A critical maintenance operation on the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) is set to commence on January 20, 2025, and will last for nearly a month, until February 16, 2025.
The exercise, which was originally scheduled for October 2024, was rescheduled at the request of the Ministry of Energy.
The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo), the operators of the pipeline, will conduct a comprehensive pigging (cleaning) exercise, inspections, and replacement of subsea valves. This maintenance is crucial to ensuring the integrity and reliability of the pipeline, which supplies natural gas to several countries in the region, including Ghana.
However, the maintenance operation will have a significant impact on power generation in Ghana. The shutdown of the WAGP line laterals in Togo, Benin, and Tema will result in a reduction of gas supply to thermal plants in Tema. This, in turn, will lead to a shutdown of gas-fired plants in Tema, except those that have and can run on liquid fuel.
“During the pigging period, gas offtake from the WAGP line laterals in Togo, Benin, and at Tema will be shutdown. There will be no consumption of gas from these laterals”, the statement stated.
“There will therefore be no gas supply to thermal plants in Tema. This will require the shutdown of gas- fired plants in Tema, except those who have and can run on liquid fuel”.
The affected plants include the Sunon Asogli plant, Cenpower, KTPP, TT1PP, AKSA, and Bridge Power Plants, which collectively consume approximately 180 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas. The reduction in gas supply will result in a decrease in power generation capacity, which may lead to power outages in some areas.
“A total of 180 mmscfd of gas consumed by the Sunon Asogli Plant, Cenpower, KTPP, TT1PP, AKSA and Bridge Power plants in Tema”
“There will be consequently be a generation capacity during the pigging period”, the statement noted.
To mitigate the impact of the maintenance operation, the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has assured the public that it will work closely with WAPCo and other stakeholders to minimize the disruption to power supply. GRIDCo has also advised consumers to take precautionary measures to conserve energy during this period.
source: www.kumasimail.com/ Kwadwo Owusu
