8th January 2025 12:06:21 PM
2 mins readGhana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has warned that a financial injection of approximately US$89.90 million is urgently needed to avert the looming power crisis, often referred to as 'dumsor,' and meet the country’s power generation demand.
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The critical funds are required to procure liquid fuels to keep thermal power plants running during the upcoming West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) pigging exercise, scheduled from January 20 to February 16, 2025.
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The pigging exercise, originally planned for October 2024 but rescheduled at the Ministry of Energy's request, will temporarily halt gas offtake from WAPCo’s pipeline in Togo, Benin, and Tema, leaving thermal plants in Tema without their usual gas supply. As a result, plants that cannot switch to liquid fuels will be forced to shut down, leading to a reduction in power generation capacity.
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"To ensure thermal plants in Tema can continue operating and meet demand, a total of US$89.90 million is required for the purchase of liquid fuel," GRIDCo stated.
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The situation is further compounded by scheduled generator shutdowns in key plants, including the Kpong and TICO plants, which will coincide with the pigging exercise, resulting in even greater generation deficits. While gas production from ENI and Tullow is sufficient to meet the demand in Takoradi and Kumasi, the excess natural gas from Nigeria will need to be curtailed, a move that will only add pressure to the country’s energy system.
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GRIDCo also projected that the country will face a natural gas shortfall of 129 mmscfd in 2025, meaning that additional gas supplies or equivalent volumes of liquid fuels will be required to meet thermal generation needs. "There is an urgent need for at least 244.66 MW of additional dependable generation capacity by the end of 2025 to ensure sustained supply," the company emphasized.
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The report comes at a time when fears of a power crisis have intensified following warnings from Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu, John Jinapor, who revealed that "Ghana's fuel stock has dropped dangerously low, with only five hours of fuel remaining." This revelation prompted an emergency meeting called by the Chief of Staff with key energy sector stakeholders to tackle the looming 'dumsor' crisis.
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As the energy sector braces for the impact of the WAGP pigging exercise and ongoing fuel shortages, experts are calling for swift intervention to secure the necessary fuel supplies and boost the country’s energy infrastructure to prevent widespread power outages in 2025.
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