Altaaqa Global’s Rental Gas Power Plants in Cameroon Go Live

Completed in just 21 days and boasting a combined capacity of 50 MW, the temporary gas power plants provide the country with a new reliable and sustainable source of power.

On April 28, Altaaqa Global’s temporary natural gas power plants, with a joint capacity of 50 MW, were inaugurated at the Logbaba power plant site in Douala, Cameroon. The ceremony was attended by Dr Atangana Kouna Basile, Cameroon’s Minister of Water Resources and Energy, members of the government, and senior executives from Eneo Cameroon S.A. – the country’s integrated utility company – and Gaz du Cameroun (GDC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Victoria Oil & Gas (VOG). The rental gas power plants were installed and commissioned within just 21 days from the arrival of the equipment at the intended power plant sites.

Eugene Lee, Construction Director of Eneo, H.E. Atangana Kouna Basile, Cameroon’s Minister of Water Resources and Energy, Majid Zahid, Strategic Director of Altaaqa Global, Kevin Foo, CEO of Victoria Oil & Gas, Joel Nana Kontchou, CEO of Eneo 

Collaborative Business Model

The successful completion of the temporary gas power plants stands as a testament to the viability of a synergetic business model featuring contributions from the government, the utility company, the fuel supplier and the equipment provider. The Cameroonian government and Eneo were the clients in this particular project, with Altaaqa Global providing the power generation equipment and taking responsibility for importing and installing the generators at the Logbaba and Ndokoti (Bassa) sites, while GDC supplied the gas to the rental gas power stations at both sites.

Against this backdrop, Peter den Boogert, CEO of Altaaqa Global, said: “We are very proud to have been involved in this project, and to have collaborated with Cameroon’s government, Eneo and GDC. Altaaqa Global is greatly honored to have contributed to Cameroon’s national energy strategy, and to have had the chance to promote the greater good of the Cameroonian nation. The success of this project proves that creating synergy among entities that value service and integrity above their own interests means that anything can be achieved. Here, we have witnessed that as a whole we are greater than the sum of our parts” 

The business model also proved to be economically beneficial to the service providers, being referred to as “a true game-changer” by Kevin Foo, CEO of VOG, who continued: “[Through the agreement with Eneo] We have secured a major near-term user of gas for our operations in Cameroon, and we are now becoming an active part of the equation in Cameroon’s energy sector.”

Environmentally Friendly Technology

In addition to the collaborative business model that led to its successful completion, the project can also boast of its environmental stewardship, with the power plants being run on natural gas.

Altaaqa Global installed state-of-the-art gas engine generators at both sites to ensure that the power plants are not only dependable, but also environmentally friendly. In recognition of international emission requirements, which mandate the level of NOx emissions of equipment and industrial operations, Altaaqa Global engineered its gas generators so that an emissions threshold of 250 mg/Nm3 is not exceeded – even without after-treatment.

Speaking on the sustainability of the project, Majid Zahid, Strategic Accounts Director of Altaaqa Global, said: “Our temporary gas power plant systems meet the requirements of worldwide emissions standards and do not harm the environment. These rental gas plants are designed for performance and reliability, while simultaneously being more environmentally friendly compared to systems running on other fuels. Because the generators run on natural gas, they do not require expensive after-treatment, therefore making them more economical to operate owing to more cost-effective fuel prices.” He added that gas systems were more flexible in terms of fuel usage, and would retain their efficiencies even with different fuel varieties.

Cameroon’s Road to Economic Development

Electricity is vital to ensuring the on-going development of economies and industries – especially in emerging countries such as Cameroon. With the successful completion of these temporary gas power plants, the entire country will be provided with a reliable and sustainable source of electricity that will power Cameroon as it works to enhance its infrastructure and construct additional facilities to support its industries.

In this context, Joel Nana Kontchou, CEO of Eneo, said, “This project addresses the shortage in the country’s electricity supply that has been caused by a strong increase in demand, combined with a lack of a reserve in the electricity infrastructure. We are pleased to work with GDC and Altaaqa: Two companies that share our deep commitment to responding to Cameroon’s critical infrastructure needs.”

Cameroon’s economy has weathered the drop in prices among its principal exports – petroleum, cocoa, coffee and cotton – and has remained largely stable in recent years. In 2013, its GDP growth reached 4.9%, and experts predict that, so long as there are strong performances from the construction, oil & gas, transport, telecommunication and hospitality sectors, it will remain at around that level through 2015. Cameroon’s government has been working to promote growth and employment in the country through continuous development of energy, transportation and telecommunications infrastructure, and is also eager to modernize the country’s production equipment and processes – particularly in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

About Altaaqa Global

Altaaqa Global, a subsidiary of Zahid Group, has been selected by Caterpillar Inc. to deliver multi-megawatt turnkey temporary power solutions worldwide. The company owns, mobilizes, installs, and operates efficient temporary independent power plants (IPP’s) at customer sites, focusing on the emerging markets of Sub-Sahara Africa, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Latin America, South East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Offering power rental equipment that will operate with different types of fuel such as diesel, natural gas, or dual-fuel, Altaaqa Global is positioned to rapidly deploy and provide temporary power plant solutions, delivering electricity whenever and wherever it may be needed.

http://www.altaaqaglobal.com 

About Zahid Group

Zahid Group represents a diverse range of companies, offering comprehensive, customer-centric solutions in a number of thriving industries. Some of those include construction; mining; oil & gas; agriculture; power, electricity & water generation; material handling; building materials; transportation & logistics; real estate development; travel & tourism; waste management & recycling; and hospitality.

http://www.zahid.com

About Eneo Cameroon S.A.

Cameroon’s long-term electricity operator, Eneo (formerly AES-SONEL) is a semi-public company with 56% shares owned by Actis Group and 44% by the State of Cameroon. Eneo has an installed generation capacity of 968 MW. Its transport network connects 24 substations and includes 1,944.29 km of high voltage lines, 15,081.48 km of medium voltage lines and 15,209.25 km of low voltage lines. Its distribution network consists of 11,450 km of lines of 5.5 to 33 KV and 11,158 km of lines of 220-380 kV. Eneo has more than 973,250 customers, of which approximately 45% live in the cities of Douala and Yaoundé. Eneo employs 3,698 permanent staff.

http://www.eneocameroon.cm

About VOG and GDC

Victoria Oil & Gas (VOG) is an energy utility business and hydrocarbon producer, with energy supply operations in the industrial port city of Douala in Cameroon. The Company generates revenue through its 60% ownership of onshore gas production wells, and its energy utility subsidiary, Gaz du Cameroun S.A. (GDC), supplies cost effective, clean and reliable energy products to major industries in the region. Customers are primarily supplied with gas through an extensive pipeline network built by GDC in the Douala area. GDC products currently include thermal gas, condensate and gas for gas-fired electricity generation. GDC gas is attractive to customers due to its reliability, competitive price, low hydrocarbon emissions (compared to Heavy Fuel Oil) and adaptability to meet varied power requirement needs.

http://www.victoriaoilandgas.com/gaz-du-cameroun

PRESS INQUIRIES

Altaaqa Global

Tel: +971 56 1749505

rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com 

Strange Events that Caused Major Power Outages

Large-scale power outages are caused by various circumstances, including overloaded electricity infrastructure, power plant shutdowns, natural disasters and man-made operational errors. But, did you know that even seemingly trivial events can cause extensive blackouts? We have collected five real-life strange occurrences in the US that led to electricity interruptions. You wouldn't believe some of them even happened....

• A bicycle chain thrown at a power equipment

A simple, thoughtless prank led to the inconvenience of more than 1,500 people in Mountain View, California, USA. On Father's Day, June 17, of 2012, an unknown person threw a bicycle chain at a utility equipment, which caused a power outage that lasted for more than an hour. 

• A turkey trying to fly

With the sheer size of the bird, it is not difficult to imagine the damage it could cause with a wrong, rough landing. On April 8, 2012, a turkey was unfortunately electrocuted and roasted upon landing on some power lines in Sonoma Country, California. As a result, the regional emergency 911 dispatch system was interrupted, and operations at the country court house and jail were momentarily hampered. 

• Squirrels fussing with electrical equipment

Squirrels caused not one but two recorded electrical interruptions. In June 9, 2013, a squirrel "entered" into an electrical substation in Michigan, USA and caused a blackout that affected some 2,000 people throughout the city of Kalamazoo. Two days after, on June 11, a squirrel "playing" with electrical equipment took out power for more than 3,000 customers of Austin Energy in Texas, USA.

• A fleeing robber

On August 25, 2012, a suspected felon rammed into a utility pole while trying to escape from the police, causing a blackout for approximately 4,000 homes in Colorado, USA. Wonder if he was ever caught or if his charges included the inconvenience of the aggrieved customers?

• A slithering snake

On May 16, 2012, a six-foot snake made its way into an electrical substation in Alabama, USA. The snake got zapped, causing a power interruption for around 6,800 customers for more than two hours.

These examples show that power outages can be caused by virtually anything. In such case, to avoid unnecessary power supply disruptions, it is best for utility providers to be alert and, more importantly, pro-active. To preclude the scenario of a wide-spread power interruption, utility providers may opt to hire the services of rental power companies, who will be able to offer large-scale temporary power plants that will immediately bridge the gap should permanent power facilities fail. 

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PRESS INQUIRIES

Robert Bagatsing

Altaaqa Global

Tel: +971 56 1749505

rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

Power or Water? Why not both?

The issue on power and water represents a classic Catch-22: Desalination is becoming increasingly necessary because of drinking water scarcity, but the process gobbles down copious amounts of electricity, to be created by power plants that need water. Is there a way out of this cycle?

Veera Gnaneswar Gude, a professor and researcher at the Mississippi State University, thinks so. She suggests a side-by-side power and desalination plant as a solution to the foregoing conundrum. “There is mutual benefit for both in combining these two processes together,” she says, adding that she and her team have spent the last eight years devising a system that will make desalination-power generation partnership possible.

This is how the technique works: Instead of using water for cooling purposes, Gude’s technology incorporates a power plant refrigeration system that produces cold air. This systems is run by waste heat, which is already being produced in the power plant and, hence, does not require any outside energy sources. “The waste heat,” explains Gude, “can also be used to power a neighboring low-temperature desalination (LTD) plant.”

According to the team’s study, the partnership works because LTD is significantly less energy-intensive than conventional desalination plants. “LTD,” continues Gude, “separates the salt by condensing water at a lower pressure point and temperature than conventional systems. The LTD process does not require any mechanical pumping or cooling, which contributes in saving energy.”

To sum up, Gude highlights that LTD is useful for places that are in need of power but don’t have access to water. “It avoids using up a precious resource.”

Letting the technology develop

The technology that Gude and her team is proposing has the potential to hold water, as it attempts to resolve one of the most pressing problems of the world today: How can the world conserve water, when water is needed to produce potable water?

Having said this, it may be possible to see an exponential increase in the number of such installation, particularly in areas where water is scarce, but at the same time where electrification is crucial. It, however, can take years or decades, as developing and optimizing a technology is no mean feat. Add to it the external impositions of actually building the system, like securing funding, ascertaining an appropriate location, providing labor and obtaining approvals. Ten to twenty years of lead time may not at all be an exaggeration.

As technological development and market appreciation take their natural course, temporary power plants can provide the necessary power needed to produce safe drinking water anywhere in the world. Rental power stations are flexible, modular and cost-beneficial technologies that can be rapidly deployed from and to anywhere in the world. They are able to provide the exact amount of power needed by industrial processes, and are more cost-efficient, compared to building traditional power plants. Interim energy systems can offer the necessary power to produce potable water when future technologies, like the one proposed by Gude and her team, are still being enhanced. 

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PRESS INQUIRIES

Robert Bagatsing

Altaaqa Global

Tel: +971 56 1749505

rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

How do you keep your food safe during a power outage?

Food safety can largely be ensured by being proactive.

Did you know that aside from heat and darkness, load shedding and electricity interruption can also bring a serious threat to food safety? A knowledge of how to determine if food is still safe after the power is restored, and of how to keep food safe during blackouts will aid in minimizing the potential wastage of food and in reducing the risk of exposure to food-borne illnesses. Below, we present to you a run-down of boxes you have to tick to keep food safe during an electricity outage.

• Under normal circumstances, meat, poultry, fish and eggs should be refrigerated at or below 40°F (4.4°C), and frozen food at or below 0°F (-17.8°C). Though this may be difficult during times when power is out, there are ways to work around the effects of electricity interruption.
• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator is observed to keep food safely cold for about four hours it is left unopened.
• A full freezer is shown to be able to hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours if the door remains closed.
• When the freezer is not full, you can keep items close together to make the food stay cold longer.
• If you have an idea that a power outage is coming, you should obtain dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator as cold as possible during the blackout. Fifty lbs. of dry ice is observed to be able to hold an 18-cubic foot full freezer for two days. 
• Coolers can prove to be a great help for keeping food cold. It is advisable to have some coolers ready, along with frozen gel packs. 

How can load shedding be avoided?

Load shedding is always expected to cause inconvenience, like food spoilage and wastage, wherever and whenever it is applied. But the truth is, it is a necessary procedure to avoid overloading electrical systems, which can result in a total blackout. An advisable way to preclude the disastrous effects of load shedding and power outages in homes and industrial & commercial sites is to hire the services of temporary power providers.

In times when a spike in power demand is expected, utility companies can invite mobile generator service providers on board to support the increase in electricity requirements. With the help of rental gensets, overloading of permanent power generation systems can be avoided, hence, load shedding will be unnecessary.

On the other hand, in instances of unforeseen power outages, utilizing temporary power plants will help restore electricity at the soonest possible time while waiting for the problem to be resolved. In this way, residents will not suffer the consequences of prolonged power interruptions, and businesses and industrial operations will not face sizable financial losses.

Being proactive is key

Be it at home, in the office or in the premises of utility companies, anticipation is vital in mitigating the effects of planned or unexpected power interruptions. From ensuring that food is safe and that cellphones are fully charged, to taking steps in bridging the power gap and reestablishing the supply of electricity, foresight and preparedness play an indispensable role.

To quote Stephen Covey, the world-renowned author of the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People:

“Look at the word responsibility—“response-ability”—the ability to choose your response. Highly proactive people recognize that responsibility. They do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. Their behavior is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feeling.”

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PRESS INQUIRIES
Robert Bagatsing
Altaaqa Global
Tel: +971 56 1749505
rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

Eel-ectrifying!

Did you know that there are other “electric” animals other than eels?

It is the name – electric eel. If you randomly ask someone to name an animal that “generates” electricity, bet your bottom Dollar that he or she will say “eel”. However, thanks to convergent evolution, electric eels are not the only ones “electric” in the animal kingdom.

1. Researchers have found certain types of microbes, dwelling near hydrothermal vents, that produce electrical current as a byproduct of their feeding on the chemicals that are being spewed. Researchers discovered that the more you feed the microbes, the greater electrical current they produce. But, it is not just their feeding habits that render these microbes electric. As they usually live on conducting minerals in the hydrothermal vents, the microbes are able to move electrons across the metallic surface of their home to produce a current.
2. The nose of an Elephant-nose Fish is not actually a nose, but a sensitive extension of the mouth used for self-defense, communication, navigation, and finding food. This organ is covered in electroreceptors, as is much of the rest of its body. The Elephant-nose Fish has visual challenges and, thus, uses a mild electric field, generated by muscular contractions, to find food, to navigate in dark or murky waters, or to find a mate.
3. As eels are closer in classification to catfish, it is not strange that another member of the catfish family has a similar trait. Can you believe that an electric catfish can generate enough electricity to power a computer for an hour? It uses this adaptation to stun its prey.

“Electric” as they are, these animals may one day in the future be able help the cause of energy security. Don’t you think that powering an electrical device for an hour is a good start? But, as science still finds a way to harness the “electrifying” traits of these animals, there exist sources of energy that are already proven reliable and sustainable. Rental power plants are technologies specifically engineered to support existing conventional electricity sources and nascent renewable energy generation facilities. Mobile gensets are economically and logistically beneficial sources that are capable of supplying the required amount of power as needed, when needed, where needed and how needed. Interim power stations are scalable technologies that can supply electricity from 20 MW to 200 MW, or tailored according to specific customer requirements. They are modular and pre-fabricated, making them easy to transport from any place on Earth to another, at any time. They are infused with cutting-edge innovations, allowing them to switch from island mode to grid mode to stand-by mode in just a push of a button.

With the way technology is making things possible these days, using "electric" animals as energy sources is no longer far from reality. What is important is that there should always be a balance among conceivable electrical power sources, so resources don’t dry up and ecological and environmental balance is maintained.

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PRESS INQUIRIES
Robert Bagatsing
Altaaqa Global
Tel: +971 56 1749505
rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com