / 87%
Oct 9 Shorts 70084 / 26% Longs 194,659 / 74%
Oct 13: Shorts 180,000 / 13% Longs 1,232,545 / 87%
Only news needed is financial.. or actual Rubicon pics
Quality Stocks owner Michael McCarthy states that the UPS mailbox store is "Headquarters" in terms of the address. Quality Stocks is run by "Myself Only" that is the claim on linkedin for Quality Stocks. If you read McCarthy's personal linkedin profile he states that Quality Stocks is million dollar brand in just a few short years. The last claim of it being a million dollar brand that happens to run it's headquarters out of a UPS mail box and uses that UPS store as an address on its Quality Stocks website.
How can this be who DNRG has chosen to associate themselves with. It comes off poorly that their PR Company is run out if UPS Store and with a rented mailbox address. All I think at this point is not to expect "mind blowing news" (i'd like to be 100% wrong on this one) but when the next PR is released DNRG have to be SPECIFIC about everything moving forward no more "we are excited" or "we feel positive" or "we expect" or "we should". At this point the year is ending and with all the hoildays off it's less to 3 months of work time until 2016 so lets see what the DOMINOVAS team has for show & tell cause it's gonna have to be stellar stuff with specifics on dates of execution and a strong plan of action and if they don't delve into where they are with financials or briefly mentions it no good. Also they need to address why DNRG's investor relations is nonexistent, never any reply not even a generic email reply.
Why the US export-import bank matters to Africa
http://pulse.com.gh/building/ge-reports-why-the-us-export-import-bank-matters-to-africa-id4244244.html
While there is little doubt that Africa’s development is gearing up, the state of infrastructure is in need of significant improvement.
When news broke that the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank of the United States had lost its operating charter on June 30, 2015 due to congressional opposition, it was met with grave concern by many U.S. companies doing business in Africa, as many rely on the Ex-Im Bank for trade financing, insurance and loan guarantees.
Since 2009, the Ex-Im Bank has supported more than $6.6 billion in transactions throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It has provided the necessary finance to support infrastructure and construction work, including exports geared at transportation, power and port-related equipment. The removal of this critical source of financing could hurt U.S.-Africa relations, making it challenging for U.S. companies to compete for large-scale infrastructure projects and for small and medium size businesses to export to the region.
While there is little doubt that Africa’s development is gearing up, the state of infrastructure is in need of significant improvement. The lack of the necessary electricity, water, roads and information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure cuts regional economic growth by two percentage points every year and reduces productivity by as much as 40 per cent.
Yet while governments across the region are committed to improving infrastructure, the World Bank has identified the lack of access to finance as a hurdle to Africa meeting its growth potential. The African Development Bank says as much as $93bn is required annually to meet Africa’s infrastructure needs through 2020, with only half that amount being currently met.
Foreign governments and export agencies all play a key role in supporting these infrastructure deals, with the success of many projects relying on the guarantee of government-backed funding or credit insurance. Unless companies are able to secure finance to support their projects, there is the risk that these will no longer be viable.
Sen. Chris Coons, Electrify Africa and life beyond 2016
https://www.devex.com/news/sen-chris-coons-electrify-africa-and-life-beyond-2016-87083
One down, a few more to go.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed Thursday the Electrify Africa Act, a bill that would authorize President Barack Obama’s Power Africa initiative beyond the current administration and aim to bring first time access to power to 60 million people in sub-Saharan Africa.
Electrify Africa is one of several development-related bills that have been waiting for months — in some cases years — in committee for a vote to bring them to the full Senate floor.
Devex Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar caught up with Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and one of the Senate’s clearest development voices, at the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting in New York. Coons gave a rundown on what we can expect the committee to get done in this legislative session, why it matters, and what might get in the way.
“We’re at a late stage in the Obama administration to be putting into statute things that I think were great initiatives,” Coons said.
Electrify Africa is a big step, but the first of several to secure bipartisan support for some of the biggest legislative priorities affecting U.S. foreign aid, and to ensure current programs have a “life beyond 2016.”
For that to happen, bills will have to evade the “poison pill amendments” that can doom the lawmaking process, and they’ll have to attract enough support to cut through the noise and rise to the attention of a crowded, contentious legislative agenda.
Coons is himself a sponsor of a few of those bills, and the senator is as well-versed as anyone in the politics and potential of the rest of them. His insights offer a glimpse of what it takes to attach congressional support to a development goal — and what it looks like when you’re successful in doing so.
Quality Stocks, do they have an actual location if so where are they located at? Just curious as to who is doing all of DNRG's PR.
Dominovas Shorts & Longs for the 1st wk of Oct.
Oct 1 Long 420,880 89%
Short 52,650 11%
Oct 2 Long 155,511 65%
Short 82,870 35%
Oct 5 Long 440,526 91%
Short 42,353 9%
Oct 6 Long 260,053 91%
Short 27,220 9%
Oct 7 Long 124,276 62%
Short 76,911 38%
Oct 8 Long 177,729 67%
Short 88,150 33%
A bold prediction being made on twitter by #HashFund. My only talent is HOPE and I'm gonna exercise the hell out it and hope #HashFund is right!
#HashFund ?@HashFund Oct 7
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BEST OTC PICK EVER
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MIND-BLOWING NEWS COMING
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$DNRG
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#HashFund get in now!
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https://twitter.com/HashFund
Neal Allen, Michael R. Watkins & Kreneshen Moodley (Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa)
Here's a twitter photo of the DNRG team on August 23rd. The team should be back from their expedition in Africa. They do look in great spirits.
https://twitter.com/KreneshenM
IPP growth thriving in South Africa
http://www.esi-africa.com/ipp-growth-thriving-in-south-africa/
South Africa has added more than 90 independent power producer (IPP) driven projects to the national power grid over the last five years. According to Minister of Energy, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, the department had a vision of including a large potion of renewable energy to the power generation capacity through private producers.
Joemat-Pettersson was addressing about 3,000 delagates from private, public and academic sectors at the South Africa Internationl Renewable Energy Conference (SAIREC) in Cape Town where discussions in driving the use of renewables are under way. The conference will run until Wednesday reports Cape Argus.
According to the Cape Argus, the minister also noted that renewable energy IPPs, part of the department's Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme, were aimed at promoting socio-economic and enviromentally sustainable growth. She added that the initiative has contributed 4,294GWh to the national grid, with the IPPs receiving a total of R9.2 billion in payment.
Department of Energy IPP department head Karen Breytenbach also commended: "our IPPs have become more innovative and we can see how this initiative is growing from programme to programme."
New IPP consortium
In other IPP news, in Johannesburg South Africa, a consortium of IPPs and sponsors including ENGIE (formerly GDF SUEZ, France), Legend Power Solutions, Mitsui and Peaker Trust announced on Friday that commercial operations of the 335MW Dedisa Peaking Power Project in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape have commenced.
The power produced by the Dedisa IPP project will be sold to Eskom under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) over a 15-year period.
PPA benefits
According to the release, since the construction of Dedisa in September 2013 the project has created work employment opportunities — with 70% of construction workers from local black communities and 57% in management. A surplus of 23% of payroll was spent on skills development initiatives.
Peaking Power CEO, Amaud de Limburg said “Looking ahead, I am confident that in the frame of South Africa’s Gas Master Plan we will be able to convert the Dedisa facility to baseload and combined cycle as envisaged by the Department of Energy.”
An International Effort to Power Africa
allafrica.com/stories/201509291126.html
SPONSOR WIRE
Powerful alliances were made Monday when the President of the United States, Barack Obama, and the President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, shook hands, sealing a commitment to continue to work together to propel Africa to new level of energy sufficiency. The leaders bonded over their mutual desire to see the continent move from darkness to light during a luncheon for heads of state given by the United Nation's Secretary General.
President Obama's Power Africa initiative is already working to double access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region where more than 600 million people lack power. With President Adesina's ascension to head of the AfDB, bringing all of Africa's 54 nations fully online is now priority number one. Adesina's "New Deal on Energy for Africa" is the landmark, five-point plan he laid out to get that done.
"Africa has today over $82 trillion in discovered natural resources," Adesina said. "We must add value to these resources so the wealth will stay on our continent." The only way that will happen, he said, is through industrialization powered by reliable sources of energy.
It is a mission Adesina has been talking a lot about this week, the 70th meeting of the United Nation's General Assembly (UNGA).
Another major achievement Monday, agreement with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) CEO, Dana Hyde, to launch a second generation of energy focused compacts. MCC is a US initiative to support energy policy reform in eligible African nations including Ghana, Benin and Liberia. During phase two, the AfDB would further compliment MCC by helping more nations achieve eligibility, find ways to break institutional regulatory barriers, and manage risk to help unleash private sector investment.
The resource of energy was also topic at "Assessing Progress in Africa Toward the Millennium Development Goals," a side event sponsored in part by the AfDB, African Union (AU), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the United Nation's Development Program (UNDP). The conference also looked at ways to use the newly launched Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to make more breakthroughs in economic growth, set up social safety nets, and increase education, gender equality and access to health care.
Participants including Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, Assistant Administrator and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, and President Adesina shared their visions for a brighter and stronger future for the continent.
Adesina also held bilateral meetings with the heads of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the Canadian Minister of International Development, the CEO of the New Partnership for Africa's Development and others.
Before returning to AfDB headquarters in Abidjan, Adesina is scheduled to head to Washington, DC to continue drumming up support, resources and partnerships to make his goal of powering all of Africa by 2030 a reality.
Milhouse Engineering Joins Power Africa Global Initiative
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/milhouse-engineering-joins-power-africa-global-initiative-300150884.html
CHICAGO, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Milhouse Engineering & Construction, Inc., partnered with Power Africa, President Barack Obama's global initiative to increase the Sub Sahara's access to electricity, shoring up the Chicago firm's commitment to bring power to millions of Africans.
Milhouse is one of 90 private sector firms that will work with U.S. and African government agencies, as well as global donors to stimulate investment in the initiative, which has raised more than $20 billion to double access to electricity in the 50-nation region.
An estimated 600 million Africans there live without power, leading to the public-private partnership creation in 2013.
"Power Africa aims to add more than 30,000 megawatts of cleaner, more efficient electricity generation capacity," Andrew M. Herscowitz, coordinator for Power Africa and Trade Africa, wrote in a letter welcoming Milhouse to Power Africa.
Admittance to the network will connect Milhouse with financial and technical resources across the globe as the firm pursues opportunities on the continent, said Frank Martin, a Managing Director at Milhouse who oversees the firm's African power project development and capital investments.
Martin said the firm applied more than a year ago to join Power Africa and began monthly trips to the continent two years ago.
Wilbur C. Milhouse III, P.E., President/CEO, said the network represents more than a business proposition. "As an African American and the founder of Milhouse Engineering & Construction, I see this as an opportunity to use my expertise and resources to help my people have lights, jobs and better lives," he said.
Milhouse Engineering & Construction, Inc. offers professional, full-service E & A consulting in the areas of architecture, construction, civil, electrical, mechanical and structural engineering. Milhouse is based in Chicago and has offices in Maryland. Visit Milhouseinc.com to learn more.
The award-winning firm is included on the 2015 Zweig Hot Firms list for outstanding earnings.
Zion Banks
zbanks@milhouseinc.com
312.994.8716(desk)
630.842.6427 (cell)
]LOW COST ELECTRICITY, HIGH EXPECTATIONS - CLSG CHIEF SPEAKS
http://frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/interview/6356-low-cost-electricity-high-expectations-clsg-chief-speaks
Published: 28 September 2015
“When you look at the social aspect of things, it reduces cost of production and cost of operation. It will also create incentives and opportunities to build more schools, create jobs in which government will be able to employ more health workers. The cost of running a hospital will be extremely low; the same with businesses, which could see their cost of production dropped and profit margin increased. That will definitely lead to more employment opportunities.
Abidjan - Cote ‘d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are part of what many consider a flagship electricity gamble that could pay off handsomely for Sub-Saharan Africa – and spark an economic transformation for countries struggling to stay afloat. Andrew M Herscowitz, the Coordinator for US President Barack Obama’s Power Africa and Trade Africa initiatives has said that investment in energy infrastructure in Africa will help unlock potential in what is already the world’s fastest-growing continent, with positive results for global growth, Now a G-20 initiative funded by the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank and the KFW is accelerating several regional interconnection line projects including a transmission line to interconnect the States of Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinée (CLSG).
The CSLG’s line is a 1,300 kilometer stretch, coming from Man to Danane; from Danane to Yekepa; from Yekepa to Buchanan; from Buchanan to Mount Coffee; from Mount Coffee to Bo Waterside, which provides huge opportunities for Liberia. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) has made regional power grid access a priority for the next decade. Thus, the establishment of TRANSCO CLSG has created burgeoning opportunities across the region.
The WAPP intends to integrate the various national power systems into a unified regional electricity market – with the expectation that such mechanism would, over the medium to long-term, assure the citizens of ECOWAS member states a stable and reliable electricity supply at affordable costs, facilitating the balanced development of diverse energy resources for their collective economic benefit, through long-term energy sector cooperation, unimpeded energy transit and increasing cross-border electricity trade.
Mr. Mohammed Sherif, the General Manager for the CSLG project sat down with FrontPageAfrica for an exclusive interview at his office in Abidjan recently where he outline the fine points of the ambitious project and addresses the challenges, expectations and potential impact the CSLG countries and sub-saharan Africa as a whole.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: This project was initiated as far back as in 1982. Why do you think it took so long for it to get off the ground?
MR. MOHAMMED SHERIF: In 1982, it was a concept envisioned by our West African leaders. However, the idea materialized in 2012 when the Summit of ECOWAS Heads of States and Government approved the revised ECOWAS Master Plan for the Generation and Transmission of Electric Power which identifies the Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea (CLSG) Interconnection Project as one of the five (5) priority projects of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) for the West African Sub-Region. In West Africa we have fifteen countries and integrating the energy market would provide the opportunities to those countries that are in high demand for energy; to those that have enough to share the excess product and provide opportunity for the people to have access to affordable electricity.
The CLSG project was developed with four heads of states signing an International Treaty. The Treaty was ratified by their respective parliaments, thus giving it an international commitment. Consistent with the Treaty, a supranational company called TRANSCOO CLSG was established to manage the CSLG project. Once TRANSCO CLSG was established, there was an International Project Agreement signed by the four ministers of energy of the CLSG countries. Shareholders’ Agreement, Articles of Association, and Business Plan were prepared. Shareholders of the company include the utility companies in the four CLSG countries: the Liberia Electricity Corporation in Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire Energies in Cote d’Ivoire, ‘Electricité de Guinée’ in Guinea and the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority in Sierra Leone.
As the General Manager of TRANSCO CLSG, I was competitively recruited and appointed by the Board of Directors of the company on September 5, 2014. My first responsibility was to fully establish the company and to bring the rest of the team on board. So I came to complete the recruitment process already initiated by WAPP to make sure to recruit the best. To this stage, we have a highly professional, skilled and diversified team - from Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
On Project Financing:
MR. SHERIF: There are four donors that are financing the project. I am pleased to note that the project is fully financed by the World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), European Investment Bank (EIB), and KFW – a German Bank. The World Bank is providing about US$176 million (of which US$32m is for WAPP integration project), the African Development Bank, US$133 million, the European Investment Bank, US$105 million and the KFW, US$41 million. The World Bank is financing the line in Liberia and the functioning of TRANSCO CLSG and WAPP integration project. The AfDB is financing the rural electrification component (to be managed by utilities in the four countries) and functioning of TRANSCO CLSG as well. The total financing is about US$476 million.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: For the layman who does not understand what this project is all about. How would these impact citizens in the CLSG countries – Cote d ‘Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea?
MR. SHERIF: The project will definitely impact our lives in the CLSG countries in many ways. It will seek to enhance basic social services which include education, health, water and sanitation, security and so forth, because they are key services. Currently, the cost of electricity is very high in the three countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea given that the main source of power is through diesel fuel. Instead of spending large sum of money on buying fuel to run generators, the money spent could be diverted for other infrastructures including building new roads. For instance in Liberia, people are paying 57cents per kilowatt hour. With the CLSG electricity, this will be reduced by more than 50 percent to 15 or 20 cents. When you look at the social aspect of things, it reduces cost of production and cost of operation. It will also create incentives and opportunities to build more schools, create jobs in which government will be able to employ more health workers. The cost of running a hospital will be extremely low; the same with businesses, which could see their cost of production dropped and profit margin increased. That will definitely lead to more employment opportunities.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: This is a very ambitious project. For countries that are going to benefit from this project, are you experiencing any challenges? And what are you doing to ensure that everyone, every country is on the same page?
MR. SHERIF: This is indeed a challenge, but like I said earlier I have the task of ensuring that the project is effective. We worked with individual CLSG countries to meet our effectiveness conditions. These effectiveness conditions include but not limited to payment of their counterpart contributions particularly to compensate people affected by the project, interest accrued during construction, and developing various institutional documents. The challenge was to get these countries pay their contributions as well as get the institutional documents signed and ratified by their respective parliaments.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: But besides the contributions, there are some potential stumbling block. In Liberia for example, it’s being rumored that there are efforts underway to construct a different line which could overstep what the CLSG project is intended for. How are you dealing with this potential stumbling block?
MR. SHERIF: First of all, that report is new to us at TRANSCO CLSG. We are receiving maximum cooperation and support from the Government of Liberia, particularly the sector ministries and agencies. But whatever efforts the government wants to undertake we believe should complement our effort at TRANSCO CLSG. The Liberian government is a signatory to the International Treaty establishing the TRANSCO CLSG. We believe the challenge in Liberia is the non-availability of national transmission and distribution network. As we understood it, the network availability is so low that even if electricity is available on the CLSG line now, Liberia cannot absorb the available capacity.
TRANSCO CLSG line provides huge opportunities for the people of Liberia. We are going to have four sub-stations in Liberia that are fully secured financially, and there is a possibility of securing the fifth sub-station from the same partner, the KFW which is undergoing approval process. The sub-stations will be constructed in Yekepa, Buchanan, Mount Coffee, and Mano. The possibility for the fifth one will be between Yekepa and Buchanan. With these connections, government can build its national transmission and distribution network and top on the opportunity that will exist from the CSG line.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: What are the specifications of the CLSG line that guarantee its capability to provide electricity to the region and to Liberia?
MR. SHERIF: The CSLG’s line is a 1,303-kilometer stretch, coming from Man to Danane in Cote d’ Ivoire; from Danane to Yekepa; from Yekepa to Zerekore in Guinea; from Yekepa to Buchanan; from Buchanan to Mount Coffee; from Mount Coffee to Mano, from Mano to Yeben in Sierra Leone; from Yeben to Kamakwie in Sierra Leone; from Kamakwie to Linsen in Guinea, which provides huge opportunities for Liberia.
The CLSG line will have a possibility for double circuits but first we would have a single circuit, which is 243 MW. When combined, it would be $US486 megawatts. Mount Coffee alone is just 88 megawatts, when it is optimized. So this is an opportunity for Liberia and the way we’re going to do this, as we build, we are going to energize and by the time we energized, we have the opportunity to tap on to it. And we will have four line segments. It comes from Man (CI) - Yekepa (L) - Nzérékoré (G) --- 202 km; from Yekepa (L) - Sierra Leone/ Liberia border --- 463 km;, from Sierra Leone/ Liberia border - Yiben (SL) --- 419 km, and from Yiben (SL)- Kamakwie (SL) - Linsan (G) --- 220 km. So, before we can even reach to Sierra Leone, Liberia stands a unique chance of tapping into this opportunity to get electricity from the line that will already be available, but if Liberia does not have that backbone of network of national transmission & distribution, Liberia might not enjoy the full potential of the energy being provided by TRANSCO CLSG. Government can complement the CLSG project by developing its national transmission and distribution network by connecting medium and low voltage lines to our CLSG line through available sub-stations in order to supply loads in the various counties.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: But it seems that they (Liberian Authorities) are moving ahead with this extra line. Is this something you think will be resolved any time soon?
MR. SHERIF: The fact that the Government signed those documents meant that the CLSG project is their project and they will ensure that this project is fully implemented. So I will tend to believe that the government will complement the effort of the CLSG but not to interfere with what is being done to reduce the cost of electricity in West Africa.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: What level of protection do you hope to put in place to ensure that all the investment in the project is fully protected and there will not be any looting or theft of materials?
MR. SHERIF: I can tell you that we do have mechanisms in place. As a matter of fact, it is important that we maintain the line. Maintenance includes security of the line. For this reason, we are currently doing a study and the first draft has been concluded. Our board has approved the report. The report is recommending that the operations and maintenance be outsourced to a private company that will operate the line, provide maintenance and security. TRANSCO CLSG will develop a succession plan that will replace the contractor after a three-year period.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: So, if you are living in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Liberia, what are the expectations? How soon can the average person in these countries look toward reduced cost of electricity?
MR. SHERIF: I can tell you, the light is coming very soon at the end of the tunnel and by this I mean, we’ve started the second phase of the project implementation. Firstly, the institutional framework has been successfully setup. Secondly, we are currently working on the procurement process. We have agreed with donors on procurement strategy, and we are about to conclude the prequalification process to prequalify contractors. We’ve just concluded the report and at the end of this month, the report will be submitted to donors. In addition, we are preparing the bid documents. By November 2015, we will lunch the various bids and beginning May 2016 after the bids evaluation, we will start awarding contracts and I can tell you, that the physical construction is not too difficult, machinery and things, modern technology is nowadays so fast. It is just the procurement process that takes longer time. Through our leadership we have worked to ensure that we move very, very fast without necessarily compromising controls and due diligence. So I can also say to the people in Liberia, you can expect to see electricity in 2017; as we built, we energize, and we supply.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: So, what are you looking at in terms of fees? What can the average person look forward to paying after all this is completed? How much decrease in electricity one can expect to pay?
MR. SHERIF: On the issue of the fees, we are discussing the power purchase agreement, between Cote d’Ivoire and the other countries including Liberia. Hopefully, this process is expected to be concluded by November 2015. And I can tell you that the price will be significantly reduced.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: How optimistic are you about this project because a lot is riding on it? Expectations are high and the G-20 leadership is keen on seeing how this will all play out as a litmus test to see if it can be replicated in other regions of the world? How hopeful are you of all this?
MR. SHERIF: I am very hopeful of this project because I have come with the passion and commitment to serve. What really motivated my passion is basically the need for electricity in the CLSG countries. I have also seen the political will from the CLSG member countries; this is why they made sure that the effectiveness for the project financing was accomplished. I definitely agree with you that this is a project that was ranked 11th by the G-20 in 2011 as a flagship project. Therefore, it should not fail. The idea is, once this is successful, it can be replicated in other regions, say for example, in other parts of Africa, Southern Africa and even Asia and so forth. This is why the donors including the world bank, the African development bank, European Development Bank and the KFW are all sitting with eagle eyes, watching the project. This is why I’m using this medium to encourage all stakeholders, including the various countries, to complement the efforts of TRANSCO CSLG to ensure that this project is fully implemented.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Is it possible that countries outside the CLSG could benefit from this electrification project when it is finally completed?
MR. SHERIF: Definitely! The whole idea from the concept of WAPP master plan is to integrate the electricity market in West Africa. We have the ability to tap onto the hub, connected to the OMVG, the link between Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania and The Gambia, supported by the African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the European Investment Bank. The CLSG line is going to be connected to the OMVG line and it will have the possibility of connecting to the line in Ghana.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: So does this mean that Liberia will no longer be relying on the Mount Coffee plant solely to supply electricity?
MR. SHERIF: Exactly. And the thing about the Mount Coffee is that, from study we understand that the peak period is during the raining season. What happens during the dry season when it is less than the full capacity? How do you fill the gap? And also we know that the government is building heavy Fuel Plants to supplement (HFOs) the Mt. Coffee in the dry season, but yet the demand will be higher than the supply as we have companies like Mittal Steel, Western Cluster and other huge companies operating in Liberia that need more electricity.
FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Any final thought you want to share with those who are not aware of the project and its potential for the West African sub region?
MR. SHERIF: What I want to tell the people of the CLSG countries including Cote D’ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea is that, this is their project and that this project is to make life easier and bring positive impact to their lives. The people of the CLSG countries should not see the CLSG line as a line that is going to be imposed on them. It is rather their line, as the various governments have put money into this, empowered a company to facilitate the bringing of affordable energy, not just electricity but very cheap electricity that they can afford to buy. When they buy this electricity, it will help them in their daily lives. With water and sanitation, health, provision of quality education and of course, availability of factories, companies that will come and do manufacturing as they will be looking at the low cost of production. As production becomes cheaper, they will hire more people, and there will be economic boom. So, we are encouraging them to take this project with their full hands, provide that moral support, political support to the project that is fully funded by international partners. This is the message I want to share.
African Development Bank seeks to power up Africa
The new President of the African Development Bank has called for all stakeholders in the energy sector to fast-track universal access to energy in Africa by 2025.
Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina, told an Energy For All gathering on the sidelines of the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York that the bank was working with several partners to launch transformative partnerships for energy in Africa that would ensure the continent no longer operates in the dark.
Over half a million people die annually because they don’t have access to clean cooking energy.
50% of those are women and children, as the bank’s President Akinwumi Adesina explains.
“We have 700-million people Africans that do not have access to clean cooking energy, this is simply not acceptable and so we at
the AFDB believe it is time to end the issue of lack of power on the continent, we must take bold steps, think differently and act with a greater sense of urgency.”
He says the banks investments would complement projects like U.S. President Barack Obama’s Power Africa initiative and the EU-Africa partnership on infrastructure and energy.
The former Nigerian Agriculture Minister, who took the reigns at the bank on Sept 1st, pointed to the limitless potential of the continent – be it in solar, wind, hydro or geothermal energy sources.
But he warned that it was critical to see fundamental reforms in the energy sector, from restricting how utilities were run, how subsidies were distributed to changing the operational environment to attract greater investments.
“Africa is simply tired of being in the dark. That is why at the Africa Development Bank we have launched what we call a new deal for energy in Africa, to fast-track the universal access to power by 2025, lighting up and powering Africa in ten years, not 50 years. The bank will significantly expand its investment in energy, to support countries and the private sector, but this is not a task for just the bank. This will be a collective effort.”
He says the banks investments would complement projects like U.S. President Barack Obama’s Power Africa initiative and the
EU-Africa partnership on infrastructure and energy.
“All of us need to increase our level of aspiration, but also our level of investment in this particular area in Africa but the third element which is very important is that the governments themselves have to devote a significant share of their GDP to the energy sector so that aspiration meets with aspiration.”
Adding the money was not enough; calling for political will to implement reforms seen as a crucial element to ensure that Africa keeps the lights on.
http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/2705fb804a028ce5bbe7fba53d9712f0/African-Development-Bank-seeks-to-power-up-Africa-20150928[color=red][color=red][color=red][/color][/color][/color]
the Rubicon is field tested.It's a reforming mechanism for Syngas composition. You can find the beta testing results if you have access to Athens scholarly web. or you may look at the actual patent.
The actual issue for DNRG is not Rubicon, but the money needed to be raised to run the technology.The SOFC fuel cell power systems are not new, but the manner in which Islam is creating converting systems is.
Oculus Innovative Sciences introduces MicrocynAH next-gen dermatology products with dimethicone for animals
Petaluma, California
Saturday, September 26, 2015, 12:00 Hrs [IST]
Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced the introduction of two new MicrocynAH dermatology products for animals. MicrocynAH anti-itch spray gel and MicrocynAH hot spot spray gel both contain the soothing dimethicone skin protectant in combination with the patented Microcyn technology, which is supported by 45 patents and over 30 clinical studies worldwide.
They effectively help to relieve the pain and itch of skin irritations, lacerations, abrasions and minor burns and are also cleared for the management of irritation and pain from minor sunburn.
"This major advance in MicrocynAH animal dermatology products is most significant," said Dan McFadden, vice president of animal wellness for Oculus Innovative Sciences.
"Now, for the first time ever, consumers will have available to them a unique and patented dermatology spray gel with dimethicone for the management of hot spots and pruritus that is proven effective. These next-generation products relieve the itch and pain associated with annoying skin afflictions in all animals including dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, exotics and even livestock."
Hot spots, also known as acute moist dermatitis, are red, moist, hot and irritated lesions that are typically found on a dog's head, hip or chest area. Hot spots often grow at an alarming rate within a short period of time because dogs tend to lick, chew and scratch the affected areas, further irritating the skin. Hot spots can become quite painful. Anything that irritates the skin and causes a dog to scratch or lick himself can start a hot spot. Hot spots can be caused by allergic reactions, insect, mite or flea bites, poor grooming, underlying ear or skin infections and constant licking and chewing prompted by stress or boredom.
Itching or pruritus is an unpleasant sensation within the skin that provokes the desire to scratch. Itching is a sign, not a diagnosis or specific disease. The most common causes of itching are parasites, infections and allergies. Itching may develop because of secondary bacterial or yeast infections.
According to the Freedonia Group, an international industry market research firm, the demand for animal health products in the United States is forecast to increase 3.9 per cent annually to $12.7 billion in 2016. Animal healthcare is a relatively recession-resistant industry as it is regarded as a necessary expense of animal ownership or husbandry. Furthermore, as pet owners increasingly treat their companion animals as members of the family, pets' lifespans will continue to lengthen, driving strong sales of health products.
http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=90808&sid=2
‘Zambia has renewable energy potential’
_---------sounds they could be referring to Dominovas in the article here. It reads well for all of us waiting this price to move_------
Here is a excerpt from the article:
CAROLINE KAOLMBE, Lusaka
UNITED States ambassador to Zambia Eric Shultz says Zambia has excellent potential to provide enough clean energy for the country’s growing needs and for the export market.
I
n a press statement, Mr Shultz said there is, however, need for private sector investment and policies that foster renewable energy growth.
He said the adoption of an effective Renewable Energy Feed In Tariff (REFIT) policy, and finalisation of the REFIT regulations, will enable the Zambian government to buy renewable energy from small-scale independent power producers at pre-determined prices.
Mr Shultz said in line with the Power Africa Initiative, first announced by President Obama in 2013, his Government is committed to continue to support Zambia’s efforts to develop clean renewable power, and to achieve energy security for all Zambians.
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