The Energy Ministry has said that the cut in gas supply to Ghana from Nigeria on Monday was only temporary.
Sources close to the situation said the Nigeria Gas Company had suspended supply because of Ghana’s indebtedness to the company.
The Communications Consultant to the Energy Ministry Edward Bawa however insisted that “It was not because of indebtedness.” “For between 30 minutes and hour today [Monday], gas supply was cut to allow for a fault on the Ghana side of the West Africa Gas Pipeline to be rectified.”
The gas pressure through the West African Gas Pipeline at 7pm Monday was 14 Bars, way below the standard pressure needed to keep the plants in production. However, the situation improved around 10:30am Monday when the gas pressure at Tema increased to 29 Bars, according to figures from the Ghana Grid Company.
According to Edward Bawa, the gas supply has since been restored and gas is “flowing normally as we speak.” The Ghana Gas Company is expected to help Ghana improve power production by about 540MW when its Atuabo Gas Project is fully commissioned.
Gas production to begin in April
The Minister of Petroleum Kofi Armah Buah and the leadership of the Ghana Gas Company made the disclosure when they appeared before the Assurance Committee of Parliament.
Kofi Buah explained that Ghana Gas had not yet gone into commercial operation because the “plants have not been ready to take the full volumes of the gas” as indicated. Buah said “government is hoping to get VRA to have a sustainable intake over 90 million then at that point, they can work with the EPA to be able to push to get to the maximum capacity of 150 for about 72 hours.”
Credit: citifmonline