In the wake of the Karpowership deal, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah says, the sitting President of the Republic Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has not right to claim credits for the utilization and associated savings towards the 450 MW Karpowership deal.
According to the lawmaker, all credits should rather go to former President John Manama since it was during his tenure such deal was reached.
This project represents a game-changer in the country’s gas-topower ambitions with about 45,000 Barrels of Oil Per Day (BOPD) and 180 mmscf of Gas, enough to generate 1,000 MW of power daily.
Meanwhile, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government failed to do two simple but critical assignments which came with costly consequences when they took over power in January 2017.
However, before leaving the office, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) according to Hon. Bush initiated processes to interconnect the Ghana National Gas Transmission System with the West African Gas Pipeline System pan of the broader Long Term vision to ensure a sustainable and reliable supply of Gas.
The llawmaker explained these issues to the press in Parliament House indicating that, “this is to allow a reverse flow of gas from the West (Takoradi) to the East to serve power Plants in the Tema enclave”.
Stressing that, the task then was to ensure that power plants were in place and ready to receive the ENI Gas; which culminated in the process of implementing an aggressive and weil-coordinated programme by contracting Thermal Plants such as the Karpowership, Ameri, AKSA, KTPP aimed at utilising the anticipated Gas to be delivered from the ENI Gas.
Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo on 7th of December 2019 turned on the valves for the use of natural gas from the Eni-OCTP fields to enable the 450 megawatts Karpowership use lean gas instead of Heavy Oil Fuel (HFO)”.
In his speech, Hon. Armah-Kofi Buah gave a long list of the benefits of gas and how the switch of the karpowership to natural gas, would save electricity users an amount of $170.5 million per year and a projected amount of $1 .2 million over the remaining term, by way of reduced electricity charges to consumers.
Responding to the president who acknowledged that, “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 industrial development of Ghana, that is our goal.”
Being surprised of the President remarks, the lawmaker questioned the President remarks saying “Really? Mr. President! When did the president come to this realisation? Is this not the useless, expensive, take or pay gas project you condemned in opposition and continue to criticise even in your recent budget?”.
He further revealed that,former president John Dramani Mahama spent sleepless nights and led a historic effort to bring the Eni-OCTP Project on stream.
“It was part of a comprehensive effort to address Ghana’s energy challenges as well as address the issue of fuel security for our thermal plants”, he recounted.
Adding that, “After the successful completion of the Atuabo gas project, the next effort was the historic Eni’s OCTP project to utilize the associated and non-Associated Sankofa gas”.
This initiative received cabinet approval before the NDC left office because it was so critical to ensuring that the ENI Gas was not stranded, sadly this new government failed to prioritise this project, he lamented.
“The NDC government also commenced the process of locating the 450MW 1(Karpowetship Badge to Takoradi to replace the 250MW Ship in Tema to off-take part of the Gas”, he opined.
Unfortunately, he noted it took Nana Addo and his government three long years of inertia and procrastination resulting in the delay of the relocation of the karpowership to Sekondi Naval base.
Source: www.thenewindependent online.com/ Delali Gavor
