Page 8 - AfrElec Week 48 2021

AfrElec GAS GENERATION AfrElec

Atuabo Gas Plant shutdown

due to routine engineering and

maintenance works

GHANA THE Ghana National Gas Company Limited to you, there is still gas that would not bring any
(GNGCL) says it will not shy away from routine challenge to Ghanaians with respect to power
engineering and maintenance of machines and generation,” he explained.
equipment at the Atuabo Gas plant in the West- The GNGCL shut down the Atuabo pro-
ern Region of Ghana, starfm.com reported on cessing plant in October of this year to allow 14
November 22. days of routine engineering and maintenance
Corporate communications head Ernest activities.
Owusu Bempah said such maintenance works Although inconsistent with previous shut-
are only to guarantee the integrity of the GNGCL downs, the company said it would enhance the
processing plant, and the company will continue capacity for uninterrupted productivity while
to do this in accordance with international best prolonging the lifespan of its machines and
practices. equipment.
His statement came in response to the pub- Such operations involved the installation
lic outcry over Ghana once again having erratic of high integrity pressure protection systems
power supplies, popularly known in the country (HIPPS), maintenance works on the replace-
as ‘Dum Sor,’ literally meaning ‘off and on’. ment of small-bore piping (SBP), heat exchange
“So how a section of the public feels that (HEX) cleaning, replacement of a damaged
when we (turn) off the Atuabo Gas Plant then product cooler, replacement of defective valves
the nation returns to having power outages, this among others.
cannot be true. However, the said time for the maintenance
“I have stated that there is a system in place works has elapsed and there is a delay in putting
which gives us the opportunity to have Gas from the plant back online due to gas shortages, fuel-
Eni (Eni-Sankofo Sanzule Onshore Gas Receiv- ling public speculation that the country may be
ing facility), that’s a combination of Atuabo, Eni returning to erratic power supply.
and an additional one (Asogli Power Plant) that But Owusu Bempah assured that the com-
provides us with extra gas to generate electricity pany has reliable gas supply options available for
for Ghanaians. power generation.™
“Therefore, despite the fact that we have
(turned) off the Atuabo Gas Plant, as I am talking

Cote d’Ivoire signs power supply

agreement with Guinea

COTE d’Ivoire has signed a deal to export 11 Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo and Mali. It
MW of electricity to Guinea annually as it ramps plans to increase its installed capacity of 2,230
up its generation capacity and strengthens its MW with the construction of a 200-MW gas-
position as the regional power hub, Reuters fired power plant, according to Reuters.
reports. Earlier this year, Italian oil and gas major Eni
The deal will run from 2021 to 2023, said Cote announced a major discovery in Block Cl-101
d’Ivoire’s mines and energy minister, Thomas offshore Cote d’Ivoire, with a preliminary esti-
Camara, at a signing ceremony on November 30. mation of some 2 trillion cubic feet (56.6bn cubic
Cote d’Ivoire already exports electricity to metres) of associated gas.™

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 48 02•December•2021