Zeal Technologies makes impact in oil industry
Zeal Environmental Technologies (ZETL) is the only indigenous Ghanaian company currently handling waste, including hazardous ones, generated in the country’s offshore operations.
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Zeal Environmental also handles oily waste in two other West African countries.
The local company has survived stiff competition from international players, against its big investment in the business and the expertise it engages from some of the country’s best technical institutions.
Normally, the international oil support companies would have obtained the contract for a cross-border management of the waste generated from the country’s oil and gas industry.
The company’s strategic importance and critical role in the oil and gas industry has not eluded the prying eyes of the state. The acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Petroleum Commission, Nii Adzei Akpor, recently visited the premises of Zeal Environmental Technologies at Nyankrom, near Sekondi.
Visibly surprised at the level of investment on the premises and the state-of-the-art setup, the acting CEO said, “I have heard about the facility used in managing the country’s oil waste but had not visited. I must say I am impressed and surprised at what I’m seeing.”
Nii Akpor pledged his outfit’s support for the company and other local oil and gas service providers to ensure that the country fully benefited from the new industry.
Nii Akpor said if the country would benefit from the oil and gas operation, local industries must play an active role.
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The acting CEO said support for the local industries was vital as benefits that would accrue to the country was not only limited to taxes and royalties, but the prevention of capital flight.
Nii Akpor added that it was important to note that without the services of the integrated waste management facility that Zeal Environmental had set up, the cost of managing the oil waste from the country’s oil and gas industry would have been very high.
He, therefore, commended the company for the investment, saying it was one of the several examples of the readiness of Ghanaians to take over the industry.
GOGSPA
Local oil service providers have an umbrella body, the Ghana Oil and Gas Service Providers Association (GOGSPA). Zeal is a member of the 50-member association of various service providers in the industry.
The members together employ over 7,500 Ghanaians, most of them highly skilled graduates from the country’s universities and polytechnics. Zeal Environmental has 180 skilled workers.
Nii Akpor said the challenge was that “ these local companies were competing with expatriate companies who are enjoying tax exemptions.”
He said it was important to ensure a level playing field in the industry.
The Chief Executive of Zeal Environmental Technologies Limited, Mr Kwaku Ennin, said Zeal would do everything possible to ensure that it played its part to prevent it relying on expatriate companies to manage waste from the oilfields.
GOSPA has lamented the high taxes imposed on local players who import chemicals and equipment for the industry, while the giants in the industry are exempted.
ZETL background
Zeal Environmental Technologies is a wholly owned Ghanaian environmental services company with over 35 years experience in managing hazardous and non-hazardous waste from oil and gas operations, mining, manufacturing, as well as general waste management.
The company’s prime focus is the oil and gas sector. It provides oil spill and emergency response, removal, containment, transportation, processing, recycling and the disposal of waste streams.
It manages oily waste removal and treatment, wastewater transfer, tank cleaning and metal and plastic waste separation and treatment.
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It also manages oily slops, oil and gas condensates, waste fuels, oil waste brine and other hydrocarbons.
The company has installed the country’s first industrial incinerator that relies on natural gas.
By Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu