The Ghana Gas Forum (GGF2018), a stakeholder engagement-event in its 5th edition, will this year focus on innovative ways to increase downstream gas utilisation toward government’s agenda of leveraging the country’s gas resources for industrialisation.

This year’s event, scheduled to come off on the 25th and 26th of September at the Labadi Beach Hotel under the theme ‘Driving Ghana’s Downstream Gas Utilisation’, will promote a close partnership among key industry players including the Ministry of Energy, Ghana National Gas Company and Ghana National Petroleum Corporation in policy discussions.

The forum, will be chaired by Mr. Kwame Pianim, with a presentation from special guest of honour John-Peter Amewu, Energy Minister.

According to a statement from The Gas Consortium – organiser of the event – the theme will help charge participants to reflect on the vast development opportunities associated with the downstream sector, specifically the petrochemicals industry, in support of the call for a diversified energy sector via close linkages of the gas sector with the broader economy.

GGF2018 will also highlight the potential to expand and deepen growth in the local manufacturing sector, focusing sharply on local and global factors which determine the feasibility of downstream projects.

Executive Secretary of the Gas Consortium, Mr. Senam F. Gbeho, said expectations for this year’s forum are high and will centre on influencing policy decisions in the energy sector with specific focus on natural gas as a catalyst for development.

“The Ghana Gas Forum has gained recognition as the leading independent energy policy advocacy event on the calendar, as a result of the rigorous dialogues it engenders and the sharp focus on natural gas as a strategic resource for development. At the heart of this policymaking initiative is a desire to achieve economic transformation via industrialisation, and thus improve well-being of the larger society,” he said.

“This year’s forum will once again attract a critical mass that understands this objective and helps to align government and industry shared interests in such a manner that creates the space for policy interventions driven by a collective vision,” he concluded.

GGF2018 will feature a new session named the ‘CEO Interactive Session’ on Day-2 – the 26th September 2018, structured to enable decision-makers share their upcoming work plans with peers, service providers and interested participants.

This session will provide an excellent avenue for dissemination of information relating to development of the gas sector, offering participants opportunity to gain deeper insights and market intelligence which can bolster their respective businesses’ strategic plans.

By securing support from the Energy Ministry as well as other relevant state-led planning institutions and enterprises, input from the wide range of stakeholders is set to yet again play a critical role in the dialogues and debates which lead to policy recommendations.

The Gas Consortium is an independent non-profit policy advocacy organisation that promotes the contributions of government policymakers, experts, practitioners and industry stakeholders to the policy formulation process. It does this to ensure that policy plans support the gas sector’s effective management and lead the country’s goal of leveraging its gas resources for industrialisation and economic transformation.