Michael Masi Removed As F1 Race Director As Part Of FIA Restructure In Wake Of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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February 17, 2022

Michael Masi has been removed as F1 race director as part of a restructure at governing body the FIA in the wake of last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem announced a series of changes as a result of the inquiry into the controversial end to last year’s World Championship.

Masi failed to correctly apply the rules in a late safety car period and had a direct impact on the outcome of the title race.

Two men will now alternate in the role, while extra help will be provided to officials.

The new race directors will be Eduardo Freitas, who formerly performed the role in the World Endurance Championship, and Niels Wittich, who did so in the DTM German Touring Car Championship.

Masi will be “offered a new position within the FIA”, Ben Sulayem said.

In addition, as part of a wider restructure of race control aimed at providing a calmer environment, direct radio communications between the teams and the race director will no longer be allowed.

In Abu Dhabi, Masi came under pressure from both the Mercedes and Red Bull teams to make decisions in their favour. The huge controversy after the race arose from the fact that he seemed to follow Red Bull’s suggestions, to the advantage of their driver Max Verstappen over Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

After Masi failed to correctly apply the rules in two ways – over the management of lapped cars and the timing of the restart – Verstappen used his fresh tyres to overtake Hamilton on old ones and win his first world title.

Prior to that, Hamilton had dominated the race and was on course to win a record eighth championship.

An FIA spokesman said the report into the failings at Abu Dhabi would be published at the season-opening race in Bahrain on 19 March.

Teams will still be allowed to put questions to race control, Ben Sulayem said, “according to well defined procedures”.

These are expected to be addressed to a new layer of staff in race control, to keep the direct pressure off the race director.

Freitas and Wittich will be assisted by F1 veteran Herbie Blash, who was the deputy race director under former FIA F1 director Charlie Whiting.

Masi assumed the role of race director when Whiting died on the eve of the 2019 F1 season.

The FIA will add a remote race control that will operate in a similar way to the video assistant referee in football.

Ben Sulayem said he had presented this plan to the teams at a meeting of the F1 Commission on Monday, although this is contradicted by insiders who said that only a vague outline was given there.

He added that it had been given the “full support” of the FIA World Council and Senate.

“With this plan, FIA opens the way for a new step forward in Formula 1 refereeing. Without the referees, there is no sport,” he said.

“Respect and support of the referees is in the essence of the FIA. That is why these structural changes are crucial in a context of strong development and the legitimate expectations of drivers, teams, manufacturers, organisers, and of course, the fans.

“These changes will enable us to start the 2022 Formula 1 season in the best conditions, and our sport will be even more loved and respected.”

‘632 Nigeria-trained doctors practising in Canada’

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Cleopatra Okohai

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February 17, 2022

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The Canadian Medical Association has said no fewer than 632 Nigeria-trained doctors were practising in Canada as of 2020.

The association disclosed this in a statement made available to LN247 on Wednesday.

The CMA unites medical professionals at the national level in Canada to create strong and accessible health systems, fostering well-being and diversity in medical culture.

LN247 had reported in 2021 how hundreds of Nigeria-trained doctors took part in an interview in Abuja meant to fill existing vacancies in the health sector in Saudi Arabia.

Nigeria-trained doctors taking part in an health sector interview in Abuja for health sector in Saudi Arabia

It was also reported that no fewer than 4,500 Nigerian-trained medical doctors moved to the United Kingdom over a period of six years.

The CMA said, “As of 2020, there were 632 doctors who graduated from a Nigerian medical school and are practising in Canada.”

The reports that the Nigerian government is currently battling brain drain in the health sector.

Associations such as the Nigeria Medical Association, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors and the Joint Health Sector Unions among others have called on the Federal Government to tackle the brain drain in the sector.

Ground-Breaking Projects Take 1st Steps To Decarbonise Cement Industry

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Angel Gimalo

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February 17, 2022

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Two ground-breaking projects are aiming to decarbonise the energy-intensive cement industry.

This week saw the launch of a government, industry and academia alliance in Dubai, while in Spain a trial used solar power for cement production.

The Dubai collaboration is being led by the UK’s Heriot-Watt University and wants to bring the cement sector in the UAE to net zero emissions by 2040. If achieved, it plans to roll out its emissions-busting blueprint globally.

The research is based at the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) at Heriot-Watt’s Dubai campus and will focus on four key areas: materials and waste management; building permits and regulations; new technologies; and education.

Cement is the source of about 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, according to think tank Chatham House.

The majority of this CO2 is produced as a result of decomposition of limestone, while the remainder comes from the combustion of fuel and indirect emissions from electricity consumption.

Dr Anas Bataw, director of the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction at Heriot-Watt, said construction and the wider built environment “accounts for around 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions”.

“Yet, the global construction market is expected to grow by $4.5 trillion up to 2030 to reach $15.2 trillion, with China, India, US, and Indonesia expected to account for 60% of this growth.

“During the global transition to net zero, the construction sector needs to dramatically reduce the amount of carbon embedded in new infrastructure and buildings, ultimately reducing its wider impact on the environment.

South Africa’s Solar Power Concentrated Project Achieves Financial Milestone

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Angel Gimalo

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February 17, 2022

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The Redstone Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Project, South Africa’s largest renewable energy investment to date, has achieved its first debt drawdown.

Construction on the project in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, which falls under the country’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer’s bid window 3.5 that only focused on CSP power, started in May 2021, soon after it achieved financial close.

The plant is expected to start operating by the end of 2023.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is acting as the mandated lead arranger and coordinating bank for the R11.6 billion ($764,63 million) total investment, with a commitment of R2,306bn ($151,95m).

The project has also secured financing from international and South African financial institutions including ABSA Bank, CDC Group, Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG), Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO) Investec Bank, Nedbank Limited, Sanlam Limited and the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa.

Redstone CSP is led by Saudi developer/investor ACWA Power which is also the lead shareholder in the project with co-shareholders including the Central Energy Fund, Pele Green Energy and the local community.

International Atomic Energy Agency Team Arrives Japan To Inspect Fukushima’s Treated Water

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Angel Gimalo

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February 17, 2022

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A Task Force established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has arrived in Japan to review the safety of the planned release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station.

The Task Force will hold technical discussions in Tokyo and visit the site to observe the handling of the water now stored in tanks.

The Government of Japan announced its basic policy last year to gradually discharge the treated water into the sea.

It requested the IAEA’s assistance to ensure it occurs in line with international safety standards and without harming public health or the environment. To this end, the Task Force will be in the country from 14-18 February.

The team comprises staff members from IAEA departments and laboratories, as well as eleven independent, internationally recognized experts with diverse technical competencies, according to IAEA.

On the last day of the visit, Lydie Evrard, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, will address the media at a virtual press conference to discuss progress and findings.

The Task Force members will serve in their individual professional capacities and will report to Director-General Grossi. The findings from each mission will be published and compiled into a full report.

According to the IAEA, water from the Fukushima nuclear power station is treated through a process called “Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) to remove radionuclides except for tritium and then stored at the site.

Adulterated Fuel: House of Reps Summons Oil Firms, PDP Flays N201BN Clean-up Vote

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Elizabeth Williams

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February 17, 2022

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Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya, has summoned officials of oil firms allegedly responsible for supply of adulterated fuel into the country.
Gaya, who made this known during an investigative hearing on importation of adulterated Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) in Abuja, said it was incumbent on officials of the firms to explain their roles in the matter.
He reiterated the resolve of the House to proffer solutions to challenges of fuel supply in the country. He added: “Even though methanol is a regular additive in petrol, it is usually blended to acceptable quantity. The recent supply is injurious to our fragile economy and the generality of our citizens.”
But Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, who appeared before the lawmakers, absolved his outfit of blame since it was not aware of the presence of methanol in the fuel imported.
Admitting that methanol is one of the additives used during the fuel refining process in Europe and China, he assured the lawmakers that the problem would not repeat again.

Dubai Power Plant Converts To Gas, Adds 1,200MW To Capacity

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Angel Gimalo

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February 17, 2022

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The recent conversion of DEWA’s Hassyan Power Complex from clean coal to gas will add 1,200MW to Dubai’s capacity.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) will add a total of 1,200MW to Dubai’s grid via an Independent Power Producer (IPP) agreement.

According to the utility, an additional 600MW will be added in Q4 of 2022 and another 600MW by Q3 of 2023, raising the capacity of the Hassyan Power Complex, which has been converted recently to run only on natural gas instead of clean coal, to 2,400MW.

The Hassyan Power Complex was initially designed and built-for-purpose as a dual-fuel plant with the ability to operate full-time on both natural gas and clean coal. It now relies only on natural gas.

In a release from DEWA, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, said this adds to the Jebel Ali Power Plant and Water Desalination Complex as one of the key pillars to providing Dubai with quality electricity and water services reliability and efficiency.

Jebel Ali’s production capacity is 9,547MW, with DEWA’s total production capacity now 13,417MW, which includes 1,527MW of renewable energy using photovoltaic solar panels from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

The Hassyan Power Complex also includes a water desalination project with a production capacity of 120 million imperial gallons per day using reverse osmosis (RO) and utilises an Independent Water Producer model.

New RO stations are currently underway, as they use less energy compared to Multi-Stage Flash, which makes it the best option for water desalination.

Yellen Says High US inflation ‘not acceptable’ But Recovery on Track

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Elizabeth Williams

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February 17, 2022

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Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Soaring U.S inflation rates are “not acceptable” but the health of the world’s largest economy is fundamentally sound thanks to policies that have mitigated the impact of the pandemic.
Yellen conceded in an interview she is “concerned” about inflation running at its highest level in decades, and warned of further “global fallout” if the West moves ahead with punishing sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis.
But President Joe Biden’s Treasury chief struck a confident note on the broader outlook for the US economy, which despite two years of pandemic upheaval has avoided the catastrophic damage seen in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis.
In particular, Yellen pointed to the strength of the job market. And she voiced confidence that the Federal Reserve will act in an “appropriate way” to contain inflation while ensuring the US recovery continues.
Prices have been on the rise globally for months, triggered by pandemic supply and logistics snags that initially hit industries like autos and appliances, but have since spread to a wide range of goods.
US consumer prices in January climbed 7.5 percent compared to a year earlier, their largest increase since February 1982.
Months of surging prices defied predictions from central bankers and other economists who said inflation pressures would abate quickly, and have undermined Biden’s popularity.

Egypt Power Plant: Italian Power Company Wins Gas Turbine Deal

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Angel Gimalo

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February 17, 2022

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Italian power company Ansaldo Energia has been awarded a 20-year maintenance contract for the gas turbines at the 6th October power plant in Cairo, Egypt.

The 1518.5MW plant is owned by Cairo Electricity Production Company and consists of an open cycle and a combined cycle phase.

Each of the two phases is equipped with four AE 94.2 gas turbines built at the Ansaldo Energia site in Genoa.

The new turnkey long term service agreement will cover all eight turbines and will replace the expiring frame service agreements currently in place.

“Service is a strategic asset for Ansaldo Energia, strengthening long term relationships with key customers and paving the road to keep enhancing our products,” said Giuseppe Marino, CEO of Ansaldo Energia.

The new service agreement will provide for parts supply, maintenance activities, repair of vanes, spare parts, and instrumentation, as well as staff training.

2022 Business Council: Nigeria, Ghana seek end to retaliatory tariff, trade policies

By

Elizabeth Williams

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February 17, 2022

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Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria, Rashid Bawa, has expressed readiness by the Government of the Republic of Ghana to cooperate, collaborate and work closely with the Nigerian government for the sustainable development of the economies of both countries.
He stated this at the 2022 forum of Ghana Nigeria Business Council (GNBC) and Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC) for Chief Executive Officers, in Lagos South West Nigeria.

Represented by Consul-General of Ghana in Lagos, Madam Samata Gifty Bukari, Bawa, said relations between the two countries have been sustained by collaborations between their private sectors, adding that this development has positioned Ghana and Nigeria as the two dominant economies in the West African sub-region.
He mentioned that the perennial tension between Ghana and Nigerian traders in Ghana are being resolved. Let me disclose that the Ministers of Trade of Ghana and Nigeria, late last year, signed a joint agreement that establishes a framework to guide the engagement between the two countries in resolving issues between Ghanaian retail traders and their counterparts from Nigeria.

“ As the economic and trade relations between the two countries warm up, as world economies are beginning to find ways of functioning in the midst of the pandemic, the desire for deepening cooperation among enterprises is growing stronger. It is, however, disheartening to learn that many Nigerian entrepreneurs still fall short of the knowledge of and connectivity to the Ghanaian market. Many are oblivious of the huge potentials that exist in Ghana.
“It is a matter of fact that mutual understanding of the economies of our two countries with a positive attitude would further promote and strengthen our bilateral relations and escalate the growth of business cooperation,” he said.