The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has initiated preparatory works ahead of its mandatory maintenance shutdown, which is expected to last for 28 days.

Channel One News visited WAPCo’s Takoradi Regulatory and Metering Station at the Aboadze Thermal Plant on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, to assess the ongoing preparations.

In an interview, WAGPCo West’s Operations and Maintenance Manager, Engineer Benoni Owusu Ayeh, assured that the maintenance work would be completed within the scheduled timeframe.

“We are also using this opportunity to fix our sub-sea valves, particularly in Tema and Cotonou, where we had some issues. Additionally, we will undertake onshore maintenance activities. This is the longest shutdown we have had, occurring once every five years, and we have synchronized all activities to maximize efficiency,” he explained.

He further emphasised the importance of the maintenance, highlighting that the extended shutdown was necessary to uphold the pipeline’s integrity.

Meanwhile, WAPCo had earlier announced a two-week postponement of its offshore pipeline cleaning and inspection exercise, known as “pigging,” to accommodate key stakeholder interests.

Initially set to commence on January 20, 2025, the comprehensive maintenance work will now begin on February 3, 2025.