Ghana’s government urgently needs almost $90 million to prevent a looming power crisis, the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has warned. The funds are essential to secure adequate fuel supplies for thermal plants, particularly in Tema, where growing electricity demand is at risk due to insufficient fuel.
The crisis is linked to a generation capacity shortfall caused by a temporary disruption in natural gas supplies following a maintenance exercise by the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO). This has left the country’s thermal plants reliant on alternative liquid fuels.
To mitigate the power shortfall, GRIDCo has outlined key strategies, including:
Rescheduling Planned Maintenance: Adjusting the maintenance schedules to avoid overlapping with WAPCO’s planned maintenance.
Securing Alternative Fuels: Procuring light crude oil and other liquid fuels to replace natural gas for power generation.
Load Management: Introducing load-shedding measures, if necessary, as a last resort to ensure grid stability.
Additionally, the government must address the maintenance of gas pipelines from Nigeria to Ghana, originally scheduled for October 2024 but postponed until January 2025. GRIDCo warns that failure to act swiftly could result in prolonged blackouts, disrupting businesses and essential services.
The government is being urged to secure the $89.90 million needed to avert the crisis and ensure a stable power supply during the maintenance period.
Source:TheDotNews