Dumsor: President Sets Up Technical Team to Address Looming Power Crisis

The Office of the President has established a technical team tasked with finding solutions to the impending power crisis, with a mandate to conclude its work by the end of today, Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

Chief of Staff Julius Debrah convened an urgent meeting with key stakeholders from Ghana’s energy sector to discuss the ongoing crisis. On its first day in office, the government confirmed receiving reports from various energy sector stakeholders regarding the issue.

Felix Ofosu Kwakye, acting spokesperson at the presidency, reiterated the president’s commitment to resolving the crisis. He emphasised the urgency of the situation and reassured the public that the government is actively addressing it.

“Government has been briefed. It’s pretty urgent. A technical committee has been set up with representatives from all key players in Ghana’s energy sector. They have until the close of today to present a roadmap detailing what needs to be done to resolve the issue,” Kwakye said. “The government is taking the matter seriously and will do what is necessary to avoid any difficulties for the people of Ghana.”

Meanwhile, the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has reported that nearly $90 million is urgently required to avert a power crisis caused by insufficient fuel supplies for thermal plants.

According to the GRIDCo report, the funds are needed to procure light crude oil and other liquid fuels to operate thermal plants in Tema, in order to meet the growing electricity demand. The crisis stems from a generation capacity deficit following a maintenance exercise by the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO), which temporarily disrupted the natural gas supply.

The GRIDCo report outlines several strategies to mitigate the fuel shortage:

• Rescheduling Planned Maintenance: Revising generator shutdown schedules to avoid overlaps with the WAPCO maintenance period.
• Securing Alternative Fuels: Procuring liquid fuels, such as light crude oil, to substitute for natural gas in thermal power generation.
• Load Management Measures: Considering load-shedding as a last resort to stabilise the national grid in the event of severe power shortages.

The report warns that failure to act swiftly could lead to prolonged power outages, disrupting economic activities and public services.

Stakeholders are calling for expedited action from the government to secure the necessary funds and implement the recommended measures to prevent a crisis.