Ghana’s Power distributers GRIDCo have reported it will need nearly USD90M to purchase liquid fuel to meet the growing demand following closure of an offshore West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) for a mandatory maintenance.
According to GRIDCo the pigging exercise was initially scheduled for October, 2024 but had put a later date at the request of the Energy Ministry under the erstwhile Nana Addo Dankwa-led government.
During the period of the all important maintenance, slated for January 20 to February 16, 2025, gas supply from WADP laterals from Togo, Benin, Tema will be shut hence the need to re-enforce gas supply to sustain constant power.
“There is a deficit in generation capacity during the period of the WAPCO pigging exercise.
There is therefore the need to procure liquid fuel to run thermal plants in Tema to meet demand.
A total of US$ 89.90 million is required to purchase liquid fuel to run thermal plants in order to meet demand for the period.”-GRIDco.
John Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu and a member of the NDC’s trasition team, raised concerns over an impending power crisis due to a severe fuel shortage.
“I have bad news for you, the confirmation we are getting is that we have only five hours of fuel stock. If you look at heavy fuel oil and diesel fuel, we don’t have up to two days, and so in two days’ time, we are likely to run out of fuel,” Jinapor stated at the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama.
He further criticized the outgoing administration for its failure to procure necessary fuel supplies, leaving the incoming administration in a vulnerable position.
The company in their report made some projection into 2025 stating that System demand is projected to grow steadily to an annual peak of 4,415.42MW by the last quarter of 2025.
“There will accordingly be the need to secure additional generation resources with dependable capacity of at least 244.66 MW by the last quarter of the year to ensure sustained supply adequacy by the end of the year.”
“This additional capacity could be realised from the timely completion of installation and commissioning of the last four (4) units at the Anwomaso Thermal Power Station, the AKSA thermal power plant, or the CENIT power plant project all currently under construction in Kumasi.”
“There will also be a need to secure additional 129 mmcd of natural gas supply (or equivalent volumes of liquid fuels) in order to have enough fuel for thermal generation in Ghana in 2025.”
The new government would as a matter of urgency take a number of key decisions tackle power issues as quick as possible.
