Ghana mulls reverse gas flow from Aboadze Power to Tema for power generation
Ghanaian Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has argued that “Ghana has enough gas to power all her power plants without relying on imported gas because gas is much cheaper than liquid fuel, hence a policy decision has been taken to switch-over to gas in energy generation.”
Explaining more at the maiden Town Hall Meeting by the Economic Management Team (EMT) at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, in Accra, he said the country currently paid $24 million a month in excess capacity charges for power generated and not being used, which would shore up to $41 million later this year.
The meeting, which had ‘Our Progress, Our Status, Our Future,’ as theme was to update the public on gains made, so far, and efforts to sustain them to engender economic growth and development.
According to him, “Ghana would save $300 million annually upon the successful completion of the reverse flow of natural gas from the Aboadze Power enclave to Tema for power generation,” noting that “The country will deepen self-sufficient in using gas for electricity generation and minimise the importation of natural gas from Nigeria in the process.”
“Ghana has enough gas to power all her power plants without relying on imported gas because gas is much cheaper than liquid fuel, hence a policy decision has been taken to switch-over to gas in energy generation,” he said.
Vice President Bawumia said the first phase of the switch-over of liquid fuel to gas would be completed this month, which would ensure evacuation of 60 million standard cubic feet of gas from the Western Region to Tema Power enclave, while the Phase Two would be completed by July or August, this year.
Stakeholders represented at the Town Hall meeting included the civil society organisations, academia, traders, importers, freight forwarders and members of the public.
Giving additional emphasis job creation, he said the Government had created 350,000 jobs, excluding employment under Planting for Food and Jobs, since assuming office in 2017.
He said it was also pursuing inclusive transformation governance where everybody would be positively affected including the reduction of the nuisance taxes and other social interventions.
The Vice President said the government President Nana Akufo-Addo had been building human capacity through the Free Senior High School Policy, Nation Builders Corps and Planting for Food and Jobs.
“We’re managing the economy better and fulfilling our promises, but as I mentioned earlier, we still have a lot more to do…this has been just two years, and as I have been saying we have laid a solid foundation so support President Akufo-Addo’s government to deliver more,” Vice President Bawumia added.
