Power Cuts To Worsen Over Unpaid Debts To WAPCo et al – Analysts

Analysts in the power sector fear the current disruptions in power supply would linger until such a time that government finds sustainable means to increase gas supplies to power the country’s thermal plants.

According to them, the quantity of gas delivered by the Ghana Gas Company is insufficient to meet demands by the thermal plants.

They have therefore impressed on government the need to settle all outstanding debts to suppliers of gas to facilitate increased supplies and prevent the situation from worsening.

Currently power supplied by Asogli and Akosombo have both dropped leading to a shortfall in power supply. The Asogli thermal plant is operating only two out of the six plants at the moment. This is as a result of inadequate supplies from Nigeria owing to accumulated debts by the government of Ghana and local challenges in the Nigerian economy.

Also, Akosombo’s production has dropped from 814 to 518 megawatts between Friday evening and Monday morning. The development has led to power cuts in parts of the country. But the Head of Research at the Institute of Energy Security, Kwasi Anamoah Sakyi explains that the development could largely minimize if government settles outstanding debts to increase gas supplies from WAPCo.

“Akosombo was still running and it was providing 814 megawatts as at Friday evening but this has reduced to 518 as at Monday morning. Therefore means that we still have some challenges; we need more and reliable source of fuel, preferably gas.

As a result whatever financial obligation that we have to meet with the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) to ensure that there is uninterrupted power supply, we need to do so,” Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko last week assured of an end to the intermittent cuts in power supply upon the completion of remedial works on the TEN fields last Friday.

But consumers are yet to experience a normalized situation as power cuts are still being recorded in parts of the country especially in the nation’s capital, Accra.

Meanwhile the Institute of Energy Security wants government to come clear regarding the actual challenge confronting the country’s power sector. In the institute’s view, that should ease all apprehension currently among consumers.

By: citifmonline.com