WAPCo Signals New Phase for Regional Energy Integration with Record Gas Deliveries

Accra: The operator of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAPCo) has announced record gas deliveries, improving infrastructure reliability, and plans to expand capacity, setting the stage for a new phase of energy integration in the region. However, challenges related to payments, contract enforcement, and supply security remain significant risks. According to Ghana Web, Abiodun Bodunrin, Managing Director of WAPCo, stated that the pipeline recorded its strongest performance in 2025, with continued higher volumes this year, highlighting the growing demand for natural gas across West Africa. At the West African Gas Summit 2026 in Accra, Bodunrin noted that gas volumes transported through the regional pipeline network have increased significantly over the past decade, particularly in the last three years. In 2025, WAPCo achieved its best year since starting commercial operations in 2011, with gas deliveries rising by more than 20 percent from both eastern and western supply sources. This momentum has continued in to 2026, with record delivery rates across the system. The company has reached peak volume delivery in the entire West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) system, with first-quarter average throughput rising to about 257,000 MMBtu from historical averages of around 219,000 MMBtu. Peak delivery rates have reached approximately 315,000 MMBtu this year. This performance highlights a turnaround for a regional infrastructure project that has historically faced supply disruptions and operational challenges. The West African Gas Pipeline stretches about 569 kilometers from Nigeria through Benin and Togo to Ghana. Initially designed as a one-way pipeline, it now operates as a bidirectional and open-access system following developments in Ghana's offshore gas resources. The network currently serves 17 shippers and links multiple supply and demand centers across the four participating countries. Bodunrin expressed confidence in the existing infrastructure's capacity to accommodate higher gas volumes without major near-term capital expenditure. Pipeline utilization reached about 60 percent at peak periods in 2025, indicating substantial unused capacity remains available. This spare capacity is central to WAPCo's growth strategy. The company plans to increase gas deliveries from Nigeria by an additional 100 million standard cubic feet per day this year, representing roughly a 70 percent increase compared to last year's levels. Over the next five years, WAPCo is targeting an almost 80 percent increase in system capacity relative to 2025 through upgrades at receiving and metering stations across the network, driven by rising gas demand in the region. However, Bodunrin cautioned that infrastructure improvements alone will not drive the next stage of growth. Only about 30 percent of current transported volumes are supported by firm contracts, with the rest consisting mainly of interruptible arrangements, posing challenges for attracting investment into expansion projects. Payment discipline is another significant constraint facing the regional gas industry, with payment challenges persisting throughout the West African gas value chain. Bodunrin emphasized the importance of reliable gas supply from Nigeria, the dominant source of gas entering the pipeline system. Investments in Nigeria's domestic gas infrastructure are expected to enhance supply reliability and support higher export volumes into the regional network. Operational improvements at WAPCo have already been achieved, with pipeline availability and reliability improving from about 87 percent several years ago to 99.3 percent in 2025. These improvements are seen as critical to rebuilding customer confidence in long-term contracts. WAPCo's ambitions extend beyond the four countries currently connected by the pipeline. The company is exploring opportunities to extend the network to Côte d'Ivoire and potentially integrate with broader continental gas infrastructure initiatives, including the proposed African Atlantic Gas Pipeline. For these visions to be realized, Bodunrin stre ssed the need for collaboration across the value chain, including governments, regulators, suppliers, and consumers, to strengthen contract enforcement, maintain regulatory alignment, and improve payment performance.