The delivery of the first Ghanaian-owned, Ghanaian-flagged marine vessel to support offshore activities in the oil and gas industry in Ghana is one of the trending stories in the Ghanaian press on Thursday.
The Graphic reports that Tullow Ghana has taken delivery of the first Ghanaian-owned, Ghanaian-flagged marine vessel to support offshore activities in the oil and gas industry in Ghana.
Named, MV Flat Confidence, the vessel was released following the successful Offshore Vessel Inspection Database (OVID) testing on November 5, 2021.
A release issued in Accra by Tullow in Accra last Monday said: “The MV Flat Confidence vessel was acquired by Flat C Marine Offshore Limited, following a long-term contract granted by Tullow Ghana to the company that enabled them to raise finances to procure the vessel.”
“In 2020, Tullow Ghana embarked on an initiative to develop the local capacity of the oil and gas industry through the adoption of the marine sector with the aim of creating opportunities for indigenous Ghanaian companies to own and operate vessels to support the oil and gas industry, and upscale the capacity of Ghanaian personnel in the marine sector.”
The release said the presence of the Flat Confidence vessel reflected Tullow’s commitment to develop and support capability growth to international standards in marine sectors.
It added that the marine sector adoption initiative aimed at enhancing indigenous participation with 100 per cent Ghanaian-owned and operationally Ghanaian-flagged offshore vessels.
“This is also part of Tullow’s Shared Prosperity agenda which include optimising local content and developing supplier capacity.”
The 71-meter long and 19-meter wide vessel will be operational in the Western Region of Ghana and will support the work of Tullow Ghana’s two FPSOs – Kwame Nkrumah and John Evans Atta Mills,” it added.
The Managing Director of Tullow Ghana, Wissam Al Monthiry, said in the release that: “As a leading oil and gas company in Ghana, we recognise the active leadership role we must play to develop local capacity for participation in the oil and gas industry. That is why last year, we adopted the marine sector to develop local capacity in that sector to support the oil industry.”
The newspaper says that Ghana Day was marked yesterday at the ongoing climate change conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, Scotland with the showcasing of the major initiatives the country is taking to address climate change.
The initiatives include the integration of climate change into school curricula, the installation of 120MW grid-connected solar PV capacity in the national generation mix and the creation of the first ever renewable energy with a capacity of 650MW at the Bui Power Authority.
Others include transitioning the Volta River Authority (VRA) to increase its energy portfolio, integration of solar in some strategic government institutions (roof to solar), as well as the installation of solar PV at the Jubilee House by the end of the year.
The commemoration attracted some foreigners to the Ghana Pavilion.
The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, who launched Ghana’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), said the NDCs sent to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change affirmed the building of resilience to protect vulnerable communities and lowering deforestation and landscape restoration.
The transition, he said, was scaling up penetration of renewable energy and sustainable energy and accelerating Ghana’s efforts to mobilise investments into climate actions.
The Ghanaian Times reports that the Hungarian Ambassador to Ghana, Tamas Endre Feher has pledged his country’s support to Ghana in the area of water management.
He said as part of the support, a collaboration between the Hungarian and Turkish under the Go-Africa project, would soon construct a 500-kilometre pipeline and a water reservoir of about 10,000 cubic meters in Kwanyarko in the Central region.
Mr Feher disclosed yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Madam Cecilia AbenaDapaah at her office in Accra.
The visit was to introduce himself to the minister as the new Hungarian Ambassador to Ghana.
According to Mr Feher, a Turkish company was conducting feasibility studies for the project and once it is completed, the Hungarian Exim Bank will finance the project.
He said an amount of $200 million had been earmarked for the project.
“One of the most important pillars of our co-operation is water management as you are aware we have a very experience company that is working hand-in-hand with Jospong group of companies and have inaugurated the first water project in Kumasi,” he said.
Madam Dapaah said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was very particular about water and sanitation, hence the creation of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.
She said Ghana was hoping to replicate the 50 year-Hungarian water treatment plant, which had be renovated and was pleased that the Kumasi water treatment plant was completed and commissioned.
The newspaper says that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to embark on a nationwide awareness creation drive after the ongoing 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).
The public education campaign which would target the local communities aimed at ensuring that the citizenry understands the severity of climate change to enable them to contribute effectively towards addressing it.
The Executive Director of the EPA, Dr Henry Kokofu told the Ghanaian Times on the sidelines of the COP 26 underway in Glasgow, Scotland that many people were oblivious of the phenomenon; therefore they were either engaged in activities that worsen the situation or were simply unconcerned.
He said as the government mobilises funds to implement its nationally determined contribution (NDC) on climate change alongside impressing on the G-20 countries to fulfill their financial obligation to the fight, the citizenry had a crucial role to play.
“What can we do in our own small way to contribute to the NDC? We will get back home and deepen the conversation. This time, not in our offices in Accra but we will get to the regions, districts, and the villages,” he said.
DrKokofu said the EPA had held discussions with a substantial number of Members of Parliament who are COP 26 participants to help reach out to their constituents.
“We are going to take them through the rudiment of environmental issues that are cropping up and equip them with knowledge and facts, figures and all the tools that are needed so they can go back to their people and together, we create awareness on climate change,” he said.
GIK/APA