TITLE:
A Review of the Causes of Sustainable Supply Deficiencies in Natural Gas Supply in Ghana
AUTHORS:
Jones Lewis Arthur, Samuel Asiedu-Okantah
KEYWORDS:
Natural Gas, Supply, Deficiency, Sustainability
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Power and Energy Engineering,
Vol.9 No.4,
April
9,
2021
ABSTRACT: Although
Ghana produces natural gas and has several gas reserves, the country still
depends on supplies from neighbouring countries for power generation due to
challenges like fuel supply inefficiencies and increasing cost of gas production. Gas supply is thus a
limiting factor for power generation. This study explores strategies to improve
gas supplies for sustainable power generation in Ghana. The study examined the
underlying factors inhibiting gas supplies in Ghana, investigated the risks in
the gas supply industry, and explored strategies for improving gas supplies in
Ghana. The study adopted an inductive approach that utilises both qualitative
and quantitative research methods. With the use of questionnaires, data were
collected from 151 respondents who were selected by purposive and snowball
sampling procedures. The collected data were descriptively and inferentially
analysed with analytical tools in the SPSS. The study’s findings conclude that factors that inhibit gas
supply in Ghana include the lack of growth and supply investment in the gas
supply industry, power sector debt on the gas market, and the lack of an
extensive distribution infrastructure/network. Also, the gas industry in Ghana
lacks the requisite investment drive which culminates into inefficiency and
ultimately undermines efforts to achieve sustainable power generation. Politics
influence in issues relating to gas supplies in Ghana inhibits long-term supply
relationships and permanent infrastructure in gas supply, both locally and on
the world market.