Limited gas supply triggers nationwide power outage

Widespread power outages have hit most parts of Ghana due to a shortage of gas required to generate electricity.

Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has reported a peak-time supply deficit of 550MW at the Tema power plant near the capital, Accra.

This major outage began on Thursday evening and comes at a time when Ghana is grappling with its most severe economic crisis in a generation.

A study conducted in June highlighted the precarious state of the country’s energy provision, describing it as “critically unhealthy and on the brink of a power crisis.”

The financial distress in the country, as revealed by the Centre for Socioeconomic Studies (CSS), has exacerbated the power situation, which could worsen in the coming years.

In July, independent power producers in Ghana threatened to cease operations due to unpaid debts owed to them by the state-run Electricity Company of Ghana. GRIDCo, the power operator, issued a statement on Thursday, explaining that limited gas supply to the Tema power plant would lead to electricity supply curtailments in certain parts of Ghana.

The statement expressed regret for the inconvenience caused but did not specify the cause of the gas supply issue or provide an estimate for when normal supplies would resume.

Ghana has been grappling with power shortages, “dumsor“, for several years, as the country primarily relies on hydro and thermal sources for electricity, but these sources often suffer from poor maintenance.