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Power sector to receive massive injection of gas

By Daily Graphic
General News Power sector to receive massive injection of gas
MAY 3, 2016 LISTEN

The power sector is expecting not less than 300 million standard cubic feet per day (mscf/d) of gas from new oil and gas fields within the next three years.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gird Company (GRIDCo), Mr William Amuna said, he believes this massive injection of gas supply, coupled with the liquefied natural gas to be sourced from other reliable points, would significantly ensure stable and reliable power supply for industry and development.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Amuna conceded that the bane of Ghana's power sector had been the inadequate fuel and low level of water to power the plants.

Enhancing gas supply
To ensure adequate and sustainable gas supply, he noted that the Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana Gas) was expected to increase its production of gas supply from about 80 million scf to 150 million scf in the next three years to enhance power production at the Aboadze power enclave.

Also, upon completion of the Sankofa-Gye Nyame (SGN) project, Mr Amuna said it was expected to give 180 million scf of gas daily generating about 1000MW of power.

First gas from the SGN is expected in the first quarter of 2018 after its first oil from the field in August 2017.

The TEN project is also expected to provide an additional gas of about 60 million scf to augment the gas from Atuabo.

New deal
Secondly, Mr Amuna said plans were advanced for the government to sign a new contract with a foreign company for the supply of additional gas to complement gas supply from Nigeria Gas (N-Gas) and Ghana Gas.

He further indicated that the deal, which would include the building of Floating Storage Re-gasification Unit (FRSU) for the processing of the gas, would ensure the supply of about 120 million scf.

He said he was optimistic that the deal for the acquisition of the gas, in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG), would be completed by the end of this year after which the production would start first quarter of 2017.

Thirdly, he said there was an ongoing engagement between the government and the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) for the latter to undertake reverse flow of gas through its transportation pipelines from Atuabo to Tema.

Gas supply needed
According to him, Ghana had currently installed power generation capacity of more than 2,000MW, and it was likely to shoot up with additional power from the various projects going on.

However, he said, fuel for powering the thermal plants and the maximum water levels needed to fire hydro plants were insufficient, and added that 'the bane of Ghana's power crisis in recent times mostly had to do with insufficient fuel and water levels for the plants to produce at full capacities'.

The Tema power enclave, for instance, he explained, needed about 348 million scf  to power the various plants, however, gas supply from Nigeria Gas (N-Gas) through (WAPCo) currently was about 18 million scf, instead of the 120 million scf contract.

'The demand for gas in Tema was even expected to increase to about 400 million scf considering the fact that there were ongoing thermal plant projects which will need gas to fire when completed,' he noted.

Although some of the plants in Tema were running on crude oil currently, he said some of the thermal plants were idle because of the shortfall in gas supply from Nigeria.

The recent shutdown of the FPSO and the non-export of gas to the Aboadze power enclave as a result of maintenance works and technical problem, Mr Amuna said, had also resulted in returning to light crude oil and a loss of 250 megawatts (MW) from the AMERI Plant which burnt on gas. 

The Aboadze power enclave, he said, also needed about 180 million scf, however, the Atuabo Gas was providing about 80 million scf.

In addition, he said, the Akosombo Dam whose generation capacity was about 1000MW, was also presently producing about 390MW due to the low levels of water, a situation caused by the inadequate rains.

He said he was optimistic that the deal for the acquisition of the gas, in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG), would be completed by the end of this year after which production would start in the first quarter of 2017.

'Power hub for Africa'
With consistent indigenous gas supply, Mr Amuna indicated that Ghana had a bright future in the power sector to become the power hub for Africa.

 'In the next few years, Ghana should have excess of power to export to neighbouring countries with the new generators on board and increase in fuel supply,' he stated.

 Already, he said, there were moves to transmit some power to Burkina Faso, and added that 'in 2017, the transmission lines from Ghana to Burkina Faso will be completed. We are also planning the same for Mali after Burkina Faso,' he stated.

Ghana already supplies power to neighbouring Benin and Togo depending on how much the country could generate at the period, while it also imports power from Cote d'Iviore.

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