Ghana is on the verge of a severe power crisis, with the country’s fuel stock for power plants critically depleted.
According to John Jinapor, National Democratic Congress, NDC MP Yapei Kusawgu and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Energy Committee, Ghana has less than two days of stock for both Distillate Fuel and Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), with no plans in place to replenish the depleting fuel stocks.
This development comes as President John Mahama prepares to assume office, inheriting an ailing energy sector plagued by mounting unsustainable debt, high technical inefficiency, and poor governance.
The outgoing Akufo Addo administration’s decision not to order liquid fuel to augment gas shortfall during the pipeline maintenance and pigging exercise has been described as a “calculated ploy” aimed at creating disaffection for the incoming Mahama administration.
The Ministry of Energy had requested WAPCo to reschedule its routine pipeline cleanup and inspection exercise from October 2024 to January 20, 2025.
However, despite assurances to the transition team, the outgoing administration failed to order a single parcel of liquid fuel to replenish the depleting stock.
This decision is expected to result in a massive power supply deficit of about 1000 MW from January 20, 2025, when the pigging exercise commences.
The country’s energy sector is now headed towards paralysis, with Ghanaians bracing for serious load shedding.
The situation is exacerbated by the time it takes to order and treat Light Crude Oil (LCO), which averages 10 weeks.
President Mahama has pledged to use every avenue to secure fuel at the shortest possible time to mitigate or avoid the consequences of this crisis.
Below is his full statement:
*MASSIVE LOAD SHEDDING LOOMS AS GHANA’S FUEL STOCK DEPLETES.*
President Mahama is bound to inherit an ailing energy sector, which is on the verge of collapse from mounting unsustainable debt, high technical inefficiency, and poor governance.
During his last address to the nation, Mr Akufo-Addo made a claim that he was handing over the country, Ghana, with the lights on.
What the President conveniently chose not to tell Ghanaians was that the country’s fuel stock for our power plants has been depleted with no arrangements to replenish it.
It is my honest belief that Ghanaians are discerning enough to know that this claim was false, mischievous, and an attempt to set the incoming Mahama’s administration up.
While at that, Mr Akufo Addo knew that his Ministry of Energy had requested WAPCo to reschedule its routine pipeline cleanup and inspection exercise originally scheduled for October 2024 to January 20th, 2025.
Meanwhile, the outgoing Akufo Addo government refused to order liquid fuel to augment gas shortfall during the period of the maintenance and pigging exercise.
Indeed, the decision not to order fuel can only be interpreted as a calculated ploy aimed at creating disaffection for the incoming Mahama administration by Mr Akuffo-Addo.
As a result of this unpatriotic and reckless decision, Ghanaians will experience serious load shedding during the period of the pipeline maintenance and pigging exercise scheduled by WAPCo on the West African Gas Pipeline from Nigeria to Ghana, from 20th January to 16th February, 2025.
Today, as President Mahama prepares to assume office, our checks from the system operator (GRIDCO), has revealed that Ghana has less than 2 days of stock for both Distillate Fuel and Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) with no plans put in place by the outgoing administration to restock the depleting fuel stocks despite assurances by government officials to the transition team.
The Ministry of Energy confirmed at the joint transition team meetings that WAPCo had originally scheduled to begin the pipeline cleanup and inspection exercise in October 2024 aimed at protecting the integrity and assure safe operations of WAPCo’s offshore pipeline. However, the Akufo Addo-led government deliberately coerced WAPCo to postpone the exercise to 20th January 2025, under the guise of requiring time to secure the needed parcels of liquid fuel to augment any gas shortfall during the maintenance period.
Indeed at the meeting of the sub-committee of the joint transition team on Energy and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Energy gave numerous assurances that in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and other key players in the country’s gas-to-power sector, adequate provision had been put in place to mitigate the impact on the country’s grid system to ensure reliable and stable power supply during the period of the shutdown.
It is however shocking to note that the outgoing administration has not ordered a single parcel of liquid fuel to replenish the depleting stock despite knowing the implication of their reckless and politically motivated decision.
It is expected, although, regrettable, that the country’s energy sector is headed towards the path of paralysis by dint of this reckless decision.
Indeed, the nation is expected to experience a massive power supply deficit of about 1000 MW from the 20th of January 2025 when the pigging exercise commences.
For the record, it takes about 4 to 6 weeks, on average, to order a parcel of Light Crude Oil (LCO) and another 4 weeks for the treatment of same before usage.
As a result, it could take about 10 weeks before fuel is readily available to increase power generation output within the Tema enclave.
It is therefore expected and unavoidable that the country is certainly bound to face a very serious power supply challenge in the coming weeks considering the tight and limited time.
For sure, the John Mahama is committed and determined to use every avenue to secure at the shortest possible time to mitigate or avoid the consequences of this otherwise avoidable spectacle.
-BY Daniel Bampoe