The West Africa Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has announced that ongoing maintenance work on its gas pipelines is expected to be completed by March 2, 2025, with 70 percent of the work already done.
The company, which operates the 569-kilometre pipeline from Nigeria through Tema to Takoradi, temporarily shut down gas transmission on February 5, 2025, to facilitate maintenance activities, including pipeline cleaning and inspections.
Speaking at a press conference at WAPCo’s Regulating and Metering Station in Tema, Operations and Maintenance Superintendent (West), Benoni Owusu Ayeh, explained that the shutdown was necessary to launch the Pipeline Inspection Gauge (PIG) into the system for cleaning and regulatory inspections.
“WAPCo is required by regulations to conduct pigging every five years to maintain the integrity of the pipeline. So far, three PIGs have been successfully launched from Tema to Takoradi, with the fourth expected to be received in the early hours of Saturday,” he stated.
He further noted that once the fourth PIG is received, the final “intelligent PIG” will be deployed to collect critical data on the interior condition of the pipeline.
Gas Supply Continues Despite Maintenance
Dr. Isaac Adjei Doku, WAPCo’s General Manager for Corporate Affairs, dismissed reports suggesting that Ghana was not receiving gas from Nigeria due to the maintenance.
“Some gas is still coming through since the pigging process requires gas to travel through the pipeline. The gas used for pigging is being delivered at Takoradi and is currently supporting power generation by the Volta River Authority (VRA),” he clarified.
He also revealed that the maintenance period is being used to replace two subsea valves at Tema and Cotonou. “The replacement vessel got into position on Monday, 18 kilometers offshore from the Tema Regulating and Metering Station, and by Wednesday, lateral depressurisation was done to commence the valve replacement, which is ongoing,” he said.
WAPCo Appeals For Public Support
Managing Director of WAPCo, Michelle Burkett, appealed to the media to help inform the public about the importance of the maintenance works in ensuring the long-term integrity of the pipeline.
She assured that WAPCo would continue to engage the media to ensure proper dissemination of information regarding such maintenance activities.
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