The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has dismissed reports of an imminent shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Ghana, reassuring the public that there is adequate supply to meet national demand.
This statement comes after concerns arose about potential disruptions, especially in parts of the Western and Central Regions, due to a temporary setback at the Ghana National Gas Processing Plant in Atuabo.
The NPA acknowledged that a recent power issue affected the processing of natural gas, from which LPG is derived, leading to supply disruptions from Atuabo. In response, the authority directed LPG Marketing Companies (LPGMCs) operating in those regions to load from Tema to maintain their retail supply. According to the NPA, this adjustment was a temporary measure to ensure continuity in distribution until the Atuabo plant resumes full operations.
In a statement issued on October 9, 2024, the NPA emphasized that the power challenge at the Atuabo plant had been resolved as of October 8, but the plant had not yet returned to full production. The plant is expected to resume regular operations by mid-October.
The NPA assured that, despite this temporary setback, the country’s current LPG reserves are sufficient to meet demand for nearly two weeks.
“The opening stock of LPG as of 9th October 2024 was enough to last almost two weeks of national consumption,” the statement said.
Additionally, the Sentuo Oil Refinery continues to contribute to the daily production of LPG, further stabilizing the supply chain. To bolster this, more than 20,000 metric tonnes of LPG are expected to arrive between October 21 and 27 under the authority’s LPG Tender programme.
However, the NPA highlighted that some LPG Marketing Companies’ decision to boycott the Quantum LPG Terminal and Tema Multi-Product Terminal had put pressure on the remaining depots in Tema. This boycott has reduced the daily volume of LPG being loaded from the Tema depots, limiting distribution capacity in the process.
“The refusal of these LPGMCs to load from these depots limits the volume of LPG that can be loaded from the Tema depots in a day,” the NPA noted.
Despite this challenge, the authority reassured the public that it is collaborating with all relevant parties to prioritize loading for the Western Region to mitigate the impact of the supply disruption.
The NPA emphasized that there is no reason for panic or fear of an LPG shortage. “We wish to reassure the public that there is no threat to the supply of LPG in the country and no imminent shortage of the product,” the statement read.
The authority also reiterated its commitment to working closely with the Ghana National Gas Company to ensure the timely resumption of full operations at the Atuabo plant. Any further updates on the situation will be communicated to the public, it added.
The NPA’s efforts to stabilize LPG supply come at a crucial time as consumers in the affected regions had raised concerns over potential scarcity. However, the proactive measures taken by the NPA, including the redirection of supply and the anticipated deliveries later this month, are expected to ease these concerns and restore normalcy in the supply chain.
