The Ghana National Gas company at Atuabo in the Western Region has achieved 16 million man-hours operational time without any fatality or accident since its establishment in 2011.
The General Manager in-charge of Operations at Ghana Gas, Mr Robert Kofi Lartey revealed this when the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy visited the gas processing plant at Atuabo on Monday.
The visit was to help members of the committee get abreast with the operations of the gas processing plant.
He indicated that the company takes safety issues seriously and so had set up community liaison officers who were trained periodically on safety related matters as far as the operations of the company were concerned.
“This is part of the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) so that the officers would educate the residents in the communities in which the company operate on our safety issues”, he told the members of the select committee,” he said.
He indicated that since the company’s pipelines were located offshore, Ghana Gas was collaborating with the Marine Police to educate fishermen on the need to stay away from the installation of the gas processing in the sea.
He told the members that Ghana Gas Company was undertaking an expansion exercise to enable it process more gas by 2024 for both power generation plants and private businesses.
“We have laid a very good foundation for any industry that is interested in doing business with Ghana Gas to easily off-take reliable supply of Gas at any time.
“Currently, we have a gas pipeline from Aboadze to a free-zone enclave at Ashiem in the Shama District called Wanka Ceramics which is taking lean gas from us. We also have Twyford ceremanics that is also taking gas.
“At the Prestea corridor, we are undertaking a massive infrastructural expansion activity over there and hopefully by June this year we should have another private company that will be ready take gas for power generation”, he revealed.
Vice Chairman of the Select Committee, George Mireku Duker, commended Ghana Gas Company for undertaking an expansion exercise to enable it process more gas by 2024 for both power generation plants and private businesses.
A Ranking Member of the Committee, Adams Mutawakilu said he was impressed with the manner in which Ghanaians were able to manage the infrastructure.
“This is a clear manifestation that when we are given our own assets, we can manage them. Now Ghanaians are managing Ghana Gas with world class safety records and environment”, he indicated.