Ghana: Energy Minister Visits Karpowership, Cautions Against Delay Of Gas Supply

Ghana’s Minister for Energy John Peter Amewu has expressed satisfaction with the level of work done to reconnect 470MW Karadeniz Powership Osman Khan in the Western Region to the country’s national electricity grid.

The powership is currently at the Sekondi Naval Base, where it is expected that within 17 days, work on it should be completed to add power to the national grid.

The Karpowership was originally stationed at the industrial city of Ghana, Tema, but was decommissioned and relocated to Secondi-Takoradi of the West African country to utilise gas from Ghana Gas’ facility at Atuabo.

Speaking during a tour of the Karpowership and other ancillary installations on Tuesday, August 20, 2019, Minister Peter Amewu cautioned contractors, who are to ensure first gas for the Karpowership by September, to expedite work to avoid delays.

His caution followed difficulties by one of the contractors, Amandi, to access the Ghana Gas Transmission, Regulatory and Metering Station (TRMS) constructed by ENI due to handing over issues leading to some delays.

Mr Amewu, together with officials of Ghana Gas, ENI and Amandi, inspected ongoing works on the about 11-kilometre gas pipeline to transmit gas from the Aboadze Thermal enclave to the Naval Base, where the Karpowership sits.

“This project is about five different phases, thus, the pipeline construction, the construction of the transmission lines, the Transmission, Regulatory and Metering Station (TRMS) and the Onshore Terminal Station (OTS) and, then, the Karpowership installation. It is quite a complicated project but what is good is that, finally, the Karpowership is here in Sekondi and a lot of work has, so far, been done and so I want to congratulate Karpowership and the various contractors including Amandi, which has played a very critical role,” he said.

“There have been some few problems of little delays in terms of having the first gas. Now that the Karpowership is available here, we need to quickly connect with the first gas. It is currently going to feed on heavy fuel for some short period, but the quicker you are able to supply it with gas, the better it would be for us. The pipelines for the gas has been completed, the transmission lines are in place, but at the OTS, there are certain things that need to be done where the gas would have to be retreated in terms of heating and bringing the pressure down.

 “So all these would be investigated to know exactly where the cause is coming from. You realise that it has to do with just the access. Ghana Gas is of the view that certain things must be done before they can take possession, but we think that this is not the final completion but a practical completion, which gives allowance for deferred liability period. 

“So during those different liability periods, any differed liability that occurs can be corrected so they (Ghana Gas) can go ahead and then take over at that period while other issues are dealt with. So these are the issues were are looking at,” he added.

The General Manager of Amandi, David-Ben Ayun, who is supervising the construction of the Onshore Terminal Station and the gas pipeline, said they are committed to the schedule.

“We are putting effort, even though, we have a lot of delays from third parties not from our side. We are expected to give first gas by the close of September,” he said.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of Karpowership Ghana Company Limited, Volkan Buyikbicer says it would resume power generation with Heavy Fuel Oil to the national grid by August ending, even before first gas in September.

The Karpowership would be adding 470 megawatts at full capacity and would help to reduce power generation with complete operation with gas.

Source: www.energynewsafrica.com