The Ghana Gas company limited is awaiting permit from the Energy Commission to produce the maximum amount of gas possible to generate about 550MW of electricity, enough to end the ongoing load shedding.

The company has also announced an ambitious target to start producing maximum gas by end of this month.

These were contained in a statement signed by the Board Chairman, Kwesi Botchway.

"It is gratifying to note that at this stage, the electricity being generated by the VRA operating units at the Aboadze Thermal Power Complex is currently produced exclusively with gas from the Atuabo plant", said the statement.

He said the VRA is also currently utilising the available gas from Nigeria to power its plants at the Tema power production enclave, but says the power producer will need to confirm its readiness to take the higher flows of gas as and when it is available.

Ghana Gas says it intends to ramp up gas production from 60 mmscfd to the target flow of 120 mmscfd (the full complement of gas requirement at Aboadze and sufficient for the generation of about 550MW of electricity) by the end of this year.

The country has been reeling under intense power rationing caused by a dip in gas supply from the West Africa Gas pipeline to power thermal plants.

An ongoing load shedding has been extended to industrial enclaves to recover some 25 percent of power from industries.