Nigeria Resumes Supply Of Gas To Ghana

Nigeria gas has resumed the supply of gas to Ghana through the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo). The flow, which started last Saturday with a low volume of about 13 million standard cubic feet (SCF), is expected to improve in the coming days. The resumption of the supply of gas by Nigeria to neighbouring countries followed the resolution of the labour unrest that rocked Nigeria Gas, which necessitated the cut in supply. Closure of pipelines The cut in gas supply to Ghana resulted in a major electricity generation shortfall of nearly 500 megawatts. Nigeria is contractually bound to supply 120 million cubic feet per day (pd) of gas to Ghana through the transnational gas pipeline but it has not been able to meet its obligation because of labour unrest and other challenges. Good news A source at the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum described the resumption in gas supply from Nigeria as good news for the country�s energy sector. It said the cut in supply had resulted in the shutdown of various electricity generating units in Tema and Aboadze. It said the Sunon Asogli plant in Tema, which contributes, on the average, about 180 megawatts and depends solely on gas, had to shut down after exhausting the pressure in the pipeline from Nigeria. Currently, most of the plants at the Aboadze power enclave in the Shama District in the Western Region have, like the Sunon-Asogli Power plant, been converted to run on gas. The VRA was happy with the resumption of gas supply, as its engineers said they would not re-convert the plants to run on light crude oil (LCO).