Frank Annoh Dompreh
THE GHANA National Gas Company (GNGC) is planning to expand its infrastructure by extending the Esiama–Prestea pipeline to Burkina Faso through Kumasi, to serve the AMERI plants being relocated to Kumasi.
The company also has plans to create some redundancy by constructing its own Takoradi-Tema pipeline to link the Western and Eastern corridors.
Frank Annoh-Dompreh, MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri and Majority Chief Whip, who disclosed this on the floor of Parliament on the success story of Ghana Gas, noted “There are plans to also link the aforementioned pipeline into the inter lands through Atiwa to Kumasi. For safe bottling and distribution of LPG, the company has commenced the construction of an LPG bottling plant, which is located in Axim. All these projects are expected to be constructed and operated by Ghanaian engineers, going a long way to reduce unemployment and also to promote the indigenisation drive.
The Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), a strategic gas midstream company, incorporated in July 2011 during former President John Dramani Mahama’s tenure, the company is mandated to build, own and operate infrastructure required for gathering, processing, transporting and marketing natural gas resources in Ghana and internationally.
The MP said the indigenisation of the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant has yielded national benefits including its indigenisation, which has saved the tax-payer and Government a monthly bill of US$3,000,000 (culminating into US$36,000,000 annually) as cost for engaging the services of the expatriates.
Also, there has been an increase in employment of young Ghanaian graduates with engineering, administrative skills and supporting services while also the company has increased its local workforce by about 300 percent from 2017 to 2021.
“With future addition to its business portfolio, the company hopes to attract more qualified local graduates into its field of operations.
“Due to the continuous and enhanced capacities of the young and local engineers, the company has successfully undertaken some major works after the takeover, including three (3) planned maintenance shutdowns of the GPP and related pipeline and stations,” he added.
He continued that there has been a remarkable increment in gas flow from 90 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) to 300million mscfd since the indigenisation, with future plans to increase to 450mmscfd when the proposed GPP Train2 project is completed.
Also, he said the company has supported the SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) and Government’s policy on the utilisation of LPG, by meeting 60% of the LPG requirement of the country.
“This percentage is anticipated to increase upon the completion of the GPP Train 2, which will be configured to produce more pure products.
“Under the directive of Government, the company is in the process of partnering other entities to use gas as feedstock for fertiliser production. This venture shall among other benefits, provide a boast for the local agricultural industry, save the Government millions of dollars from the importation of fertiliser and help reduce the nation’s foreign exchange losses from such imports,” Mr Annoh Dompreh said.
A business desk report