We have arrived in Angola, the number 2 producer of oil in sub-Sahara Africa; and the third largest producer on the continent behind Nigeria, and Libya.
For the benefit of those who do not know much about Angola, it fought for years to get self-government for her colonial master Portugal, who reluctantly had to leave in 1975. Portugal was reluctant to leave because at the time it was probably the poorest country in Europe (and it is still close to the bottom here in the year 2008), and like the rest of the colonizers, was raping its colonies of raw material.
You will think after the colonial masters left, self-government would bring peace, wrong! There was a bitter civil war between 2 main factions ( MPLA-PT (Movimento Popular de Libertacao de Angola-Partido do Trabalho led by Antonio Neto, and UNITA –Uniao Nacional para a Independecia Total de Angola led by Jonas Savimbi).
Jonas Savimbi is gone, Antonio Neto is gone, how much improvement is there in the lives of the Angolans? The population is estimated at 16 million. Oil is flowing, water is not in every household, in fact, there is water shortage in a large segment of the population.
What about the main topic of this Blog-- Electricity? Well, like every country with delved into, the real numbers are hard to come-by, and what is available is sketchy at best. Over 60% of electricity comes from hydro (my favorite, very “green”), Matala dam in south west Angola that went into operations in 2001 on the Cunene River, is the main source of electricity; the Cambambe dam when it is operating at full capacity produces over 150 Megawatts, the Mabubas dam on the Dande River makes its fair contribution; then comes the rest from thermal, (no nuclear thank the Almighty for that).
So what segment of the population has electricity? Estimates are, less than 20%. Folks, how can that be possible? You will think with all the oil money, a larger part of the population would have access to electricity.
The civil war has been over for some time, the oil is flowing (as much as it is not that “green”, there are communities all around the globe that get their electricity completely from diesel gensets), preventive maintenance is keep production below capability. Blackouts are rampant in Angola, and water supply is not reliable.
I have mixed feelings about giving an opinion of this particular environment, but trouble makers like Savimbi are no longer around, so what is the "poor excuse" from those running the place?
I see nothing but a bunch of hippos in this landscape.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Electricity Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
We are now in the Democratic Republic of Congo. My anxiety level is running very high. The question is, why? The answer is an oxymoron. By the time you finish reading you will realize why.
To start with, Democratic Republic of Congo (I will call Kinshasa), is about the size of the United States East of the Mississippi (and Kinshasa is not the largest country in Africa). Kinshasa is home to rare animal species and a large potential for wealth in the form of highly valuable minerals and natural resources (cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, timber to name a few).
With all these, Congo (Kinshasa) is also one of the poorest, most chaotic nations in the world; destroyed by Military coups, dictatorships, that by some estimates have claimed millions of lives in the past 48 years. In just about every part of the country, law and order, electricity and medicine are virtually nonexistent.
This blog is about electricity or lack there of, so lets go to the topic. For starters, Kinshasa has the potential to be self-sufficient in electricity NOW, and I mean PRESENT time. But it is not. This is why, like the Tennessee River in the United States of America and its hydroelectric dams, the Congo River of Kinshasa is the host to the Inga dams. Inga 1 was commissioned in the early 1970’s; Inga 2 was commissioned in the early 1980’s.
The sad situation is this, like all the countries I have already talked about, there is gross incompetence in Africa when it comes to preventive maintenance. The people who are in charge of these power generating stations tend to forget that Machines are like human beings, they need fuel to work, and where human beings go to the doctors for a check-up, machines need to be shutdown for check-ups too. Bearings may have to be replaced, with regard to hydro-generators, rotating coils and stator coils may have to be rebuilt. Inga 1 has a potential for 351 Megawatts of electricity, while Inga 2 has a potential for 1424 Megawatts; Inga 1 and 2 combined has a total potential for 1800 Megawatts (1.8 Gigawatts), but the two combine are producing less than700 Megawatts, and had never produced more while the late egocentric Mobutu Sese Sekko was in power. Folks, we are talking about my favorite subject GREEN electricity. The dams have already been built, and commissioned, and are running under capacity because some fool thinks it is better to put money away in Europe for the former colonial masters to keep safely, while the masses are starving and suffering with no medicines in the hospitals.
Now there comes the Grand Inga, this hydro-electric complex when completed, is supposed to be able to supply the electricity needs of the WHOLE of Africa. The question is, how can that be possible, if you are NOT able to take care of the little ones, how can you take care of the bigger ones.
It is like human raring, if parents CANNOT take of their little children, how can they be expected to take care of their older, bigger elderly parents.
Folks, this landscape with all her troubles, have more Hippos than one can count.
To start with, Democratic Republic of Congo (I will call Kinshasa), is about the size of the United States East of the Mississippi (and Kinshasa is not the largest country in Africa). Kinshasa is home to rare animal species and a large potential for wealth in the form of highly valuable minerals and natural resources (cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, timber to name a few).
With all these, Congo (Kinshasa) is also one of the poorest, most chaotic nations in the world; destroyed by Military coups, dictatorships, that by some estimates have claimed millions of lives in the past 48 years. In just about every part of the country, law and order, electricity and medicine are virtually nonexistent.
This blog is about electricity or lack there of, so lets go to the topic. For starters, Kinshasa has the potential to be self-sufficient in electricity NOW, and I mean PRESENT time. But it is not. This is why, like the Tennessee River in the United States of America and its hydroelectric dams, the Congo River of Kinshasa is the host to the Inga dams. Inga 1 was commissioned in the early 1970’s; Inga 2 was commissioned in the early 1980’s.
The sad situation is this, like all the countries I have already talked about, there is gross incompetence in Africa when it comes to preventive maintenance. The people who are in charge of these power generating stations tend to forget that Machines are like human beings, they need fuel to work, and where human beings go to the doctors for a check-up, machines need to be shutdown for check-ups too. Bearings may have to be replaced, with regard to hydro-generators, rotating coils and stator coils may have to be rebuilt. Inga 1 has a potential for 351 Megawatts of electricity, while Inga 2 has a potential for 1424 Megawatts; Inga 1 and 2 combined has a total potential for 1800 Megawatts (1.8 Gigawatts), but the two combine are producing less than700 Megawatts, and had never produced more while the late egocentric Mobutu Sese Sekko was in power. Folks, we are talking about my favorite subject GREEN electricity. The dams have already been built, and commissioned, and are running under capacity because some fool thinks it is better to put money away in Europe for the former colonial masters to keep safely, while the masses are starving and suffering with no medicines in the hospitals.
Now there comes the Grand Inga, this hydro-electric complex when completed, is supposed to be able to supply the electricity needs of the WHOLE of Africa. The question is, how can that be possible, if you are NOT able to take care of the little ones, how can you take care of the bigger ones.
It is like human raring, if parents CANNOT take of their little children, how can they be expected to take care of their older, bigger elderly parents.
Folks, this landscape with all her troubles, have more Hippos than one can count.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Electricity Congo (Brazzaville)
Thanks for traveling with me on this journey. It has been quite an experience but no thrill for me, considering some of the difficult situations I have encountered. But we are not here to white-wash anything no matter how ugly it turns out to be.
We are now in the Congo Republic (Brazzaville ) not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa); and yes they are neighbors and share a common border.
For the record, the President of this country is Denis Sassou Nguesoo who has been in power since 1997 (that is eleven years in office). Since self-governance was attained in 1960 from the French colonial masters, things have not been smooth in this environment. The first President Alphonse Massamba Debat was toppled in a military coup, and the leader of the coup, who became the head of state was himself assassinated in March 1977.
This is the land of the pygmies, and the indigenous pygmies are now SLAVES of the Bantus. These pygmies work for their masters and are only paid by with whatever their Bantu masters think they deserve ( used items, cigarettes, clothes etc.) This is one black man mistreating another black man, and the white man has nothing to do with it.
With all this turmoil, the report card is going to be that of Sassou Nguesoo. To start with, water availability is just over 20%. Electricity is only available to less than 10% of the population. Should we judge hard or soft? To start with, Brazzaville is an oil producer, and the government has borrowed heavily against future oil proceeds (talking about selling your soul to the devil), so anything coming out of the ground, already belong to the creditors (mostly Europeans).
Available information is that electricity production is around 60 Megawatts, even though there is a potential to produce about 45 times as much. At the present time, Brazzaville is producing much less than what it needs.
I know this blog is about electricity, but learning about the enslavement of black pygmies by black Bantus, has really dampened my spirit, and caused me a lot of distress.
What do I see in this environment? Nothing, but a herd of hippos.
We are now in the Congo Republic (Brazzaville ) not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa); and yes they are neighbors and share a common border.
For the record, the President of this country is Denis Sassou Nguesoo who has been in power since 1997 (that is eleven years in office). Since self-governance was attained in 1960 from the French colonial masters, things have not been smooth in this environment. The first President Alphonse Massamba Debat was toppled in a military coup, and the leader of the coup, who became the head of state was himself assassinated in March 1977.
This is the land of the pygmies, and the indigenous pygmies are now SLAVES of the Bantus. These pygmies work for their masters and are only paid by with whatever their Bantu masters think they deserve ( used items, cigarettes, clothes etc.) This is one black man mistreating another black man, and the white man has nothing to do with it.
With all this turmoil, the report card is going to be that of Sassou Nguesoo. To start with, water availability is just over 20%. Electricity is only available to less than 10% of the population. Should we judge hard or soft? To start with, Brazzaville is an oil producer, and the government has borrowed heavily against future oil proceeds (talking about selling your soul to the devil), so anything coming out of the ground, already belong to the creditors (mostly Europeans).
Available information is that electricity production is around 60 Megawatts, even though there is a potential to produce about 45 times as much. At the present time, Brazzaville is producing much less than what it needs.
I know this blog is about electricity, but learning about the enslavement of black pygmies by black Bantus, has really dampened my spirit, and caused me a lot of distress.
What do I see in this environment? Nothing, but a herd of hippos.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Elctricity Gabon
We have arrived in Gabon, in Equatorial Africa.
For the record, Gabon is NOT a monarchy, but supposedly a republic, yet from November 1967 to this day, there has been only one person at the helm, in the name of Omar Bongo (formerly Albert-Bernard Bongo). Mr. Bongo and his children are running the country. With the Bongo children as Ministers or Director: and Papa Bongo as the President.
Anyway, Gabon is supposed to have about 400 Megawatts of electricity. I am using the word “supposed” because like just about every country in Africa, the word preventive maintenance is a foreign word.
Here is how the 400 Megawatts production is shaped. About 250 Megawatts comes from thermal reactors, the balance of 150 Megawatts comes from Hydro (my favorite and very green).
The hydro dams are located in Tchimbele, M’Bei , and Kinguélé, Poubara, Bongolo.
Over 75% of Gabonese have access to electricity; how many are really enjoying it is a different can of worm.
It is hard to tell if Gabon is meeting her needs, because lack of rainfall resulted in some blackouts in Libreville. One thing for sure, there is no extra-ordinary exploration of mineral resources in Gabon, an indication that, electricity is not enough.
Since we are only evaluating how much electricity is being produce, not who is in charge, I have to say with some reservations that the Bongos are doing a good job. However, if the banks in Switzerland would talk, and the question is what symbolic animal do we see in this landscape?
Well, weighing all that is involved, I will say we have hippos.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Electricity Equatorial Guinea
We have arrived in Equatorial Guinea (which for simplicity we will call EG).
EG obtained Independence from Spanish rule in 1968. For some strange reason, EQ has 2 national languages (Spanish and French). But we are not here to talk about languages, so lets go resources and energy.
When it comes to resources, EQ is playing third fiddle to only Nigeria and Angola in oil production in sub-Sahara Africa. Estimates are that, EQ probably has 10% of the world’s crude oil reserves. Oil accounts for more than 85% of EQ exports.
Now lets see what all the money being realized from oil is being used for. For the record, like most African countries of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and to some extend the early 90’s, Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO seized power in a military coup, and although EQ now has a constitutional government, with Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO still as the president; does this smell like Ghana and Rawlings or Gaddafi and Libya to name a few.
We are not dealing with imaginary electricity, just what is currently available (the real thing). Equatorial Guinea's electricity generating capacity varies, with 15.4 megawatts (MW) of installed and working capacity, and 5-30 MW of installed but not producing, the reason is the same sickness, (Lack of maintenance). Less than 5.0 MW are located on the mainland, including 4 MW of oil-fired thermal capacity and 1 MW of hydroelectric capacity.
Bioko Island is getting electricity from two thermal plants and one hydroelectric plant. The expansion of natural gas production at the Alba field in recent years has provided a convenient fuel source for new power generation in the country. The 10.4-MW, natural gas-fired Punta plant began operation in 2000, supplying gas-fired electricity to Bioko Island.
By all accounts, EQ is self-sufficient, but as to how much of the country has electricity, the numbers are not available, of course, the rural communities are not all lit, so your guess is as good as mine.
Regardless of how I feel about a military person ruling a country by way of coup, I have no choice but to say with tongue in cheek that, there are cheetahs in this landscape.
EG obtained Independence from Spanish rule in 1968. For some strange reason, EQ has 2 national languages (Spanish and French). But we are not here to talk about languages, so lets go resources and energy.
When it comes to resources, EQ is playing third fiddle to only Nigeria and Angola in oil production in sub-Sahara Africa. Estimates are that, EQ probably has 10% of the world’s crude oil reserves. Oil accounts for more than 85% of EQ exports.
Now lets see what all the money being realized from oil is being used for. For the record, like most African countries of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and to some extend the early 90’s, Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO seized power in a military coup, and although EQ now has a constitutional government, with Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO still as the president; does this smell like Ghana and Rawlings or Gaddafi and Libya to name a few.
We are not dealing with imaginary electricity, just what is currently available (the real thing). Equatorial Guinea's electricity generating capacity varies, with 15.4 megawatts (MW) of installed and working capacity, and 5-30 MW of installed but not producing, the reason is the same sickness, (Lack of maintenance). Less than 5.0 MW are located on the mainland, including 4 MW of oil-fired thermal capacity and 1 MW of hydroelectric capacity.
Bioko Island is getting electricity from two thermal plants and one hydroelectric plant. The expansion of natural gas production at the Alba field in recent years has provided a convenient fuel source for new power generation in the country. The 10.4-MW, natural gas-fired Punta plant began operation in 2000, supplying gas-fired electricity to Bioko Island.
By all accounts, EQ is self-sufficient, but as to how much of the country has electricity, the numbers are not available, of course, the rural communities are not all lit, so your guess is as good as mine.
Regardless of how I feel about a military person ruling a country by way of coup, I have no choice but to say with tongue in cheek that, there are cheetahs in this landscape.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Electricity Central African Republic
Here we are in Central Africa, and our journey has taken us to the Central African Republic, popularly know as CAR.
For starters, like most, and I mean most African countries, this is one place where they have a lot of mineral resources like diamond, uranium, gold, and natural resources like timber and oil. Did I say oil? Well, they have it but it is not being developed, because there is no electricity.
Blackouts are the norm in CAR, at times, the blackouts lasts for days. One will think with the mineral resources, even if there is no hydro, at least diesel powered generators sets can take care of the shortfall in electricity supply.
Folks, do I see another African leaders going to Switzerland like Mobutu and his cronies did. This whole idea of African leaders not liking the domestic Banks is nothing but stupidity. When they go to meet the maker, the European Bankers would have a field day or shall I say field days with the sweat of the little people in Africa.
Before independence, the colonial masters come to rape the colonies of the raw materials and the money; today, they sit and wait, and we take the money to them. This is Neocolonialism.
I do not see any cheetahs on this landscape, CAR is filled with hippos.
For starters, like most, and I mean most African countries, this is one place where they have a lot of mineral resources like diamond, uranium, gold, and natural resources like timber and oil. Did I say oil? Well, they have it but it is not being developed, because there is no electricity.
Blackouts are the norm in CAR, at times, the blackouts lasts for days. One will think with the mineral resources, even if there is no hydro, at least diesel powered generators sets can take care of the shortfall in electricity supply.
Folks, do I see another African leaders going to Switzerland like Mobutu and his cronies did. This whole idea of African leaders not liking the domestic Banks is nothing but stupidity. When they go to meet the maker, the European Bankers would have a field day or shall I say field days with the sweat of the little people in Africa.
Before independence, the colonial masters come to rape the colonies of the raw materials and the money; today, they sit and wait, and we take the money to them. This is Neocolonialism.
I do not see any cheetahs on this landscape, CAR is filled with hippos.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Electricity Cameroon
Cameroon has been Independent for more than 40 years. To-date less than 10% of the total population is enjoying electricity.
Thanks to oil flowing from the North (that is Chad) Cameroon is getting some amount of oil, without worrying about shipping and oil tankers. You think with this opportunity, the powers that are would take advantage and commission diesel generators to move them closer to the 21st century.
I do not want to come across as being mean or too hard, but what are those in authority doing with whatever proceeds and for that matter the resources that they have and are getting.
Cameroon seems to have some bauxite, and to mine and process it; Alucam (Canada) is using almost 50% of the electricity generated. You think with the high cost of aluminum (aluminium) on the world market, there would be investment in electricity. There are plans to build one or more hydro dams along the Sanage River. But folks, hydro takes more than 3 years to build; and I love it because it is as green as you can get when it comes to power generation, but until one is completed, you need, diesel generators. Sure, damming a locale results in displacement of animals and humanoids, but it GREEN and helps with irrigation.
I look at this landscape, and after more than 40 years of self-determination or Independence, I only see hippos, and no cheetahs
Thanks to oil flowing from the North (that is Chad) Cameroon is getting some amount of oil, without worrying about shipping and oil tankers. You think with this opportunity, the powers that are would take advantage and commission diesel generators to move them closer to the 21st century.
I do not want to come across as being mean or too hard, but what are those in authority doing with whatever proceeds and for that matter the resources that they have and are getting.
Cameroon seems to have some bauxite, and to mine and process it; Alucam (Canada) is using almost 50% of the electricity generated. You think with the high cost of aluminum (aluminium) on the world market, there would be investment in electricity. There are plans to build one or more hydro dams along the Sanage River. But folks, hydro takes more than 3 years to build; and I love it because it is as green as you can get when it comes to power generation, but until one is completed, you need, diesel generators. Sure, damming a locale results in displacement of animals and humanoids, but it GREEN and helps with irrigation.
I look at this landscape, and after more than 40 years of self-determination or Independence, I only see hippos, and no cheetahs
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