The government of Ghana has commissioned its first gas for Karpowership. President Akufo-Addo turned on the valves for the use of natural gas from the country’s gas fields, instead of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), on the 450 MW for the generation of power.
The Powership was off for a while, which enabled it to carry out various pre-commissioning works to successfully connect with the 330kV transmission lines in Sekondi. The relocation was in line with government’s strategic policy for the Powership to utilise Natural Gas from the Western Enclave in bid to save government millions of dollars annually.
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Switch to natural gas
The switch to natural gas is projected to save electricity users an amount of US $170.5m per year, and a projected amount of US $1.2bn over the remaining term of the contract, by way of reduced electricity charges to consumers.
The generating units of the powership will be supplied with the 90 million standard cubic feet of gas daily (MMSCFD), which will reduce the cost of transporting gas to Tema and make gas cheaper compared to HFO.
“With Karpowership taking approximately 50% of the volume of the take-or-pay Sankofa gas for power generation over the remaining period of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), Ghana, will save a whopping monthly take-or-pay cost of US $40m and projected annual savings of US $480m,” said the Ministry of Energy.
“The use of natural gas helps bring down the cost of electricity, saves our country, and makes it possible for us to look at a secure source of powering the transformation of our country’s economy and for the industrial development of Ghana. That is our main goal,” said President Akufo-Addo.
