The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has assured the public that there is sufficient Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) available to meet the country’s needs, dismissing fears of any imminent shortage.
In a statement issued by the NPA, the authority emphasised that there is no cause for concern or panic, as current LPG stocks are enough to meet national demand.
“As of October 9, 2024, the opening stock of LPG is sufficient to last nearly two weeks of national consumption.
In addition to this, the Sentuo Oil Refinery continues daily production to supply the market,” the statement said.
The NPA further revealed that over 20,000 metric tonnes of LPG are scheduled to arrive between October 21 and 27, 2024, under the LPG Tender programme, ensuring continued availability of the product.
The Authority also addressed the reasons behind recent supply disruptions, particularly in the Western and parts of the Central Region.
According to the NPA, these regions, which are supplied by the Ghana National Gas Processing Plant in Atuabo, experienced challenges due to a power issue that affected the processing of natural gas, from which LPG is derived.
To mitigate the impact, the NPA directed LPG Marketing Companies (LPGMCs) to load supplies from Tema to serve retail outlets in the affected areas.
“Checks with the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) on October 8, 2024, confirmed that the power issue has been resolved, though the Gas Processing Plant has not yet returned to full production.
Regular production is expected to resume from October 15, 2024,” the statement added.
The NPA also noted that a boycott by some LPGMCs of the Quantum LPG Terminal and Tema Multi-Product Terminal has increased pressure on the remaining depots in Tema, limiting the daily volume of LPG that can be loaded from these facilities.
Despite these challenges, the NPA reassured the public that there is no threat to the overall supply of LPG in the country.
The Authority is working with all relevant stakeholders to prioritize loading for the Western Region and address supply issues in the area.
“The NPA remains committed to ensuring the continued availability of LPG across the country and urges the public to remain calm, as there is no imminent shortage,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Marketers Association of Ghana has warned of an imminent gas shortage, likely to begin next week, due to dwindling LPG reserves and complications with new import regulations introduced by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
Vice President of the association, Gabriel Kumi, expressed concern over the current stock of LPG, stating it would not last beyond the week.
He revealed that the 10,000 metric tonnes recently delivered will be exhausted soon. “If measures are not taken to bring in another vessel of gas by next week, we shall be in a very serious shortage situation,” he said.
Mr Kumi attributed the situation to fluctuations in global LPG prices and domestic supply challenges.
The Atuabo Gas Plant, which typically supplies up to 50% of the country’s LPG needs, has been underperforming, leaving marketers reliant on imports. “Atuabo hasn’t been performing well for the past month. We are solely depending on imports,” he noted in an interview with Joy News.
The LPG association has urged the NPA to act swiftly by instructing Bulk Oil Distributors (BDCs) to expedite product imports, warning that failure to do so would lead to severe shortages.
Meanwhile, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has assured the public that previous challenges with the BDCs have been addressed.
