WAPCo increases gas supply to Aboadze Thermal Plant

The West African Gas Pipleine Company (WAPCo) has increased its volume of gas supplies to the Aboadze Thermal Plant.

Since July 20, 2015, the company has consistently delivered between 102 million standard cubic feet (mmscf) and 147mmscf to the plant.

The increase in supplies come at a time technicians of the FPSO-Kwame Nkrumah continue to fix the challenges associated with the transportation of gas from the Jubilee Fields to the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant.

A faulty compressor on the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah resulted in the halting of gas export to the onshore processing plant for power generation.

That compelled the Volta River Authority (VRA) to switch its plants to the use of light crude.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Takoradi, Mr Tesa Ayennor, the Commercial and Business Analyst of WAPCo, said the company was not just supplying the Tema power enclave but also feeding the Aboadze power enclave.

Contractual volume

The current level, he explained, was beyond the contractual volumes WAPCO was obliged to supply to the Aboadze Plant, which he said was pegged at 120mmscf.

He said the increased volumes came handy to cover up the shortfall from the Atuabo processing plant which was about 100mmscf.

Further enquiries by the Daily Graphic indicated that as of yesterday (Monday), a total of about 141mmscf was delivered to the country and was shared between the Aboadze and Tema enclaves.

A source at the VRA told the Daily Graphic that as a result of the improved flow from Nigeria, two of its units were running on the gas from Nigeria, while the Takoradi International Company (TICO) units were running on the light crude oil.

Atuabo Gas

Checks at the Atuabo processing plant also indicated that the plant was still running in readiness to receive gas from the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah anytime soon.

Information made available to the Daily Graphic indicated that engineers commenced the flow after several testing of the system and confirmation of the integrity of the new compressor.

Ghana Gas

When contacted, Dr George Sipa Yankey, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana Gas), the operators of the Atuabo onshore gas processing plant, said the company was still hopeful that the flow would resume soon.