The current power crisis is expected to worsen again as utility providers struggle to keep the lights on for domestic and industrial consumers.
This is due to some technical problems with the Volta River Authority (VRA)’s power plants in the Western Region and other power plants across the country.
The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) requested the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to start shedding about 600 megawatts (MW) of power from Thursday.
The directive to the ECG, according to GRIDCo, stemmed from the insufficient generation of power. The GRIDCo off-peak load-relief request affected 210MW of power to the Greater Accra Region; 120MW to Ashanti; 120MW to Tema; 60MW to Western; 40MW each to Central and Eastern, and 20MW to the Volta Region.
The VRA relies on the Ghana Gas Company to power its thermal plants in Takoradi, and also relies on N-Gas in Nigeria to power thermal plants in Tema.
But the supply of gas has not been consistent due to intermittent technical challenges as well as inadequate funding to secure the product.
Speaking on Citi Fm, the Public relations Manager at the Electricity Company of Ghana, William Boateng, said the with about 600 megawatts deficit, consumers should brace themselves-up for an acute power shortage.
“…If you look at the load on regional basis; the entire load of Volta Region is 60, Eastern is 60, Western is 200; Ashanti is also around 200; so when you tell me to shed 600 and I don’t touch Accra, I will put about four regions together to meet that request.
So shedding 600 without touching Accra which is the capital; we will be in trouble” he noted. Among the measures to mitigate the crisis, government is expecting the first of two emergency power barges from Turkey by November this year.
Source: Citifmonline