By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Anwomaso (Ash), April 17, GNA – The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Wednesday stressed the need for active participation and involvement of the private sector in Ghana’s energy supply and distribution chain.
It was time the Government focused on policy formulation and regulation and allowed the private sector to take over the distribution and supply of energy to ensure efficient service delivery while increasing investments in the sector, he said.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Anwomaso branch and metering station in Kumasi of Genser Energy, the only private owner of gas pipeline in Ghana, Otumfuo Osei Tutu noted that private investments were crucial in the supply and distribution of sustainable energy to promote industrial and commercial growth of the country.
The Genser Energy Station will connect natural gas pipelines from Nyinahin to Anwomaso for onward supply to industries in the northern sector of the country.
The Asantehene said it was worrying that state institutions involved in the distribution and supply of energy were struggling to manage resources available to them.
Allowing the private sector to take over would not only attract the needed investments but also qualified and competent employees to ensure efficient management and creating employment opportunities for the youth, he said.
“It works that way and therefore you can attract more investments to come to the country and create employment,” the Asantehene said.
“The Volta River Authority (VRA) and GRIDCO are both public sector establishments; let’s give them to the private sector to inject money in them and get the right and qualified people to do it.”
“The Electricity Company, for instance, is in a situation we do not know, let’s settle that and give it to a private company. Why are we still holding on to it when we do not have the money?” he quizzed.
It was time Ghanaians faced the realities and decide on what the Government should be doing and what private sector should do, Otumfuor Osei-Tutu noted.
He said the achievements of Genser Energy was a testament of what the private sector could do, and it was important that the Government supported such investments.
Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Energy, said the commissioning of the pipeline would bring more natural gas supply to the northern sector and boost industrialisation.
Nana Osae Nyampong, the Board Chairman, Genser Energy, said the Company would work to deliver energy solutions to Ghana and beyond.
Genser Energy is a diversified energy company with operations in West Africa.
It is an embedded power generation producer in Ghana with just over 200MW of installed capacity.
The company distributes natural gas through pipeline networks of over 420km, selling power and natural gas to energy intense industries.
The network is divided into three phases: phase one (BP01), phase two (PP01), and phase three (PP02).
The main supply of natural gas starts from the Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana Gas) at Prestea Regulating and Metering Station (PRMS).
The first phase spans Prestea to Tarkwa to Damango and ends at the Golden Star Resource, Wassa Mine.
The second phase stretches from Prestea to Gyegyetreso to Manukrom.
Phase three is 110 km in length and consists of five gas stations.
GNA