No community would be relocated as a result of Gas project

Takoradi, March 2, GNA- Mr Asante Okai, External Affairs Manager of the West Africa Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO) Limited, on Tuesday, said no community would be re-located during the implementation of the Gas Pipeline Project in Ghana.

He was speaking at a public hearing on the project organized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Takoradi. Mr. Okai said pipelines for the transmission of natural gas from Nigeria to Ghana under the project would be laid mostly on the sea to the offshore delivery points at the Takoradi Thermal Plant at Aboadze and Tema.

He said the delivery points would be constructed on land already acquired by the Volta River Authority (VRA) and there was therefore, no need to acquire new lands.

Mr. Okai said the contractor that would undertake the construction of the delivery points would employ most of his workforce from local communities.

He said the company would supply natural gas from Nigeria to Benin, Ghana and Togo as fuel for power generation and industrial development. Mr Okai said the company would supply liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for domestic use, and explained that the project has no connection with the Effaso Gas project that was initiated by the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC).

Mr. Okai said the government has not signed any agreement with the developer of the Effasu project to link it with the West Africa Gas Pipeline project.

The project is being built and operated by the WAPCO under authority granted by the governments of Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo. Ms Johana Koller, Project Manager said the project which would not cause environmental and social problems would be "cost-effective, secure, clean and reliably energy for West Africa".

She said the project would provide a foundation to facilitate regional economic growth and development of infrastructure to stimulate further foreign investment.

Ms Koller said the natural gas that would be supplied, would be processed to eliminate impurities, solids, heavy hydrocarbons, liquids and water.

She said it would therefore be very light and dry gas, ideally suited for power plants and industrial application.

Mr. Appiah Sampong, head of Environment and Audit of EPA said the hearing was being held to ensure that all relevant stakeholders had been consulted by the WAGPCO in the preparation of its draft environmental assessment report, which it has submitted to the EPA.

It would also ensure that the project becomes socially acceptable and economically sound, he said.