The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) has agreed to postpone its planned pipeline maintenance for two weeks, averting a potential power crisis in Ghana.

The decision follows intense negotiations led by a technical committee set up by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah to address the country’s looming energy concerns. The maintenance, initially set to begin this week, had been flagged by the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) as a serious threat to the national power supply.

GRIDCo had warned that a combination of fuel shortages for thermal power plants and a disruption in gas supply from the pipeline would severely undermine Ghana’s electricity generation capacity, potentially leading to widespread blackouts.

In a high-level meeting between WAPCo representatives, GRIDCo officials, and the technical committee, stakeholders raised alarms about the risk of power outages that could disrupt businesses and households across the country. In response, WAPCo agreed to delay the maintenance to give authorities more time to secure alternative fuel supplies and stabilize electricity generation.

The pipeline, which transports natural gas from Nigeria to Ghana, Togo, and Benin, is crucial for the region’s power supply. While the scheduled maintenance is necessary for the pipeline’s safety and efficiency, Ghana’s heavy reliance on gas for its thermal plants means that any disruption could have serious consequences for the electricity grid.

Currently, the country is grappling with a fuel supply deficit, exacerbating the challenges facing the power sector. The government is working to expedite the import of additional light crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to mitigate the impact of the gas shortfall.

Efforts are also underway to finalise contingency plans to ensure a stable power supply when the maintenance eventually takes place.

Source:TheDotNews