Ghana has taken delivery of the first offshore receiving terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from sub-Saharan Africa, enabling it to begin supplying LNG to customers in the first quarter of this year, the terminal operator said.
In a release, Tema LNG, which is sponsored by UK-based Helios Investment Partners, said a floating regasification unit (FRU) developed by a China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary arrived in Ghana on Thursday.
Project manager Edmund Agyeman-Duah in a statement said, “Once operational, this FRU will allow the Tema LNG facility to receive, re-gasify, store and deliver roughly 1.7 million tonnes of LNG a year – 30% of Ghana’s general capacity,”
For years, Ghana has attempted to get an LNG import project off the ground, but two leading operators, Golar and Hoegh, have withdrawn due to contract delays.
While worldwide trade in LNG is increasing, offering environmental benefits over other fossil fuels, Africa is not expected to become a major importer because of its large reserves of gas, most of which has yet to be commercially produced.
Ghana, the second largest economy in West Africa and a major gold and cocoa producer, suffers from an inadequate supply of electricity.
“As evidenced in similar fast growing economies in Asia and Latin America, the introduction of LNG into the energy mix serves as a catalyst for industrial and economic growth,” said Ogbemi Ofuya of Helios Investment Partners.
Educator, writer and legal researcher at Alafarika for Studies and Consultancy.