The Atuabo gas processing plant will shut down from August 16 to 30 for scheduled maintenance. The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition says the exercise is necessary to ensure safe and reliable operations. Gas supply will be suspended during the period to allow maintenance work to proceed.
No Power Disruptions Expected During Atuabo Gas Shutdown
Speaking earlier today, Richmond Rockson, Head of Communications at the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, assured the public there will be no disruptions in power supply.
“We don’t expect any disruptions in power supply. We expect that, as has been the case in the last few months, all businesses, all homes, all residents, and institutions will continue to have a stable power supply during the period. And this maintenance is critical,” Rockson said.
He explained that the exercise should have been carried out much earlier, and further deferring will create risks to energy security.
“If you continue to defer some of this critical maintenance, you can have a situation where these plants, or depending on whether they’re thermal or, in this case, are to have a breakdown,” he noted.
Mr. Rockson said the 15-day shutdown of the Atuabo gas plant is essential to prevent breakdowns that could disrupt national power generation.
Mitigation Measures to Offset Atuabo Gas Supply Shortfall
Addressing concerns about the impact of the Atuabo gas plant shutdown, Rockson said mitigation measures are in place.
He said the ministry has made provision for alternative fuels, what we call liquid fuels. The expected deficit is about 95 million standard cubic feet, significantly lower than the 245 million lost during the July 13 shortfall. He said the ministry has budgeted accordingly, making room for a dedicated fund for liquid fuels, which will be a long way to help when it comes to power generation.
Energy Sector Shows Signs of Recovery
On the overall state of the energy sector, Rockson said the administration inherited significant challenges, including over 700 megawatts of load shedding as of December 2024. He said improvements have been made, which include better efficiency in the national grid, over 200 new transformers, transmission line upgrades, and maintenance of distribution lines.
