VRA warns fishermen off facility

The Volta River Authority (VRA) has urged fishermen to stay away from its Single Point Mooring (SPM) facility used to pump light crude oil from oil tankers at sea to the Takoradi Thermal Plant.

Mr Jacob Yawson, the acting Operations Manager of the Takoradi Thermal Plant, made the call at a consultative meeting with stakeholders and fishermen organized by the VRA at Aboadze near Takoradi.

The meeting was to educate stakeholders and fishermen on the dangers of fishing around the SPM and the effect of other human activities on the operations of the Takoradi Thermal Plant.

Mr Yawson said the SPM is highly inflammable because it contains light crude oil adding: "The thermal power station combustion turbine generators are fired using light crude oil which is supplied through the SPM facility about four point 5 kilometres from shore".

According him, reports indicate that some local fishermen get on board the SPM and cook when fishing at night while others get their nets into the SPM security zone.

Mr Yawson said should the SPM burst into flames, it would go down the underground marine pipelines and eventually affect the Takoradi Thermal Plant itself.

He added that the Maritime Security Amendment Bill which is yet to be approved by Parliament would prohibit fishing near SPM and other facilities of the VRA and Tullow.

He expressed concern about sand winning activities at the beach near the Takoradi Thermal Plant, saying there was massive erosion at the beach as a result of this and if not checked, underground gas and light crude oil pipelines would be exposed.

Mr Yawson appealed to traditional rulers and the public to help put a stop to sand winning at the beach before it becomes an environmental problem.