Work progresses on reverse flow pipeline project at Aboadze

Della Russel Ocloo Dec - 01 - 2015 , 15:43

Construction work on the 150-kilometre reverse flow pipeline from the Aboadze power enclave in the Western Region that will facilitate the transmission of dense gas to power thermal plants in Tema is 50 per cent complete.

The project, which will tie in to the transmission lines of the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) when completed, will transmit about 60 million standard cubic feet (scf) of gas per stream day to the Asogli, the Kpone and the Cenit Power plants which run on gas.

The reverse flow project, which is being put up as a simple reverse facility and does not require a compressor, became necessary due to the Volta River Authority’s (VRA’s) inability to receive the 120 million scf of gas that Ghana Gas supplies on a daily basis.

“Ghana Gas has already paid a shipper’s fee of $10,000 to WAPCo as commitment fee, waiting for officials to sort out issues surrounding the government’s indebtedness to enable them to carry out their obligations to us,” the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Gas, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, told the Daily Graphic in an interview in Accra.

He indicated that the completion date for the project, which was initially scheduled for December 2015, had to be postponed to the second quarter of 2016.

Onshore Pipeline
According to Dr Yankey, Ghana Gas would be required to build a compressor at Aboadze in the event that the transmission flow went beyond 60 million cubic feet.

He also hinted that Ghana Gas was holding talks with the ministries of Petroleum and Power to construct a dedicated onshore pipeline of about 150km from Aboadze to Tema to serve as a buffer.

“Feasibility studies are underway and a team has been commissioned to put in place an engineering design for the project, which is aimed at providing holistic infrastructure for the alternative transportation of gas,” he pointed out.