Jim Beam Is Making Renewable Gas From Bourbon

By Haley Zaremba - Sep 20, 2022

• It seems that nearly every sector on earth has been touched by the renewable revolution, with Jim Beam’s famous Kentucky whiskey the latest company attempting to “go green”.
• 
  
• Jim Beamis going to increase capacity at its Booker Noe distillery by 50% while reducing its emissions by the same amount by using renewable gas.
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• The facility will use a byproduct of the whiskey-making process to make the natural gas, a process that will create high-quality fertilizer that it intends to make available to local farmers.

The renewable energy revolution just got a whole lot more fun. The Beam Suntory company has announced that it’s going to be increasing its production of Kentucky bourbon using the power of renewable gas. In order to meet the growing demand for whiskey, Jim Beam is going to increase capacity by a whopping 50% at its Booker Noe distillery in Boston, Kentucky while also reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by the same percentage. A recent press release from Jim Beam and its Japanese parent company Suntory announced a $400 million investment in a renewable biogas system. “This expansion will help ensure we meet future demand for our iconic bourbon in a sustainable way that supports the environment and the local community that has helped build and support Jim Beam,” CEO Albert Baladi said.

Beam Suntory is building its renewable biogas facility 36 miles south of Louisville, Kentucky. The facility, which will be built across the street from the Booker Noe distillery, will use otherwise wasted byproduct (known as ‘spent stillage’) from the whiskey-making process to be converted into fuel through the use of “digesters.” The result is a so-called ‘renewable natural gas’ that will be piped right back into the distillery in a sustainable closed-loop system. The digesters will also produce a high-quality, low-cost fertilizer which Beam Suntory says they will make available to local farmers, “thereby supporting sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices.” 

Renewable natural gas is an industry term for a biogas that has been upgraded to be used in place of fossil fuels. It’s often seen as a “bridging fuel” which diverts methane and carbon emissions by making use of waste products, allowing entities like Beam Suntory to lower their carbon footprint without totally revamping their infrastructure. As such, biofuels are a lower-emissions stepping stone between our current carbon-based economy and a future energy landscape that won’t revolve around fuels that emit any greenhouse gasses whatsoever. Biomethanes and biogases such as the ‘renewable natural gas’ to be produced for Jim Beam have much lower carbon dioxide and methane emissions than standard natural gas, but their emissions are not null – in fact, they are underestimated. 

While biogas and biomethane are not perfect, they are a huge step in the right direction and will create a considerable positive impact on Jim Beam’s ecological footprint – all while ramping up production of the good stuff. The biogas-fuelled expansion project is supposed to be completed by 2024. By then, Suntory Bean says that the Booker Noe distillery will be 65% renewable natural gas-powered. What’s more, the project is expected to be a considerable job creator in the region. 

As natural gas prices soar around the world, the move makes good economic sense, and will hopefully set a precedent in Kentucky, where 95% of the world’s bourbon is made. Lowering production costs is a good goal in any environment, but it’s especially attractive now when demand for both natural gas and alcohol is soaring. In the first half of 2022, Beam Suntory’s global net sales grew by 13% according to company reports. 

Alcohol consumption climbed to new heights during the pandemic, ushering in a “new golden age” for the booze industry, as well as some very worrying trends for the health sector and addiction specialists. And alcohol demand is expected to keep climbing. A market analysis report from Grand View Research finds that the “global alcoholic drinks market size was valued at USD 1,448.2 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% from 2022 to 2028.” For those of us who enjoy a responsible nip now and then, the whiskey-fuelled renewable revolution does seem like a golden age, indeed.

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

Saudi Aramco Shares Some Hard Truths About Our Energy Future

By Tsvetana Paraskova - Sep 21, 2022

• The CEO of Saudi Aramco did not pull any punches in a recent speech when criticizing the short-term outlook of certain energy transition policies.
• 
  
• The world’s largest oil company reiterated its belief that the world must invest heavily in fossil fuels in order to ensure energy security in the future.
• 
  
• Nasser described recent investments as too little, too late, and too short-term, suggesting that much more needs to be done.

Policymakers need to look beyond this winter and stop vilifying the oil and gas industry if they want to prevent the next energy crisis, according to the chief executive of the world’s biggest oil company and largest crude oil exporter, Saudi Aramco.   

Amin Nasser criticized the short-term emergency responses to the energy crisis in Europe and said that the short-term view doesn’t help energy supply or energy security at all.

The ongoing energy crisis, while intensified by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, didn’t start with the war, according to Aramco’s top executive. Years of underinvestment, a lack of a backup plan, and alternatives not ready to step up and replace conventional energy are the real causes of this state of energy insecurity today, Nasser said in a speech at the Schlumberger Digital Forum 2022 in Switzerland.

“Let me be clear: we are not saying our global climate goals should change because of this crisis,” he said. However, the world and policymakers need a more credible energy transition plan, which has to recognize that “supplies of ample and affordable conventional energy are still required over the long-term.”

Aramco’s Nasser reiterated the long-held view of Saudi Arabia that the world will need oil and gas for the foreseeable future and will need more investment in the industry just to keep supply steady amid declining output from maturing wells, and even more investment to boost production capacity to meet the world’s energy needs.

“Oil fields around the world are declining on average at about 6% each year, and more than 20% in some older fields last year. At these levels, simply keeping production steady needs a lot of capital in its own right, while increasing capacity requires a lot more,” Nasser said.

Fossil fuels still account for more than 80% of global energy consumption, and with demand expected to rise at least this decade, underinvestment in oil and gas supply will continue to be a concern.

While many in the industry, including Aramco, have been warning for years that underinvestment would come back to haunt global energy markets, many policymakers in developed economies have ignored those warnings and have bet on renewables and unrealistic energy transition plans, according to Nasser.

Investment in oil and gas more than halved between 2014 and 2021, Nasser said, adding that “The increases this year are too little, too late, too short-term.”

“Meanwhile, the energy transition plan has been undermined by unrealistic scenarios and flawed assumptions because they have been mistakenly perceived as facts,” he noted.

“Because when you shame oil and gas investors, dismantle oil- and coal-fired power plants, fail to diversify energy supplies (especially gas), oppose LNG receiving terminals, and reject nuclear power, your transition plan had better be right,” Nasser said.

“Instead, as this crisis has shown, the plan was just a chain of sandcastles that waves of reality have washed away. And billions around the world now face the energy access and cost of living consequences that are likely to be severe and prolonged,” he added.

The emergency measures to tackle the crisis in Europe are just short-term attempts at alleviating consumer and business pain without addressing the cause of the current crisis: planning for an energy transition without securing energy supply first.

“Diverting attention from the real causes by questioning our industry’s morality does nothing to solve the problem,” Aramco’s Nasser said.

The EU’s plan to raise $140 billion (140 billion euros) to cushion the energy crisis blow to European citizens and the economy is an attempt at a short-term fix to a crisis that has been brewing for years, he added.

“Freezing or capping energy bills might help consumers in the short-term, but it does not address the real causes and is not the long-term solution. And taxing companies when you want them to increase production is clearly not helpful,” Nasser noted.

Calling for more investment in oil and gas, he added that “investing in conventional sources does not mean that alternative energy sources and technologies should be ignored.”

“This is the moment to increase oil and gas investments, especially capacity development. And at least this crisis has finally convinced people that we need a more credible energy transition plan.”

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Energy Scams Are Spreading Like Wildfires

By Haley Zaremba - Sep 22, 2022

• Supply chain woes and Putin’s war in Ukraine have sparked an unprecedented global energy crisis.
• 
  
• As desperate consumers struggle with soaring bills, energy scams are multiplying at a frightening rate around the world.
• 
  
• The energy crisis has not reached anywhere near the scorching levels that it has in the UK and the EU, but energy consumers are being plagued with scams nonetheless

The global energy sector is in crisis. Supply chain woes and maintenance leftover from the pandemic, a fickle and bloodthirsty despot kinking the hose that supplies Europe with most of its natural gas, severe droughts causing issues with energy supply and transport ranging from China to Switzerland, bad and dangerous policy-making, and infrastructure-smashing hurricanes are just part of the long list of snags in the global energy sphere this month. And now there’s a fresh problem to add to the list: energy scams are multiplying at a frightening rate around the world. 

In Europe, constituents are struggling to keep the lights on as energy bills soar to dizzying heights under the pressure of Vladmir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Across the continent, warning signs of a huge outbreak of social unrest are percolating just under the surface as the cost of living climbs untenably high heading into a long, cold winter. In Poland, residents are already queuing for days and sleeping in their cars to stock up on coal. The European Union is frantically working to raise 140 billion Euros worth of funds to help shield consumers and businesses from punishing energy prices. A Reuters report released Wednesday painted the picture of the situation with the headline “Europe burns cash to help businesses in energy crisis.” 

In the UK, the situation is similarly dire, but with some Brexit flair. After the country voted to separate themselves from the EU, British leaders seem to be furious that the plan worked a little too well. The UK remains locked out of a European energy trading framework that was supposed to be developed this year, adding an extra strain to its energy supply. British leaders have lashed out at Brussels, blaming the EU for driving up the UK’s energy bills. Britain, too, has unveiled a massive financial support plan which aims to cut business’ electric bills by about half throughout the winter. 

Such attempts to relieve the strain on constituents, however, have also opened up opportunities for scammers looking to extort them. In the UK, police have been swarmed with reports of multiple concurrent scams in which criminals are attempting to cash in on the energy crisis by posing as the energy regulator Ofgem, which recently announced that it will be sending a £400 energy bill discount for all households. One phishing scheme asks recipients to hand over their personal information via email in order to "Claim your bill rebate now." This scam was quickly sniffed out by many due to a glaring mistake in the dates, which encouraged users to apply before 2020. Others go as far as creating a fake Oxfam website in which users are encouraged to register for their discount. “The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has received thousands of reports about scam emails pretending to be from the energy regulator, with more than 1,500 reports made between 5 August to 22 August,” Yahoo! News reported on Wednesday. 

Similar scams have unfolded over a similar relief package in Germany, where all workers are set to receive €300 taxable payment this month, known as the Energiepreispauschale or EEP. In this case, too, emails are circulating falsely addressed from a savings bank, encouraging people to apply or register for their payment – though in Germany, as in the UK, the payment will be delivered automatically to eligible residents’ accounts. Scammers have also employed similar schemes via SMS text messaging. Unlike many phishing schemes, the messages are written in excellent German with few or no grammatical errors, making them harder to detect as fraudulent. 

Across the pond in the United States, the energy crisis has not reached anywhere near the scorching levels that it has in the UK and the EU. But energy consumers are being plagued with scams nonetheless. CenterPoint Energy, an American Fortune 500 electric and natural gas utility serving markets spread across the south and the midwest, has gone so far as to make an entire dedicated section of their website to identify common energy and electric bill scams. Email and text phishing scams such as those popping up like mushrooms in the UK and Europe are just two of CenterPoint’s ten listed common approaches. And just this month, NorthWestern Energy is “warning customers of aggressive and widespread scam activity.” This time it involves phone calls from spoofed local phone numbers. 

In order to protect yourself from scams, it’s important to familiarize yourself with ways to sniff out phishing schemes. Electric utilities and authorities will never ask you to provide sensitive information or payment details over email, text message, or a phone call. If ever in doubt, pause communications with those claiming to be representatives and contact the company directly yourself through their official channels.

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com 

Norway Investigates Mysterious Drone Sightings Near Offshore Oil & Gas Fields

By Tom Kool - Sep 22, 2022

The Norwegian police are investigating a number of sightings of unidentified drones in the vicinity of oil and gas platforms on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

The newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad reported that the South Norwegian Police directorate had started an investigation into what looks like at least six different sightings of drones.

Amund Preede Revheim, section head of North Sea/Environment of the South Norwegian police district, stated that “We have launched an investigation to gain clarity as to whether drones have been observed, where the drones may be flying in relation to the installations, what the intention is, and who is behind it.”

Equinor representative Per Steinar Stamnes confirmed that a drone was seen just 50 meters from the Heidrun platform this Tuesday and that last Saturday, a drone was spotted near the Kristin field. According To Kjetil Stormark of Aldrimer.no, a drone was also spotted violating the 500-meter safety zone at the Gina Krog gas field last weekend. The strategically important Gina Krog gas field is located around 30 kilometers northwest of the Sleipner A field, which exports natural gas to Europe. An Equinor spokesperson confirmed the drone sighting on Saturday, stating that "We are in dialogue with the Norwegian authorities regarding the drone observations offshore.”

Image courtesy: Norsk Petroleum

Even though all incidents have been reported to the authorities, there has not yet been a formal response from the federal Norwegian government.

Other recent, mysterious drone observations reported by Aldrimer.no include sightings near the strategically important Johan Sverdrup field, Gullfaks C, and Snorre A field last week. Stormark adds that the distances at which the drones have been spotted are very large and that at least one of the drones was spotted near a Russian fishing vessel that departed from the Faroe Islands, making its way to the Russian semi-exclave of Kaliningrad.

While there’s no clear evidence about the flight path, origin, or purpose of the spotted drones, the recent activity comes at a time when Russia is using energy as a tool to pressure Europe, and the Kremlin is aware that any (minor) disruption of gas flows to Europe could send prices soaring.

By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com

Why Removing The UK Fracking Ban May Have Been Pointless

By Irina Slav - Sep 23, 2022

Earlier this week, the UK government lifted the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in England, removing what seems the biggest obstacle to greater energy security. According to geologists, however, this is not the case.

Shortly after the news broke, geologists reacted by saying that the kind of shale rock in England was not the same as the shale rock in the United States and that getting oil and gas out of these formations would be a challenging task.

“Liz Truss hopes to frack us out of the energy crisis by drilling thousands of wells to produce shale gas,” said Professor John Gluyas from Durham University, as quoted by PA Media. “It won’t work – societal objections aside, we have the wrong kind of shale and geology which is far too complex.”

Another geologist, Professor Stuart Haszeldine from Edinburgh University went further, saying there may not even be any gas to extract from shale formations in England.

“We are massively late by 280 million years,” he said, explaining that most of the gas had already escaped through cracks and faults in the shale formation.

There have been only two shale wells drilled in the UK but an exploration company, Cuadrilla, and both were plugged when the moratorium on fracking came into effect in 2019.

Cuadrilla has understandably welcomed the news of the moratorium’s removal and sought to immediately quench any concern among people living in the vicinity of shale formations.

“Communities across the North of England stand to benefit most from today’s announcement. Cuadrilla is determined that a portion of all shale gas revenue should be delivered to local residents as a community dividend,” chief executive Francis Egan said.

Opposition against fracking remains strong in the UK, however, including in parliament and in the ruling Conservative party. The removal of the moratorium caused a backlash and doubts the shale industry is economically viable in the UK.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

Starmer Sets Out Energy Plan and Hits Out at ‘12 Years of Failure’ Under Tories

"It's not trickle down, it's taking the piss."

SIR Keir Starmer

Photographer: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

THE PRESS ASSOCIATION (David Hughes, PA Political Editor)
September 24, 2022 

Sir Keir Starmer will use the Labour conference to appeal to voters who are "sick and tired" of soaring energy costs and angry at "12 years of failure" under the Conservatives.

The Labour leader announced plans to end dependence on fossil fuels, with all the country's electricity generated by renewable and nuclear power by 2030.

Labour claims the plan would save UK households a total of £93 billion over the rest of the decade - or an average saving of £475 for each household every year.

Sir Keir said the plan would also allow the UK to be free from being "exposed to dictators" after Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine led to the current spike in global gas prices.

The green energy revolution is being presented as an alternative path to growth after Friday's mini-budget saw Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng set out a massive package of tax cuts in the hope of reviving a sluggish economy.

Sir Keir used speeches to activists on the eve of the Labour conference opening in Liverpool to denounce the "shower" in Downing Street, who he accused of "taking the piss" by offering tax cuts to the rich while giving less support to poorer households.

The Labour leader pledged to double the amount of onshore wind, triple solar and more than quadruple offshore wind power by 2030, according to details announced in The Observer ahead of the party's annual conference.

The creation of a net zero carbon, self-sufficient electricity network would lead to permanently lower energy bills and independence from nations such as Russia, according to Labour.

The move could also create half a million jobs and make the UK the first country to have a zero-emission power system.

Sir Keir said: "The British people are sick and tired of rocketing energy bills and our energy system being exposed to dictators.

"They want long-term solutions to cut bills for good."

In a speech to activists, Sir Keir said the Chancellor's admission of Tory economic failure would be hung "around their necks" in the next election campaign.

He said: "There's a change in the air. There's an atmosphere, there's a sense that Labour is ready to deliver.

"And don't we need change after 12 years of this shower, 12 years of failure under this government, wages stagnant for 10 years, public services on their knees."

It is already clear that the Chancellor's mini-budget on Friday will set the dividing lines for the next general election, with Sir Keir telling Labour supporters: "I didn't agree with almost anything he said in that financial statement yesterday apart from his opening sentence, when he said there's a 'vicious cycle of stagnation'.

"He's right about that and it's their vicious cycle of stagnation. That is the verdict on 12 years of Tory government, a vicious cycle of stagnation and we need to hang that around their necks."

The former director of public prosecutions said it was good when "somebody who is caught red handed actually pleads guilty".

He said the Government's "driving ideology" is now to "make the rich richer and do nothing for working people".

"If you earn a million pounds, yesterday, you got a £55,000 pounds tax cut, enough to pay for a nurse," he said.

"It's not trickle down, it's taking the piss."

The Labour leader's relationship with union chiefs has been strained by his refusal to offer full-throated support for the wave of strikes triggered by the cost-of-living crisis.

But he insisted he would lead the "most pro-trade union Labour government you have ever seen", promising a Green Paper on workplace rights within 100 days of an election victory.

The conference is vital for Sir Keir to present himself as an alternative prime minister to Ms Truss, with the next election expected in 2024.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, told the BBC the Labour leader should "be bolder" in his economic policy and not "stand still" in order to win power.

The conference will formally begin on Sunday, with tributes to the Queen and a rendition of the national anthem.

Sir Keir's energy plan was welcomed by environmental group Greenpeace UK, whose head of politics Rebecca Newsom said: "The only way out of this mess is a moonshot mission to roll out a renewables-based energy system that can lower bills, cut emissions, create jobs and break our dependence on gas markets and fossil fuel autocrats.

"Labour seems to have understood that, the Conservatives don't."

Luke Murphy, associate director for energy and climate at the centre-left IPPR think tank said: "This is a welcome and bold commitment to expand clean power and renewables, and reduce our dependence on expensive and climate destroying fossil fuels."

Cuba's foreign minister demands U.S. end economic blockade in U.N. address


Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrilla demands the United States end its economic blockade on Cuba, calling it an "economic war in times of peace" during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday in New York. 

Photo courtesy of United Nations General Debate

Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrilla blasted the United States in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday as he demanded the United States end its economic blockade on Cuba, calling it an "economic war in times of peace."

In his speech, Parrilla reminded the General Assembly that the U.N. has overwhelmingly approved a resolution year-after-year urging the United States to drop the six-decade-old blockade.

"Thirty years have now elapsed since the first General Assembly resolution against this blockade, and at this time the U.S. continues to ignore the almost unanimous demand from you to cease its illegal and brutal policy against Cuba," Parrilla said.

Parrilla also slammed the U.S. State Department for re-designating Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism in 2021. The designation penalizes U.S. companies for making business deals in Cuba and also restricts U.S. foreign assistance while banning defense exports and sales, according to the State Department.

"The current government of the United States keeps in force the most aggressive measures of pressure on our country. These were adopted by the government of Donald Trump and remain in force," Parrilla said.

"This slanderous classification of our country as a sponsor of terrorism stigmatizes our financial bodies and institutions and makes it extremely difficult for us to conduct transactions," Parilla said as he blamed the United States for Cuba's economic struggles.

"Cuba as a small island, developing state has paid a high price for defending its legitimate right to exist as a sovereign and independent nation," Cuba's foreign minister said. "The human damage caused by this policy and felt by all Cuban families is impossible to quantify, but is nevertheless vast, cruel and immoral."




Parrilla offered Cuba's assistance to move forward with better relations toward the United States, but also called on leaders in Washington, D.C., to do better.

"I urge the government of the United States to solve the issues which fuel irregular migration and which promote the loss of life," Parrilla said.

"The government of the United States manipulates highly opportunistic issues, such as terrorism, religion, democracy, justice, corruption and human rights. The double standards, the inconsistency, the selectivity, the manipulation, the political manipulation indeed of which the United States are guilty damages the cause of human rights," he said.

Time to challenge Pro-Apartheid Toronto United Jewish Appeal

by Yves Engler / September 22nd, 2022

Well healed individuals have the right to cheer on war criminals as they raise funds to promote apartheid and if anyone asks uncomfortable questions they are denounced as antisemitic. That about sums up the Canadian Jewish News’ position regarding a recent United Jewish Appeal of Toronto event with George W. Bush and Stephen Harper.

Last week 3,000 attended a fireside chat between the former US president and Canadian prime minister. Tickets for the launch of UJA’s annual fundraising campaign were $250. Billed as “one of the most important conversations UJA has ever hosted”, the event marketing noted, “Witness these legendary global leaders as they unpack the issues reshaping our world. Ukraine and Russia. Israel and the Middle East. Canada and the United States. The rapidly changing economy. Explore the many dangers and opportunities that will define our future, and what it all means for our global Jewish community.”

While Bush spoke, Tamara Lorincz yelled “George Bush is a war criminal.” The anti-war activist also held a sign stating, “War criminals: Bush & Harper. Accountability for Iraq & Afghanistan.”

At the end of the event another activist questioned UJA president Adam Minsky about the hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by Bush’s invasion of Iraq. Firas al Najim also asked Minsky about Israel’s killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. A clip al Najim posted of him later asking an attendee about Palestinian rights was labeled thusly by the Jerusalem Post: “Toronto activist dressed as Jew harasses Holocaust survivor about Israel”.

A Canadian Jewish News podcast discussion also framed al Najim questioning the president of UJA and others, which can be viewed on his Instagram, as threatening Jews. In “Run, hide, defend: This is the new approach to keep Canadian Jews safe over the High Holidays and beyond”, CJN equated al Najim’s calm questioning regarding Palestinian rights to the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh. CJN and the Jerusalem Post are effectively saying that questioning Jews who applaud the world’s leading war criminal while raising funds for ethnic/religious supremacy in Israel is antisemitic.

UJA Toronto is Canada’s most important promoter of apartheid. It is the wealthiest of the Jewish Federations that fund the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which is their official lobbying arm. UJA Toronto organizes and finances a slew of anti-Palestinian activities, including an annual Walk with Israel. Around a quarter of the money UJA raises is sent to Israel, a country with a GDP per person higher than France and Japan. As a registered charity, Canadian taxpayers subsidize as much as 40% of their budget.

But the most significant institutional purveyor of anti-Palestinianism in Canada operates largely below the radar of solidarity activists. Few know or talk about its apartheid promotion and a “shutdown UJA Toronto” campaign has yet to materialize. In fact, the main pro-Palestinian groups didn’t even bother to tweet about the fundraiser with Bush and Harper, let alone help organize a counter rally.

While many compare Israel to apartheid South Africa — it is far worse in many ways — there is a trepidation about directly challenging Jewish institutions that enable this racist and colonial behaviour. Imagine if during the struggle for racial equality in South Africa in the 1980s an organization in Toronto organized an annual Walk for South Africa, funded a major South African apartheid lobby group and various initiatives that promoted the South African military. There would certainly have been statements of condemnation and demonstrations at their office. Yet UJA Toronto does this and more to support an apartheid state with almost no protest.

It’s time to ignore the name calling and directly challenge UJA Toronto.

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Yves Engler is the author of 12 books. His latest book is Stand on Guard for Whom?: A People's History of the Canadian Military . Read other articles by Yves.

Striking air traffic controllers halt action after receiving assurance

VIDEO https://www.africanews.com/embed/2071222

Abidjan Airport -
Copyright © africanews

AFP
By Philip Andrew Churm

IVORY COAST

A strike by air traffic controllers at several African airports, has been suspended after unions said they had received guarantees on their demands.

The planned 48-hour action was initiated by the Union of Air Traffic Controllers' Unions of Asecna (USYCAA).

The Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (Asecna) has 18 member states, mainly from French-speaking Africa.

The strike began on Friday and has caused massive disruption.

Ethiopian Airlines' station manager in Abidjan, Narcisse Lagou, said: "We are forced to divert our planes, cancel flights, and [inform] our passengers. All commercial operations are suspended. The inconvenience is enormous."

USYCAA began the strike for improved working conditions and better career plans.

But by midday on Saturday the action had been suspended after the USYCAA said it had obtained commitments regarding their demands in negotiations with several governments and Asecna.

However, the union said it reserved the right to "reactivate" the notice in ten days if the promises were not kept.