Tema, Dec 16 - The West African Gas Pipeline Company
Limited’s (WAPCo) is expanding its gas delivery facilities at Tema to enable it
deliver higher volumes of natural gas to the Volta River Authority (VRA) at
Tema.
According to Mrs Harriet
Wereko-Brobby, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, WAPCo in 2014, at the
request of VRA, embarked on a project to expand its Tema facilities to deliver
more gas to the VRA at Tema.
The past few years have witnessed
a growing demand for natural gas in Ghana in general and the Tema enclave in
particular as a result of a massive expansion of power infrastructure.
She said due to this growing
demand, the VRA requested that WAPCo delivers the entire foundation volume of
130 mmscf/d of natural gas to the VRA in Tema.
“This demand by VRA necessitated
the expansion of the WAGP infrastructure in Tema to accommodate the full
foundation volume of 130 mmscf/d,” she said.
WAPCo, as a gas transporter, has
facilities in Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana. In Ghana it has a Regulating and
Metering Station in Takoradi and in Tema. These two facilities were sited in
these two locations to facilitate gas delivery to the Volta River Authority
(VRA).
WAPCo’s Tema Regulating and
Metering (R&M) station was originally designed to deliver 70 mmscf/d of
natural gas to the VRA. The expansion project involved the doubling of that
capacity.
WAPCo’s facilities in Ghana were
constructed based on an initial agreement to deliver 130 mmscf of natural gas
daily to the VRA in Tema and in Takoradi. This volume is known as the
foundation volume.
The expansion is scheduled to be
completed by the end of the year.
Positioning the WAGP to meet
changes in Ghana’s energy market she said WAPCo recognizes the fact that a lot
has changed in the sub region, especially in Ghana, since the pipeline started
operations in 2011.
In response to these
developments, WAPCo has made a number of adjustments to remain relevant in
fulfilling the sub-regional dream of making available clean fuel for generating
energy to support development in the participating countries, including Ghana.
“Aside the Tema expansion
project, WAPCo in conjunction with ENI and the Ghana National Petroleum
Corporation is working on a Western Interconnection Project. The project is to
enable WAGP reverse flow gas from the Western Region of the Country the Eastern
part.
The pipeline was originally
constructed to transport gas in one direction – From Nigeria to Tema and then
to Takoradi and not vice versa. The Western Interconnection Project will make
it possible for WAPCo to transport Ghanaian gas from Takoradi to Tema.”
According to her, in July 2012,
WAGP was declared an “open access” system to allow multiple shippers to use the
pipeline to transport gas to any of the three gas importing countries.
Any suitably qualified entity can
now apply to become a shipper with a view to entering into gas transportation
contracts with WAPCo.
She said the West African Gas
Pipeline Company (WAPCo) was ready to play its role to help Ghana meet its
energy needs.
GNA
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