The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) has announced the successful completion of its offshore pipeline maintenance, restoring full gas transportation services to Ghana, Togo, and Benin ahead of schedule.
The maintenance, which began on February 5, 2025, involved offshore pipeline cleaning and inspection, subsea valve replacements, and other critical works across multiple locations in Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria.
The four-week project required a temporary shutdown of the gas supply to Tema, Lomé, and Cotonou.
WAPCo, during a media visit to WAPCo’s Tema Regulatory and Metering Station, Ing. Benoni Owusu Ayeh, earlier in the month, had hinted it was likely to be finished before the March 2 deadline it had set considering the pace of progress of the work,
In a press statement today, 28th February, WAPCo confirmed that the mandatory inspection and cleaning (pigging) of the 569-kilometer pipeline had been completed ahead of schedule, ensuring the continued safe and efficient operation of the system.
Managing Director of WAPCo, Michelle Burkett, while acknowledging that the temporary gas supply disruptions affected some countries, Mr. Burkett emphasized that safety and efficiency were top priorities throughout the process.
WAPCo also expressed appreciation to the governments of Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo, as well as maritime and regulatory authorities, customers, shippers, gas off-takers, host communities, and shareholders, for their support and collaboration in ensuring the project’s success.
The temporary suspension of gas supply necessitated alternative measures to sustain power generation, such as switching to liquid fuels, which are typically more expensive than natural gas.
Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), had estimated that approximately $90 million was required to procure alternative liquid fuels, such as light crude oil, to operate thermal power plants in Tema and meet the country’s electricity demand during the maintenance period. Ghanaians have had to battle with periodic power outages within the past four weeks, and it is expected that the resumption of full gas supply will quell the looming concerns of a possible return of Dumsor.
