Ghana: Power outages not due to money to buy fuel-Owuraku Aidoo

William Owuraku Aidoo

The Energy Ministry has dismissed claims that government does not have money to procure fuel to power the various power plants, hence the recent power outages.

According to the Ministry, the current government has not mismanaged the energy sector as its critics wants Ghanaians to swallow hook, line and sinker.

Energynewsafrica.com reported over the weekend that Ghanaians should brace themselves up for 12 days of load shedding due to the shut down of Atuabo Gas Processing Plant.

The planned shut down is to enable Ghana Gas complete the final tie-in works under the Takoradi-Tema Interconnection Project.

Consequently, the country lost about 300MW from the national grid.

The situation, apparently, heightened the suspicion of Ghanaians, especially the opposition NDC, who had been claiming that Ghana had returned to the era of load shedding popularly referred to as ‘dumsor’.

Executive Director of Energy Think Thank, Africa Centre Energy Policy (ACEP), Benjamin Boakye speaking on Accra-based Joy FM on Monday, April 1, 2019, also claimed government does not have money to buy fuel and urged government to accept that the country is going to load shedding.

But, at a presser at the Ministry of Energy today, Deputy Minister for Energy in charge of Power, William Owuraku Aidoo described the claim as false.

“The claim that government doesn’t have money is absolutely balderdash,” he stated in a strong word.

Owuraku Aidoo, who admitted that the shutdown of Atuabo Gas Processing Plant would result in interruptions in power supply, however, explained that government has made arrangements for alternative fuel to power the plants.

“We have taken all the necessary steps to reduce interruptions in the power supply. We have enough fuel in TOR tanks and so after this press conference, we will take you there,” he stated.

The Deputy Minister, who apologised to Ghanaians for the interruptions in power supply, urged for calm, noting that the tie-in of Atuabo Gas Pipeline interconnectivity with West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAGPCO) would inure to the benefit of Ghanaians.

The CEO of Ghana Gas, Dr Ben Asante, stated that the completion of the Takoradi-Tema Interconnection Project would benefit the country, as it would transport gas from the Western Region for utilisation in Tema power enclave.

Briefing pressmen and officials of the Ministry of Energy led by Deputy Minister for Power, William Owuraku Aidoo, the MD of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Isaac Osei said his outfit had received fuel deliveries for AKSA and Volta River Authority (VRA).

“We have received 10,500 metric tonnes of argu (diesel ) from Stratcom and Go Energy for Karpowership. We have also received 11,000 metric tonnes of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) from Go Energy for AKSA as well as 300,000 barrels of Light Crude Oil(LCO) for VRA,” he explained.