The Ghana National Gas Company says the two-week shutdown of the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant, which commenced on 4th October 2021, will not result in any power outages.

Head of Corporate Communications at the Ghana National Gas Company, Ernest Owusu Bempah, speaking to journalists, assured that adequate backup plans including ENI’s Sanzule Onshore gas processing plant and the reverse flow system are enough to prevent any power cuts during the two-week routine maintenance shutdown.

“We are all aware of the maintenance culture of the oil and gas industry. It is very important for us to do the maintenance for durability and also to maintain the gas facility protocols. It is also important that we do some expansions and replacement of some components in line with international standards that will enable the gas facility to run efficiently…. We have the Sanzule tie-in and the reverse flow that when Atuabo shuts down, we have other gas flow from here to the Takoradi Regulatory and Metering Station and other parts of the country for power generation.”

“We have the ENI-Sankofo Sanzule Onshore Gas Receiving facility still working. We also did the reverse flow from the Western enclave to the Eastern enclave which Asogli is receiving gas at the moment, so people should write off this misconception that when there is a shutdown at Atuabo plant then it means that there is going to be power outages”, he said.

The Ghana National Gas Company, GNGC, on Monday, commenced a two-week routine planned maintenance shutdown at the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant.

The shutdown, which will end on 18th October 2021, is to allow engineers to carry out maintenance of the plant to ensure its efficient operation.

In a statement from the Corporate Communications office of the Ghana National Gas Company, the company said the two-week maintenance will also enable the installation of key components of the processing plant.

“During the maintenance schedule, there shall be an installation of High Integrity Pressure Protection System (HIPPS) and maintenance works on the replacement of Small Bore Piping (SBP), Heat Exchanges (HEX) cleaning, replacement of damaged Product Cooler, replacement of defective valves and re-calibration of all our Safety-Critical Equipment including Pressure Safety Valves”, it said.