The planned shutdown of the Atuabo gas processing plant between February 3 and 20, 2017 will not affect power generation and supply in the country, power producers have assured.
According to them, they have instituted measures to ensure the production of enough power from the Akosombo and Kpong hydroelectric plants.
The Ghana National Gas Company has announced a shutdown of oil production from the Jubilee fields. The planned shutdown will lead to immediate curtailment of production and export of natural gas from the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah to the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant and subsequently stop the supply of lean gas from the plant to the power generating enclave at Aboadze.
The planned shutdown is to enable work on the interconnection between the TEN and Jubilee fields for gas exportation from the FPSO Atta Mills through the 58-km offshore Ghana Gas pipeline to the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant.
But in a joint statement signed and issued in Accra by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and the Volta River Authority (VRA), they allayed fears that the anticipated shortfall of 230 megawatts would not affect the production and supply of power.
According to the statement, in order to mitigate the impact of the shortfall, additional power would be generated from the Tema and Kpone thermal plants which operate on light crude oil (LCO) and diesel respectively.
It added also that imports from Cote d’Ivoire will be purchased to make up for the supply deficit.
“Additionally, some of the thermal units at Aboadze that have been shut down for planned maintenance would be returned into service during this period,” the statement further said.
“We take this opportunity to assure electricity consumers and the general public that the power situation will be managed in the most efficient manner during this period to address the anticipated challenges in power supply,“ the statement concluded.
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