‘Dumsor’ to ease with 300MW from TICO

The erratic power supply facing Ghana is expected to ease appreciably after some 300 Megawatts was added to the national generating capacity.

The deputy Energy Minister John Jinapor has disclosed a unit of the Takoradi International Company (TICO) is back on stream while assuring that a second unit is expected to come on board soon.

According to him, government is working around the clock to “close the gap appreciably.”

“We hope to continue to work on that and even as we work on the barges, we’re hoping to work on the existing plants,” Jinapor told Accra-based Joy FM.

He was quick to add that “it will be too early” for him to comment on how the development will affect the current load shedding of 12 hours light and 24 hours darkness for domestic consumers.

Ghana is currently shedding between 400 and 700 Megawatts of power between off-peak and peak periods due to a shortfall in production which has been attributed to lack of gas supply to thermal plants across the country from the West Africa Gas Pipeline in Nigeria, as well as poor hydrology of the three main hydro-electric power stations: Akosombo, Bui and Kong.

Also, the breakdown of some thermal plants while others are undergoing maintenance at the same time, have also been blamed for the problem as well as the lack of money to buy crude oil to fuel some of the thermal plants.