Owusu-Bempah (middle) addressing the media
Ernest Owusu-Bempah, Communications Director of Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana Gas), has revealed that the government is poised to establish a fertilizer factory in the Western Region that would use Isopentane as raw material.
He indicated that owing to the current shutdown of the Atuabo Gas Plant in the Ellembelle District, engineers were connecting pipelines to help in the transportation of Isopentane from the plant to the factory site.
“A tie-in would be undertaken for the delivery of Isopentane to be used for power and fertilizer production at Jomoro, which would minimize environmental impact,” he added.
He also disclosed that government has decided to use gas as a cheaper alternative source of energy to support its industrialization policy of One-District, One factory, which is on course.
“Some pipeline tie-ins are being done to link the eastern corridor to supply gas for the realization of the policy. Let me also stress that gas would be the key energy supplier for the government’s railways expansion project,” he noted.
Mr Owusu- Bempah disclosed this during a media encounter in Takoradi to brief the journalists on reasons why the gas plant was shut down and other relevant issues.
He explained that the plant was shut down by local engineers to ensure routine maintenance works and also execute multipurpose projects with its partners such as Tullow, ENI and Volta River Authority (VRA).
He, therefore, commended the local engineers of the company for leading the processes to ensure the successful shutdown of the Atuabo Gas Plant.
Mr Owusu-Bempah assured journalists in the Western Region that his outfit would continue to engage them to provide reliable information on the Atuabo Gas Plant.
Maxwell Kwame Kally, Senior Manager Engineering and Maintenance of Ghana Gas, explained that the shutdown of the Atuabo Gas Plant from February 1 to February 25 would allow a team of engineers to undertake a planned routine maintenance of the facility to help improve its plant.
He revealed that all stakeholders, including Tullow Oil, ENI, Volta River Authority, had put in place the necessary mechanisms to address the various concerns.
Mr Kally noted that during the period, expansion works would be carried out on the company’s regulating and meeting station infrastructure at Takoradi to help increase its gas handling capacity.
Mr. Kally indicated that the shutdown would allow a tie-in at Sanzule which would enable ENI, an energy company, to transport lean gas from the Western power enclave to the Eastern power corridor via the West African gas pipeline.
Sampson Kekebi Doh, Senior Manager in charge of Operation, mentioned that the Atuabo Gas Plant would this year reduce the flaring of gas since most of the excess gas would be used to generate power and the rest used for the production fertilizer at the factory.
He revealed that the gas pipeline from Nzema to Prestea was ready, adding that soon gas would be supplied to mining companies in the catchment area for their operations.
From Emmanuel Opokku, Takoradi