[ 2014-09-02 ]

'Atuabo Gas Will Optimize Tariffs'
The Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission
(PURC) has assured Ghanaians that the successful
completion of the gas processing project at Atuabo
in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region
will help optimize the tariffs regime in the
country.

This came to light when members of the Technical
Committee of PURC paid a visit to the gas
processing project site at Atuabo to assess the
level of work at Atuabo.

The nation is likely to gain about $1 billion per
year when the gas project becomes fully
operational to ease pressure on the country's
foreign exchange.

The country is currently using crude oil to power
its thermal plants, which is expensive.

The Atuabo Gas Plant would provide an initial 120
million cubic feet of gas per day to the Aboadze
Thermal Plant to generate electricity and
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for domestic use.

Dr Emmanuel Annan, Board Chairman of PURC, who led
the Technical Committee, indicated that upon
completion, the project would help to reduce the
tariffs paid by consumers or maintain the current
tariffs.

He explained that the project would help provide
cheap, reliable and efficient electricity supply
to Ghanaians, adding that 'the higher the cost of
fuel in power generation, the higher the
tariffs.'

He expressed satisfaction with the level of work
at the gas processing plant at Atuabo.

The Director of Public Relations and External
Affairs of PURC, Nana Yaa Gyantua, indicated that
'gas is a cheap source of energy as compared to
crude oil, which is used by government and other
independent power-producing companies.' The
Technical Committee members earlier visited the
Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Aboadze
Thermal Plant to learn at first-hand the
operational challenges hampering the production of
electricity in the country.

The proposed plans and programmes were presented
to the Technical Committee.

Nana Yaa Gyantuah said the visit was also to find
out how the management of the VRA was trying to
improve the power situation.

Nana Yaa Jantuah added that the committee was
committed to ensuring the deliver of quality
utility services to consumers.

Stephen Owusu, Maintenance Engineer and Manager at
the VRA, noted that the gas project would enhance
the company's operations.

He said currently the country spends millions of
dollars daily on crude oil and that with the
production of gas from Atuabo, the country would
spend half of the amount spent on crude oil.

Mr. Owusu however added that the gas would only
complement and ensure availability but would not
halt the power outages that the country was
facing.

Source - Daily Guide

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