Tema: The West Africa Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has achieved significant progress in its ongoing maintenance work on the gas pipelines, announcing that 70 percent of the work has been completed. The company expects to conclude the maintenance by March 02, 2025.
According to Ghana News Agency, WAPCo temporarily halted gas transmission on February 5, 2025, to facilitate the maintenance work, which includes the cleaning and inspection of the 569-kilometer pipeline stretching from Nigeria through Tema to Takoradi in Ghana. This temporary shutdown was necessary to deploy the Pipeline Inspection Gauge (PIG), essential for cleaning and regulatory inspections.
Mr. Benoni Owusu Ayeh, the Operations and Maintenance Superintendent West at WAPCo, provided insights during a press conference at WAPCo's Regulating and Metering Station in Tema. He emphasized the regulatory requirement for pigging every five years to ensure the pipeline's integrity. So far, three PIGs have been successfully launched from Tema to Takoradi, with a fourth expected to arrive early Saturday. The final phase involves the deployment of an "intelligent PIG" to gather data from within the pipeline.
Dr. Isaac Adjei Doku, General Manager of Corporate Affairs, addressed misconceptions regarding Ghana's gas supply from Nigeria during the maintenance period. He clarified that gas is still being transmitted, as it is needed for the pigging process and is being utilized for power generation by the Volta River Authority (VRA) in Takoradi.
Additionally, Dr. Doku highlighted that the maintenance period includes the replacement of two subsea valves at Tema and Cotonou. This procedure commenced following the positioning of a replacement vessel 18 kilometers offshore from the Tema Regulating and Metering Station.
Ms. Michelle Burkett, Managing Director of WAPCo, urged the media to assist in informing the public about the significance of these maintenance activities. She emphasized the importance of maintaining the pipeline's integrity to ensure long-term service to the countries involved and expressed commitment to ongoing media engagement for effective information dissemination.
