Power cuts persist despite Energy Minister’s assurances

Consumers of electricity are still bearing the brunt of power cuts despite claims that the situation has been normalized. Power supply was cut to some parts of the Greater Accra region yesterday [Sunday]. The development is in sharp contrast with assertions by the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko of a stable power supply effective last Saturday ...

Consumers of electricity are still bearing the brunt of power cuts despite claims that the situation has been normalized.

Power supply was cut to some parts of the Greater Accra region yesterday [Sunday].

The development is in sharp contrast with assertions by the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko of a stable power supply effective last Saturday [February 25, 2017].

His assurance followed the completion of remedial works on the TEN fields.

“From tomorrow [Saturday] evening, the FPSO will do the first export of gas after the manifold test. Once we get the gas flow, that is the end of the current emergency that we announced in the middle of January, then we come back to our normalcy,” Mr. Boakye Agyarko said to Host of Eyewitness News, Shamima Muslim on Friday.

“We’ve gone through two days of interruption but I can tell Ghanaians that is the end of the disruptions,” the Minister added.

Similar concerns have been raised over the possible return of load shedding due to reports of power cuts last week.

According to the Minister, the intermittent power cuts were largely as a result of GRIDCo’s decision to avert a heavy burden on any local area of electricity consumers.

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in some instances blamed the development on local area faults.

The interconnection on the FPSO was expected to be completed on Tuesday, February 21st, but the Energy Minister explained that concerns raised by Tullow for testing on the manifold, prompted an extension of the scheduled date by three more days to Friday 24^th February.

Responding to concerns about the absence of a timetable to guide consumers, Mr. Agyarko said the power distribution company was compelled to act instantaneously.

“GRIDCo has to make instant decisions; instead of shutting down a place completely, it rather conducted a roll out a method to alternate the load for various areas.”

The completion of works is expected to add 50 mmscf of gas to Ghana Gas for onward delivery to the VRA.

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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

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