3 weeks ago
28
By Adewale Sanyaolu
The West African Pipeline Company (WAPCo) has said that over 1,000 megawatts of electricity across power plants operating in Ghana, Togo and Republic of Benin would be impacted as a result of its routine maintenance which began on Friday to terminate on March 2.
Addressing the media at the flag-off of the pipeline cleaning and pigging maintenance operation at WAPCo’s Lagos Beach Compressor Station at Badagry at the weekend, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Dr. Isaac Adjei Doku, allayed fears of possible blackout in the three countries.
He explained that earlier discussions with the countries and the management of WAPCo had led to alternative plans for uninterrupted power generation during the maintenance period.
“We have engaged the government of Ghana, we have engaged the government of Togo, and we have engaged the government of Benin Republic, and proper arrangements have been made by the governments of these countries to engage the use of liquid gas pending when this maintenance is completed.”
Specifically, he said Ghana had sourced enough liquid fuel to enable it generate enough electricity to power the economy.
Doku, maintained that the major maintenance is to upscale the company’s efficient service to its customers.
He stated that the maintenance is statutorily done every five years, and is part of the standard procedure for efficiency, integrity, and as a requirement for insurance.
According to him, the pipeline transports gas from N-gas in Nigeria to over 650 plants – including electricity generation, adding that the ongoing efforts, which would guarantee the integrity of the pipeline is to make sure that the asset is in pristine position.
“We have done the first phase, which is the maintenance of our onshore line starting from Itoki in Ogun Nigeria to LBS in Ajido here, in October.
The second is starting from the 5th of February to the 2nd of March. It is the maintenance of our offshore lines for the four weeks window from LBS to Takoradi in Ghana.
The last phase is the intelligence phase, where technology will be deployed to detect any possible anomaly may be due to corrosion, or any other threat to asset integrity, and such will be fixed.
We operate a 569-kilometre offshore pipeline infrastructure from Ajido, Lagos State, to Takoradi, Western Region, Ghana. We have an excellent safety record of 2.5 million man (workforce) hour without any incident of death or injury.”
In addition, Doku said, replacement of critical subsea valves at Tema in Ghana and Cotonou in Benin Republic will be done to enhance operational safety.
“This maintenance project will necessitate the temporary suspension of specific services, including the reverse flow transportation of natural gas from Ghana’s Western Region to Tema in the east, as well as gas transportation services from Nigeria to Cotonou (Benin), Lomé (Togo), and Tema (Ghana).
However, some gas transportation services from Nigeria to Takoradi in Ghana will continue during this period to ensure the successful execution of the pipeline cleaning and inspection activities”.
According to him, the comprehensive cleaning and inspection exercise is a key regulatory requirement and aligns with industry best practices to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the West African Gas Pipeline.
“The cleaning and inspection, which encompasses the entire pipeline stretch from Itoki, Ogun State, Nigeria, to Takoradi, Western Region, Ghana, is in two phases. The first phase, which was completed in December 2024, involved cleaning and inspecting the onshore section of the pipeline within Nigeria. The second phase, which started on February 5, 2025, will focus on the offshore section of the WAGP.”
Doku expressed his company’s appreciation to the maritime and regulatory authorities across the four countries, as well as its customers, shippers, gas off-takers, host communities, shareholders, and all other relevant stakeholders for their continued collaboration and contribution to the success of this exercise.
“WAPCo is committed to maintaining the proactive stakeholder engagement processes established during the project’s preparation phase during execution. The company will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders on all matters to ensure the project’s safe execution and success,”.
English (US) ·