Africa Surveyors January-February issue 2023 digital
Africa Surveyors is Africa’s premier source of Surveying, Mapping and Geospatial news and an envoy of surveying products/service for the Construction, Maritime, Onshore & Offshore energy and exploration, Engineering, Oil and Gas, Agricultural and Mining sectors on new solution based trends and technology for the African market. Africa Surveyors is Africa’s premier source of Surveying, Mapping and Geospatial news and an envoy of surveying products/service for the Construction, Maritime, Onshore & Offshore energy and exploration, Engineering, Oil and Gas, Agricultural and Mining sectors on new solution based trends and technology for the African market.
GEOLOGYGeological Survey Authorityrequires $200m investment totransmit real-time seismic data onThe Ghana Geolog ical Survey Authority(GGSA) requires a US$200 millioninvest ment to establish a nationalseismic network for enhanced earthquakemonitoring.According to Isaac Kuuwan Mwimbelle, ActingDirector-Gen eral of GGSA, the network wouldenable the provision of real-time seismic datato ensure the safety of the citizenry.Speaking at a workshop in Ac cra, he said thenetwork would allow the Authority to transmitreal-time information on earthquake andother happenings to inform the developmentof earthquake-resilient structures.observatory network, make it fully functionaland resource it to be able to transmit realtimedata.In the meantime, the Direc tor-General saidthe GGSA had intensified discussions withman agers of high-rise buildings and otherstate agencies including the Bank of Ghana(BoG) and Elec tricity Company of Ghana(ECG) to sensitise them to earthquake safetyresponse.He said the Authority was formulatinglegislations to enforce adherence to safety“The absence ofseismic networkis a challenge tothe operationsof GGSA in termsof monitoringearthquake.mechanisms in the development of buildingsin the country.The Director-General rejected claims aboutthe lack of earth quake prediction by the GGSAsaying that “earthquakes cannot be predictedbut rather we fore cast by looking at currenthappen ings to keep citizens on alert so thatthe impact will be minimal.”He said the GGSA currently de pends on datafrom the Weija and Achimota observatorystations as well as other stations dottedacross the country.He noted that, assessment of earthquakewas carried-out manu ally by field officers fordata which was then transmitted througha satellite, which Mr Mwimbelle said, wasnot effective and brings about de lay in datatransmission, hence the need to switch to aSIM modem platform for effective transmission.“The absence of seismic network is achallenge to the operations of GGSA in termsof monitoring earthquake.What we do now is go to the field to gatherdata before we are able to respond to querieson earthquake. That means we delay incommunicating information that borders onthe safety of citizens. We need an investmentin the network to enable the GGSA transmitreal-time data on earth quake,” he added.Mr Mwimbelle said the network wouldenable the authority to disseminate safetyinformation to the public through theirpersonal devices.He stated that, the authority had engaged thegovernment on the need to set up the seismicMap of Ghana showing the study area. Source: Ghana Geological Survey Department.14 January-February issue l 2023 www.africasurveyorsonline.com
ENERGYSuper ESCOs are vehicles for channelling funds into public sector energy efficiency investments. |Image: AfDBAfrican Development Bank’s SEFAapproves $5 million in grantsto set up super energy servicecompanies in three countriesThe Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) of theAfrican Development Bank has approved a technicalassistance grant of $5.03 million to implement the AfricaSuper Energy Service Companies (ESCO) acceleration programin Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.SEFA is a bank-managed multi-donor special fund that worksto unlock private sector investments in renewable energy andenergy efficiency.Super ESCOs are vehicles that channel funds into public sectorenergy efficiency investments such as hospitals, schools, andstreet lighting, paving the way for private investment. Theacceleration program catalyzes private sector investmentsin energy efficiency by operationalizing Super ESCOs, thusstimulating the transition toward more sustainable and greenereconomies.The grant will support the training of a team to operateSuper ESCOs and support private ESCOs in the three countriesto develop their Energy Performance Contract services.Private ESCOs provide services to energy users to designand implement energy efficiency options. The funding willalso underwrite the development of harmonized regional certificationschemes for ESCOs and energy service professionals, including energyauditors, managers, and energy savings measurement and verificationprofessionals.“This innovative program will enable Senegal to establish its SuperESCO and boost the energy efficiency market for increased energyperformance in the public and private sectors,” said Mr. Saer Diop,Director-General of Senegal’s Agence pour l’Economie et la Maîtrise del4Energie (AEME), which promotes energy efficiency.Mohamed Chérif, African Development Bank Senegal Country Manager,said: “Super ESCOs are an efficient tool that governments can draw onto leverage private sector resources to improve the energy efficiency ofpublic facilities and other key energy-consuming sectors. I am pleasedthat Senegal will be one of the first countries to benefit from the AfricaSuper Energy Service Companies Acceleration Program.”The acceleration program is paving the way for a successfulimplementation of downstream energy efficiency investment programsin which the African Development Bank, the Sustainable Energy Fund forAfrica, and other stakeholders will invest.www.africasurveyorsonline.comJanuary-February issue l 2023 15
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- Page 31 and 32: OPINIONwww.africasurveyorsonline.co
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GEOLOGY
Geological Survey Authority
requires $200m investment to
transmit real-time seismic data on
The Ghana Geolog ical Survey Authority
(GGSA) requires a US$200 million
invest ment to establish a national
seismic network for enhanced earthquake
monitoring.
According to Isaac Kuuwan Mwimbelle, Acting
Director-Gen eral of GGSA, the network would
enable the provision of real-time seismic data
to ensure the safety of the citizenry.
Speaking at a workshop in Ac cra, he said the
network would allow the Authority to transmit
real-time information on earthquake and
other happenings to inform the development
of earthquake-resilient structures.
observatory network, make it fully functional
and resource it to be able to transmit realtime
data.
In the meantime, the Direc tor-General said
the GGSA had intensified discussions with
man agers of high-rise buildings and other
state agencies including the Bank of Ghana
(BoG) and Elec tricity Company of Ghana
(ECG) to sensitise them to earthquake safety
response.
He said the Authority was formulating
legislations to enforce adherence to safety
“
The absence of
seismic network
is a challenge to
the operations
of GGSA in terms
of monitoring
earthquake.
mechanisms in the development of buildings
in the country.
The Director-General rejected claims about
the lack of earth quake prediction by the GGSA
saying that “earthquakes cannot be predicted
but rather we fore cast by looking at current
happen ings to keep citizens on alert so that
the impact will be minimal.”
He said the GGSA currently de pends on data
from the Weija and Achimota observatory
stations as well as other stations dotted
across the country.
He noted that, assessment of earthquake
was carried-out manu ally by field officers for
data which was then transmitted through
a satellite, which Mr Mwimbelle said, was
not effective and brings about de lay in data
transmission, hence the need to switch to a
SIM modem platform for effective transmission.
“The absence of seismic network is a
challenge to the operations of GGSA in terms
of monitoring earthquake.
What we do now is go to the field to gather
data before we are able to respond to queries
on earthquake. That means we delay in
communicating information that borders on
the safety of citizens. We need an investment
in the network to enable the GGSA transmit
real-time data on earth quake,” he added.
Mr Mwimbelle said the network would
enable the authority to disseminate safety
information to the public through their
personal devices.
He stated that, the authority had engaged the
government on the need to set up the seismic
Map of Ghana showing the study area. Source: Ghana Geological Survey Department.
14 January-February issue l 2023 www.africasurveyorsonline.com
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