Tema, Sept. 4, - Mr John Peter
Amewu, the Energy Minister, on Tuesday, assured domestic and commercial power
consumers that, government would provide the requisite infrastructure and
conducive business environment for Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to meet
their power generation capacity.
He said energy was an important
component in every country’s industrialisation drive and gave the assurance
that the government would provide reliable and affordable natural gas supply
for generation of electricity.
He said government was aware of the
frequent gas interruption from Nigeria, which affected the IPPs’ daily power
generation, saying;’’ Government has, therefore, decided to make gas available
as one of the cheapest sources of fuel for power generation’’.
Currently, Sunon Asogli Power
Plant receives averagely between 58 and 60 million standard cubic feet of
gas/per day (scfd) from Nigeria, which is far below its daily requirement of
120 million scfd, which makes the plant to perform below its maximum generation
capacity.
Mr Amewu gave the assurance when
he led a delegation from the Energy Ministry to visit some Independent Power
Producers in the Tema power enclave on Tuesday, to familiarise himself with
their work and challenges.
The Minister visited the Sunon
Asogli Power Plant Station, Cenpower Generation Power Plant, West African Gas
Pipeline Gas Interconnection Facility and Offices of the West African Gas
Pipeline Company.
He was accompanied by Mr William
Owuraku Aidoo, a Deputy Minister of Energy in charge of Power, Dr Benjamin
Asante, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Gas Company and some
engineers and technocrats from the Ministry.
Mr Amewu said it was government’s
priority to ensure regular and reliable supply of electricity at all times and
promised to work collaboratively with the power producers to meet their
targets.
He said a team had been formed to
ensure re-direction or reverse flow of natural gas from the ENI Oilfield in the
Western Region to the Tema power enclave so that there would be sufficient gas
for power generation.
‘‘This will bring in about 70 to
80 million standard cubic feet of gas/per day from Takoradi to Tema and I think
it’s going to help most of the power plants, and I ask for your collaboration
so that this thing is done promptly.
‘‘Government’s role is to make
sure that we create the infrastructure and business environment friendly for
people of your nature to invest in Ghana.
‘‘For any developing country like
Ghana to achieve its target and make the people comfortable, energy is key
because when you talk about industrialisation, education and social lives of
the people, energy is very key,’’ Mr Amewu emphasised.
The Energy Minister said there
was between 170 and 175 million scfd surplus of natural gas from the ENI Oilfield
and assured that, in the next three to four months, the gas would be made
available.
Mr Amewu said the Karpower
Plants, which is currently located in Tema would be relocated to Takoradi so
that they would be fed on natural gas and to reduce the cost involved in buying
light crude oil for power generation.
Mr Li Xiaohai, the Chairman of
Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited, earlier briefed the Energy Minister about the
power plant and took him and his entourage round the facility.
The 560-megawatt power plant is
privately owned by Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited, a company which Shenzhan
Energy Group Limited owned 60 per cent shares, while China Africa Development
Fund has 40 per cent stake.
GNA
Caption: Pictures Attached
No comments:
Post a Comment