Graphic Editorial: Kudos, Ghana Gas; let the gas flow
Many Ghanaians have been waiting anxiously for the coming on board of the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant in the hope that it will end the challenges confronting the energy sector.
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Key players in the energy sector, particularly the Volta River Authority (VRA), have been quick to debunk any notion that the power crisis would be resolved after the plant comes into operation. They acknowledge that the challenges in the sector is not only with generation, but distribution and costing, among other factors.
In the midst of the financial challenges confronting us as a people, the state has to import $1 billion worth of light crude oil to generate power annually. When the gas plant becomes operational, the cost of importing the light crude oil would be reduced by half.
During a tour of the facility last Tuesday, President John Dramani Mahama said the coming on board of the plant would be a game-changer.
“This project is much anticipated by Ghanaians. It is going to be a game-changer. It would even help our macroeconomic stability in terms of reducing the pressure on our foreign exchange reserves. It would save us almost half a billion dollars a year in light crude purchases, and another billion dollars in foreign exchange savings for the purchase of light crude oil, and that is because the VRA will be able to purchase the gas in cedis”,the President said after a final tour of the Atuabo Gas Plant.
We are told that the project is 99.87 per cent completed while a safety audit is being conducted to be followed by other tests and a tie-in of the plant to the FPSO.
Within the past few years, Ghana has gone through major challenges in the supply and distribution of electricity which affected not only domestic users but impacted negatively on commercial and industrial activities. The term ‘dumsor’ is synonymous with power outages in the country.
Besides the fact that the energy providers have stated that the operation of the plant will not result in ‘dumsor, dumsor’, we are happy because of the multiplier effect on our economy. For, beyond the supply of gas for electricity generation, we can also have gas for domestic and industrial purposes.
The huge forex spent on importing light crude will also reduce and thereby ease the burden on our local currency, which has plummeted in value this year. Avenues for employment will also be created through the ancillary jobs that will come with the supply and distribution of the gas while some industrials firms would certainly expand their businesses as well.
The Daily Graphic joins the President in commending the contractors, Sinopec, and, especially, the people behind the scenes for the success of this project, particularly Mr Charles Kofi Mochiah, the Managing Director of Mochcom Limited, Mr Armarquaye Armah, Dr Ben Asante and Mr Sunu Atta, among others.
We only hope that the remaining works will be carried out as soon as possible so that Ghanaians will have the joy of seeing the plant come on stream. Already, we have witnessed a number of postponements prior to the completion of the project, which explains why the Daily Graphic prays that the remaining works would be executed expeditiously.
To the Ghana Gas Company, we say kudos to your efforts and challenge the team to let the gas flow!
