Audio By Carbonatix
The Volta River Authority (VRA) says any projection or promise to end the current power rationing in the country may amount to a grand deception.
According to Samuel Fletcher, Communications Director of the VRA, the power crisis would only cease if the country commits to invest in building enough reserves to take care of the deficits in power supply.
Ghana's total demand at peak is said to be about 2,000 megawatts but current generation capacity is around 1,800 megawatts.
Government had given the assurances that Ghanaians will not suffer the power crisis that plunged the country into darkness for most part of 2013.
But ongoing maintenance works on the Asogli and Takoradi (1&2) power plants, coupled with cuts in gas supplies from Nigeria have further worsened the plight of consumers who have to now endure a significant shortfall of about 400 megawatts in generation.
Speaking on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM Wednesday, Mr. Fletcher said the country would have been in better position to provide uninterrupted supply of power if investments had been made in the sector a decade ago.
He said the benefits of ongoing investments could only be felt years from now and not in the near future as consumers are being made to believe.
"We can only get that reserve after sometime [but] not today unfortunately. There are a number of projects that we are working on...but unfortunately we will not see them come on stream immediately. It will take us sometime," the Communications Director stated.
"Until we get that reserve, it will be a fallacy for anybody to say that 'dum-sor dum-sor' [load shedding] would end anytime soon," he said.
Mr. Fletcher said thermal power generation is negatively affecting the revenues of the power producer, VRA, as almost all monies collected from sale of power in 2012 was used to purchase crude oil to power thermal plants.
"...98% of what we collect (from the generation) goes into (buying) crude oil," he told Kojo Yankson, host of the Show.
Mr. Fletcher said the best way out of the current situation is to rely on natural gas to power the plants because that is cheaper.
Unfortunately supplies of natural gas Nigeria through the West Africa Gas Pipeline Project have consistently dwindled.
The VRA Communications Director said Nigeria itself needs the gas and therefore cannot supply Ghana the required quantities of gas.
It is expected that when Ghana Gas comes on stream, a project which has been delayed considerably, the situation will improve even though experts believe that the quantity of gas from the jubilee field is insufficient for Ghana's needs.
Latest Stories
-
‘I was waiting for the list to believe my Black Stars call-up was real’- Ronald Donkor
1 minute -
Mahama has ordered NACOC back into port container inspections – Tanko-Computer
5 minutes -
Photos: Vice President joins ECOWAS Parliament, calls for stronger regional cooperation
5 minutes -
Two arrested over alleged GH¢30k bribe attempt in narcotics case
8 minutes -
Bodi, Juaboso and Bibiani SHSs qualify for 2026 National Public Speaking Competition
10 minutes -
Energy Committee Ranking Member backs TOR turnaround, urges government to sustain local crude supply
11 minutes -
Ghana Water ordered to pay $235m over Teshie desalination plant dispute
12 minutes -
Ghana overlooking therapeutic value of flowers despite $1.49m import bill – Parks and Gardens Administrator
18 minutes -
NPP demands immediate removal of institutional heads over cocaine trafficking cases
23 minutes -
Parliament’s Energy Committee commends TOR for using local engineers in ongoing development
36 minutes -
Share intelligence you have with authorities to deal with drug trafficking – NDC to NPP
43 minutes -
‘You promised 24-Hour economy not 24-hour cocaine trafficking’ – Nana B to Mahama
48 minutes -
Nana Konadu dedicated her life to community transformation — Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings
48 minutes -
Protect the customer by changing who owns the loss
57 minutes -
Counterfeit currency syndicates used churches to hide printing operations – National Security Council Secretariat
1 hour