Ghana Gas saves US$3m monthly after replacing Chinese engineers with locals – MD

The Managing Director of the Ghana Gas Company Limited, Dr. Ben Asante, has said that as part of the company’s move to indigenize its operations, it has replaced Chinese expatriates running its Atuabo plant.

Accrding to him, the process of hiring local engineers has saved the company some US$3 million in monthly operating costs.

He made the revelation when he took his turn at the State of the Agencies Report, a regular press engagement platform created by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.

“Ghana Gas after incorporation in July of 2011, we went through a period of construction of infrastructure. At the end of November 2014, we had finished with what we call mechanical completion.

"Then we went through a period of commissioning which took about a period of 6 months. So, by the end of April 2015, our plant was fully commissioned and the pipelines attendant to the plant also were. All this time, the plant was being operated by the Chinese.

“We like to work with the Chinese, but we didn’t want to stay with them for too long. Indigenous Ghanaian engineers and technicians took over the operations of this plant.

"I have worked in this industry for 31 years and this is the first time I’ve seen such a turnaround, having foreign operators cede operatorship to indigenous engineers and technicians in the shortest time which is 3 years.

"Whiles we are at it, we save US$3 million a month because that is how much we pay the Chinese a month,” he said.

In addition to the company’s indigenization drive, Dr. Asante said his outfit has over the years contributed to developing a highly trained and motivated world-class workforce full of local engineers and technicians capable of sustaining the petrochemical industry to play a pivotal role in accelerating the development of Ghana’s economy.

He assured that with the much-needed transformation, Ghana Gas is poised to establish itself as a reliable supplier of lean gas, condensate and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) by putting in place the best technology and technical management methods to ensure the availability of its resources to the service of the Ghanaian industry.

IB/SARA