Editorial: Gas plant nears completion

Vital equipment needed for the completion of the Atuabo Gas Plant is expected in the country this weekend. This brings some hope to consumers of electricity services, since the inability of gas to flow consistently from Nigeria has plunged the country into another load-shedding regime.

The completion of the gas plant at Atuabo has been an issue of great contention since the previous deadlines have never been met due to one reason or another. Thus, this new promise is taken with a pinch of salt since Ghanaians are neck-deep in the inconvenient load-management exercise that has now become very much a part of life in Ghana.

Explaining why the completion of the gas plant is taking so long, the Chief Executive of the Ghana National Gas Company, George Sipa Yankey, said a gamma-ray scanner manufactured in South Africa is due to arrive in the country on Saturday.

He explained that work on the project will be stalled if the scanner fails to arrive, and gave assurance that the scanner’s documents have been forwarded to the Ghana Atomic Commission for study.

In spite of the delay in completion of the gas plant, it is reassuring to note that Ghanaians have been trained in readiness for its eventual completion. This will further be enhanced with study-tours to China and Canada.

Thankfully, Dr. Yankey said, issues of finance are no longer an issue between the contractor, Sinopec, and the Ghana National Gas Company. This has been further corroborated by the Board Chair, Dr. Kwesi Botchway, who expressed satisfaction that the plant will soon see completion in spite of the many challenges it had to go through.

He said it is gratifying that plant will soon deliver gas to the Aboadze Power Enclave, and this fact alone offers hope to Ghanaians who have long wondered when this power crisis will finally come to an end. Thank God, the wait will soon be over!