By LARA PICKFORD-GORDON Tuesday, December 1 2009

THE Ghanaian government is interested in partnering with local energy companies to develop a natural project which would enable Ghana to move from the use of “fire wood” as a source of fuel.

Petrotrin chairman Malcom Jones and president of the National Gas Company (NGC) Andrew Mc Intosh and NGC special advisor Frank Look Kin yesterday paid a courtesy call on Ghana President John Atta Mills at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain. They subsequently spoke to the Ghanaian press about TT’s energy sector.

Jones said of the meeting, “we indicated that we will try to get some information on that project to see if it is feasible.”

The project idea involves natural gas extraction and transmission and distribution “similar to the Phoenix Park project,” said Look Kin. He said the Ghanaian government is interested in using petroleum fuel as a substitute for fire wood. Look Kin said over 90 percent of households in Ghana use firewood and it is also sold in the city. He said substituting to gas would prevent the need to cut down trees for fuel and save Ghana’s sensitive natural environment.