The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Natural Gas Company, Judith Adjobah Blay, has urged the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to increase transmission tariffs to support plant maintenance and investment.

Speaking during a tour of the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant with Parliament’s Energy Committee, she said the increase would help ensure plant reliability and stable power generation across the country.

"It's very necessary that we at Ghana Gas are able to go to the PORC to convince them on certain expenditure that warrant a little increase especially in our transmission tarrif.

"A little adjustment in the tarrif would mean a little incremental in the price of power but the other side of it is that if you don't have money at Ghana Gas enough to really operate the plant and maintain it then the consequences are even more than a little increase in tarrif," she stated.

She cited an incident in which much of the plant’s automation system failed, leading to a shutdown and a reduction in power generation for approximately six hours.

Mrs Blay added that, since last year, the number of trips has reduced compared with earlier periods.

She explained that Ghana Gas is taking steps to reduce trips while also increasing gas processing levels.

She noted that the gas processed before last year was about 100MM scalf, but it has now increased to 120MM scalf.

"Earlier on we had more trips and we doing everything we can to reduce the trips then also we have increased Gas Processing saying that the gas they processed before last year was about 100MM scalf and today they have increased it to 120MM scalf.

"There's increment and then there's also a lots of maintenance being done to optimise the plant for access to electricity and ensure energy security," she said.