Part of the cost to fuel the power barges expected in the country by October will be borne by electricity consumers, according to government.

The Power Ministry says although government will also be incurring some of the cost to operate the barges, the public must brace for increased cost of power.

Addressing the Biennial Conference of the Ghana Science Association in Tamale, Deputy Power Minister John Jinapor said Ghanaians must accept the reality and embrace full cost recovery.

“These emergency power barges come at a premium; fueling sources are very very expensive…So I just want to appeal to Ghanaians so that when we bring on board this plant all of us must be prepared to shoulder some part of the responsibility in order that we can have sustainable and reliable energy”, he added.

He indicated that “we cannot pretend to be subsidising energy and only have a situation where the energy is unavailable. I think that it is better that we face the reality and deal with the challenge so that we can have [more energy]”.

Meanwhile the sector Minister, Dr. Kwabena Donkor has pledged that at least 90 percent of the Ghanaian population will have access to electricity by the year 2020.

Commissioning a rural electrification project at Sumbrungu near Bolgatanga in the Upper East region, the minister also reiterated his promise of ending the energy crisis by December 2015.

“By the end of this year, load shedding will become a historical event. We have what it takes, we have the mental fortitude to see it through...we have the intellectual capacity to work our way through this challenge but more importantly, to ensure that this does not recur”, he said.

The Karpower barge being constructed in Turkey is expected in the country in two months.

The arrival of the power barge is expected to reduce the ongoing power crisis that has crippled businesses and caused the loss of over 1,000 jobs.