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.
This latest warning follows a similar episode on 26 September, when parts of the country experienced LPG shortages. At that time, Mr Kumi cautioned that up to 70% of LPG outlets had run out of supplies, creating pressure on the few stations still stocked.
Meanwhile, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has assured the public that previous challenges with the BDCs have been addressed.
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