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ITFC & ISFD Ink US$ 150 Million Partnership to Support Least Developed Member Countries (LDMCs)

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LDMC

The initial beneficiaries of this program are Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Mauritania, and Uganda

JEDDAH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, January 17, 2023/APO Group/ — 

The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (http://www.ITFC-idb.org) and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), both members of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, have announced the signing of the Trade Finance Support Program for the least developed member countries (LDMCs) affected by the COVID-19 and the food security crises.    

The program provides US$150 million to meet the needs of LDMCs in the wake of the pandemic and the rising food security challenges to help strengthen their resilience.    

Witnessed by IsDB President and Group Chairman, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, the US$150 million Mudaraba Agreement was signed between ITFC CEO, Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, and Director-General of ISFD, Dr. Hiba Ahmed. 

In his remarks at the signing ceremony, President Al Jasser called the agreement “the fruit of a collaborative effort within the One-Group principle to meet IsDB Group member countries’ needs, especially in times of difficulties.”

The signing of this Mudaraba agreement comes at a perfect time to provide our least-developed member countries with the support they need

“The signing of this Mudaraba agreement comes at a perfect time to provide our least-developed member countries with the support they need to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and the food security crises,” Dr. Al Jasser added. 

The program is in line with IsDB’s comprehensive Strategic Preparedness and Response Program (SPRP) and IsDB Group Food Security Response Program (FSRP) to meet the LDMCs’ needs for medical and food supplies through sovereign trade finance.  

The collaboration also aims to provide financial support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of many economies of IsDB member states especially those severely impacted by the global crises.

The initial beneficiaries of this program are Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Mauritania, and Uganda.     

Speaking during the signing ceremony, ITFC CEO, Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol said: “This Mudaraba agreement is a great milestone of an innovative collaboration between our two entities and represents the successful synergy within IsDB Group to join hands to meet the urgent needs of our Member Countries. With this agreement, ISFD and ITFC plan to support IsDB Group’s Least Developed Member Countries in their efforts to reduce the effects of recent and prevailing crises such as Food Security and COVID-19 pandemic, under the One Group One Goal vision.”    

For her part, ISFD DG, Dr. Hiba Ahmed, stated: “This program presents an innovative approach in addressing one important dimension of the multidimensional aspects of poverty which is the requirement to strengthen the economic resilience of our member countries through the empowerment of youth, women, and MSMEs.”  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC).

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Sonangol to Lead Decarbonized Oil & Gas (O&G) Development, Says Angolan National Oil Company (NOC) Head

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Participating in an on-stage interview at Angola Oil & Gas 2024, Sonangol CEO Sebastião Gaspar Martins emphasized that oil and gas remains a core focus for the national oil company

LUANDA, Angola, October 3, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Angola’s national oil company Sonangol reiterated its commitment to driving sustainable hydrocarbon development during the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) conference this week. Speaking during an “In-Conversation with” session, Sonangol CEO Sebastião Gaspar Martins stated that the company will not abandon oil and gas, but rather advance decarbonized oil and gas development.

We are looking at opportunities in the gas sector and have identified the right partner to develop non-associated gas

By investing in upstream oil and gas production while prioritizing low-carbon projects, Sonangol aims to boost national crude output, while diversifying and decarbonizing the industry. The NOC is focusing efforts on non-associated gas development, as well as alternative energy sources such as solar.

“We are looking at opportunities in the gas sector and have identified the right partner to develop non-associated gas. Gas produced from Angola LNG will be used for the production of fertilizer and we are evaluating the utilization of gas in the south of the country, linking gas with steel industries. We also have a blue carbon project, linked to the reduction of carbon through the plantation of mangroves. We have one area in Luanda and have identified four additional areas for this,” stated Gaspar Martins.

Sonangol has undergone transformation in recent years: following the creation of the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency (ANPG) in 2019, Sonangol transferred its role as national concessionaire and regulator. This transformation has aimed to make Sonangol more competitive and strengthen its capacity as an upstream operator. Concurrently, the government is partially privatizing the NOC, with privatization set to be complete in 2026. This process will enhance financial capacity, allowing Sonangol to drive new upstream projects forward.

“The transformation of Sonangol started several years ago, when we passed the regulatory, concessionaire role to the ANPG. At the time, we transferred almost 600 employees to the ANPG. After that, Sonangol underwent a restructuring program where we created five core business units from 36 different entities – starting with exploration and production. We want to go public, but we want to do it properly. So, we are currently going through all the processes to do this,” stated Gaspar Martins.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Chevron to Increase Gas Supplies to Angola LNG

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Chevron announced plans to supply 600 million cubic feet of gas per day to the Angola LNG facility by year-end at the Angola Oil & Gas conference on Wednesday

LUANDA, Angola, October 3, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Energy supermajor Chevron will supply 600 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to the Angola LNG (ALNG) facility by the end of the year. This comes as the Sanha-Lean Gas Connection (SLGC) Project – developed by Chevron’s local subsidiary and set to deliver lean gas to the ALNG onshore plant – prepares for first production by Q4 2024. 

When you talk about energy security, [gas] is one of the key enablers

The announcement was made by Chevron’s Managing Director of the Southern Africa Strategic Business Unit Billy Lacobie during an “In Conversation with” session at the Angola Oil & Gas conference in Luanda on Wednesday.  

“It’s very exciting as you go forward and look at the immense opportunities when you go into gas,” said Lacobie. “When you talk about energy security, [gas] is one of the key enablers.”  

According to Lacobie, Chevron’s gas production increase will be driven by the installation and tie-in of the SLGC Project to the existing Sanha Condensate Complex, which features pipelines connecting Chevron-operated Blocks 0 and 14 to ALNG. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Sonangol, Conjuncta, CWP, Gauff Sign Green Hydrogen Deal at Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2024

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The preliminary agreement covers the development of the Barra do Dande Green Hydrogen Project

LUANDA, Angola, October 3, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Angola’s national oil company Sonangol signed an agreement with energy companies Conjuncta, CWP and Gauff for the development of the Barra do Dande green hydrogen project in Angola. Signed during the Angola Oil & Gas conference on Wednesday, the deal covers the design, licensing, financing, engineering and construction of the facility.  

Situated in the municipality of Barra do Dande, the green hydrogen project will produce up to 1,200 tons of ammonia for export to the European market. The facility will feature the installation of 600 MW of renewable energy capacity – generated from hydropower sources – as well as a 400kv substation and adequate water treatment.  

The deal was signed by Orlando da Mata, President of the Board of Directors of the Sonangol Research and Development Center; Vladimir Machado, President of the Executive Committee of the Sonangol Research and Development Center; Michael Scholey, CEO of CWP; Stefan Tavares Bollow, CEO of Gauff; and Julian Reichert on behalf of Conjuncta CEO Stefan Liebing.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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