Government to complete OCTP gas infrastructure by August 2019
Government has set itself August 2019 to complete the installation of gas infrastructure to offtake gas from the ENI-led OCTP Sankofa fields.
The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of causing a recurring loss of GHS28 million monthly for failing to offtake the gas due to the absence of infrastructure.
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But Head of Communications at the Energy Ministry Nana Kofi Damoah says the cost could have been higher but for pragmatic steps taken by government since assuming office.
Ghana’s agreement with ENI requires that it pays for 90% of the gas produced whether it takes the gas or not, an undertaking underpinned by a take-or-pay clause, already activated since October last year.
The Minority spokesperson on Mines and Energy, Adam Mutawakilu maintains that the cost being incurred could have been avoided.
“It is also important to note that in order to ensure the maximum use of the ENI gas in the western enclave, the NDC government had planned that the four hundred and fifty megawatt Karpower plant was to be stationed at Takoradi and not to be brought to Tama.”
He wants the Government to take responsibility for the current situation, saying it is a clear the government simly want to drag the NDC into their failure.
He accused the government of failing to continue arrangements put in place by the NDC administration to ensure the required infrastructure would be in place ahead of the OCTP production.
Head of Communications and Public Affairs at the Energy Ministry Nana Kofi Damoah has however disagreed with the minority.
“The Karpower plant relocation project is currently ongoing and we are looking at the end of August 2019, but let me state also that the gas is not gas that is being wasted, though it’s been paid for, due to the uncompleted infrastructure we are storing (it) such that when the people of Ghana need it we can get it from the producers ...”