Load shedding to continue for two months

Accra, Oct. 2, GNA 96 The load shedding exercise started by the Volta River Authority (VRA) and Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) will continue for another two months, as the level of water in the Volta Dam is still too low for normal operations for the rest of 2006 and the dry season of 2007.

=93The VRA and ECG wish to announce for the information of all electricity consumers and the general public that the load management programme will continue until the end of November 2006 when the energy situation will be reviewed,=94 the two companies announced in a joint statement.

VRA and ECG on August 26 announced a loan management programme with the primary objective of arresting the depletion of the Volta reservoir and facilitating recovery.

The statement noted that since the beginning of the programme on August 28, the inflows into the Volta Lake have continued to be below average.

However, the load management programme has enabled the companies to achieve 93a modest recovery=94 with the level of water rising to 241.20 feet as of Monday, October 2.

=93This level is still too low to allow for normal operations for the rest of 2006 and the dry season of the year 2007.=94 The two companies called on all consumers to intensify their energy conservation activities by switching off all equipment when not in use and utilising appropriate energy-saving devices such as energy-saving lamps.