LPG power plants for largescale energy access
Bridge Power project11, an LPG-fueled power plant under development in Tema, Ghana, will use high efficiency turbine generators. The US$953 million power plant being built in two phases, one of 194 MW and the second of 206 MW, is the largest of its kind. Because of the scale of this LPG energy project, the power plant will not only fuel sustainable energy transition, but also local employment and economic development.
LPG greatly suits the Ghanaian market for power generation, due to Ghana’s high wholesale electricity prices. LPG’s versatility makes it efficient and easy to use, and it delivers lower carbon emissions with great results. The project will use imported LPG as the primary fuel, and diesel as the secondary fuel during the first five years of operation. Natural gas is expected to become available to serve as the primary fuel, and LPG will become the secondary fuel later.
LPG’s versatility is demonstrated in ways beyond its efficiency and sustainability aspects. LPG is easier and less expensive to compress, ship, and store than LNG, and LPG power plants can be developed close to where energy is needed, thus avoiding significant losses from power transmission lines.
It is adaptable to other fuel sources such as wind, solar, hydro or other renewable sources, as well as natural gas and, because of this quality, LPG is considered as a valuable “bridge” energy source for such power plants. Fueling power plants with LPG therefore also contributes over time to a greater renewable energy share in overall electricity generation.
The US$953 million power plant being built in two phases, one of 194 MW and
the second of 206 MW, is the largest of its kind.