Govt takes measures to avert looming power crisis

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Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah

 The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, yes­terday summoned a meeting with energy sector players for a briefing on the sector as government would require US$90 million in 12 days to avert electricity supply interruptions.

The meeting follows the planned shutdown of the West African Gas Pipeline for a one-month routine maintenance effective January 20.

•
Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah

Present at the meeting were officials from Volta River Authority, the West Africa Gas Pipeline Company, the Electricity Company of Ghana, Ghana Gas Company, Sunon-Asogli, and the Ghana National Petroleum Commis­sion.

The rest are the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, the Ministry of Energy, Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company, National Petro­leum Authority and Cenpower.

After the meeting, a technical committee was set up with the task to develop a roadmap on what could be done to avert a possible power crisis.

The meeting was crucial in the wake of a statement by the GRIDCo that the government would have to cough up US$89.9 million to procure liquid fuel to power electricity generat­ing plants during the period.

“There is a deficit in generation capacity during the period of the WAPCO pigging exercise. Therefore, it is necessary to procure liquid fuel to operate thermal plants in Tema to meet demand.

“[As a result], a total of US$ 89.90 million [would be required] to purchase liquid fuel for running thermal plants and meet demand during the maintenance period,” the GRIDCo said in a statement.

According to the GRIDCo, the maintenance works on the gas pipeline which was initially planned to be undertaken in October 2024 had to be rescheduled at the request of the previous government.

The company recommended that “efforts be made to coordinate ENI and Tullow gas production during the maintenance period, to effect necessary reductions in their gas produc­tion volumes. This will accommodate the 80-90 mmscf of gas expected to be delivered from Nigeria via West Africa Gas Pipeline”.

It also recommended that government secured additional generation resources with a dependable capacity of at least 244.66 MW by the last quarter of 2025, as well as secure an additional 129 mmcfd of natural gas supply (or equivalent volumes of liquid fuels) to fire ther­mal generation and meet the projected demand.

Speaking with journalists after the meetings, Frank Okyere, Director of Systems Operations at the GRIDCo, said the maintenance was criti­cal to ensure the integrity of the pipeline.

“This work requires that the portion which sends gas to power plants in Tema will be shut down for the one month period,” Mr Okyere explained.

Because of this, Mr Okyere said “it is needful that we get some liquid fuel for some of the plants in Tema to run so that we continue to have adequate supply [of power] even during the period.”

He revealed that “there are some liquid fuels but it is not enough to cover for the period of the pigging and so efforts have to be made to get enough volumes of the liquid fuel so that that critical maintenance can proceed.”

Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, MP for Abura/Asebu/Kwamankese and spokesperson for President John Dramani Mahama said govern­ment was working assiduously to address the situation.

“You can be rest assured that government is taking the matter seriously and would do what has to be done to avert any difficulty for the people of Ghana. President Mahama is alive to the task and adequate responses would be fash­ioned to address this concern,” he stated.

 BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI

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