Ghana: Gov’t Begs Independent Power Producers Over Threats To Shutdown

The Government of Ghana is pleading with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in the country to rescind their threats to shutdown their plants over non-payment of outstanding debts.

According to sources, the government has assured the IPPs that it would make some payment by the close of Friday, September 25, 2020.

The source added that the government also intends to make additional payment by next week.

The umbrella body of the Independent Power Producers, CiPDiB, sent a memo to the country’s Minister for Energy, threatening to shut down their plants by the end of September if the government failed to honour its debt obligation to the tune of US$1.4 billion.

This development, our sources indicated, pricked the government to call on the IPPs to implore them to rescind their decision.

The IPPs contribute about 45 percent of the over 2,800 peak demand for electricity in the country.
It said it urgently needed to pay its August gas bill and failure to do so would lead to the shutdown of fuel supply.

This would effectively hamper power generation and supply in the country.

Energynewsafrica.com can report that the country’s Minister for Energy, John-Peter Amewu, last Wednesday, met with the CEOs of the power sector agencies to discuss how to ensure that there is continuous and reliable supply of power.

When contacted, the Deputy Minister for Finance, Charles Adu Boahen said the government has been paying the power producers.

Source: www.energynewsafrica.com