As Ghana’s gas supply grows, the challenge is shifting from securing the commodity to building the infrastructure and systems needed to process, transport and put it to productive use in industry while developing export opportunities.
The issue was highlighted at the second edition of the Technical Consultative Workshop organised by the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) where industry and academic stakeholders identified infrastructure gaps, sector debt and gas flaring as key constraints on Ghana’s ability to fully harness the value of its gas resources.
Dr Kwame Sarkodie of the Department of Petroleum Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) said Ghana flared about 28.5 billion standard cubic feet of gas in 2024, equivalent to about 10.4 percent of raw gas produced.
He estimated the energy lost through the flaring at about US$170 million, saying the impact goes beyond emissions because the gas could otherwise be used to generate electricity, supply industries and reduce the need for imported fuels.
“Ending routine flaring is not just an environmental imperative; it’s an urgent economic necessity,” he said.
The issue becomes even more important as Ghana prepares to bring more gas into the system. Production from the Jubilee and Sankofa fields is expected to increase, while the planned LNG project could add significantly more supply. Ghana will therefore need enough processing and pipeline capacity to ensure the additional gas reaches power producers and industries that can use it.
This puts the planned second Gas Processing Plant, GPP-2, at the heart of the country’s gas strategy. The project is expected to add about 300 million standard cubic feet per day to Ghana’s processing capacity.
The KNUST academic cautioned that the project and other major infrastructure investments must be subjected to strong technical and commercial scrutiny.
“Major or mega-projects must be approached with uncompromised technical rigor, transparency, and strategic vision,” he said.
Infrastructure expansion also needs to extend beyond Ghana’s traditional coastal energy corridor. A stronger pipeline network into the middle and northern parts of the country could allow manufacturers in areas such as Kumasi and Tamale to access gas without relying heavily on road transportation.
The financial structure supporting the gas chain presents another constraint. Gas producers need confidence that they will be paid, while processors and transport operators require financially sustainable contracts to invest in infrastructure. Yet the gas sector remains exposed to liquidity challenges within the power sector, where electricity generators and distributors have struggled with payment obligations.
The presentation called for ring-fenced payment structures for gas processing and transportation facilities to reduce the spillover of power-sector debt into the gas market.
Ghana’s gas needs are also expected to rise in the coming years. Domestic demand could reach about 715 million standard cubic feet per day by 2030, making new supplies and infrastructure increasingly important.
The workshop also highlighted the need to build technical capacity around the infrastructure being developed. KNUST is working on applications involving predictive maintenance, methane monitoring and artificial intelligence-driven digital twins that could help operators monitor pipelines and gas processing facilities, detect leaks and improve equipment reliability.
