The Ghana Gas Company Limited has initiated a test run of the pipeline system installed to transport dense gas from the western region to the Tema enclave to fuel electricity plants in the area.
Engineers have since May 16 been testing the safety and efficiency of the system with a flow of 37 million standard cubic feet (mmscf) of gas daily.
Station Manager for the Takoradi Regulating and Metering Station for Ghana Gas, Emmanuel Ackon, told journalists Monday that the testing and commissioning of the gas pipelines are being done to check for leakages and durability of the pipelines that have been tied into the WAPCo pipelines.
“What we are currently supplying is not for consumption. WAPco is using the 37mmscf to pressurize their station. It will take days before they will be able to stabilize their station. Once that is done then they will be able to move to the offshore pipelines,” he explained.
He indicated that the capacity of the Takoradi Regulating and Metering Station has been expanded from the original 130 to 405mmscf a day to support the reverse flow project.
Head of Communications at Ghana Gas, Ernest Owusu Bempah said Ghana Gas will do its utmost best to always transport dense gas to Tema anytime it is called on to ensure there is no interruption in power supply.
“We do appreciate the importance of this project. Gas supply from Nigeria has not been the best and that has affected the country’s power generation ability leading to avoidable power outages. This project will therefore be the gamechanger.
“So on our part, we are ready to do all it takes to make sure that we are able to supply gas anytime we are called on to supply”, he assured.
The reverse flow project has already missed it deadline in second quarter of 2018.
Energy Minister Peter Amewu has since given June 2019 as the new deadline.
Mr. Owusu Bempah is confident that with the work done so far, the June deadline will be met.
“The reverse flow project is all but completed. You saw it yourself on the monitors in the office that gas has been supplied to WAPCo for test run. The engineers have also assured that the stabilization of the WAPCo station will take few days.
“Once no leakages are detected during the test run, the June deadline is a constant. We will honour it,” he stated.
By Eric Adjei|3news.com|Ghana