Ghana National Gas Company says it will continue to engage with residents living along its gas pipelines to protect the facility.
Dr. George Sipa Adjah Yankey, Chief Executive Officer of the GNGC, made this known during a two-day retreat organised by the Western Regional House of Chiefs at Benyin in the Jomoro district.
He said the company will dialogue with the chiefs in the catchment areas to find a guideline for recruiting people for the job.
Dr. Yankey said the Atuabo gas plant has created direct and indirect jobs for thousands of people in the country, with a number being indigenes from the region.
He said the Western Corridor gas infrastructure has created an avenue for more companies to relocate to the region — including Aggreko plc, Amandi Construction Company, Jacobson and many others.
Dr. Yankey said government has also undertaken a number of projects in the region including roads, sea-defence projects, water and sanitation, and the Takoradi Port expansion.
He said: “The region is the growth-pole of the country, providing the bulk of the country’s resources and deserving of its share of the national cake.”
Dr. Yankey said the facility was constructed to produce more than 120 million Standard Cubic Feet (SCF) of gas per day, and that will enable the Volta River Authority (VRA) to generate about 500megawatts of power a day so that it will save about US$800million in foreign currency yearly.
He announced that the Atuabo gas plant is supplying 75 percent of the domestic gas (liquefied petroleum gas) demand, and is expected to increase the volume in the coming months.
Dr. Yankey expressed unhappiness that the West African Gas Company’s (WAPCo) has not met its gas supply target to the Aboadze Thermal Power Station.
He said WAPco was supposed to supply 120 million standard cubic feet of gas daily per the contract signed with the government.
However, over the years it has been supplying between 30 million and 45 million SCF of gas per day, hence the shortfall in electricity supply to the national grid.