Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has announced a nationwide power interruption scheduled for Sunday, July 13, as part of maintenance works by gas suppliers, ENI. The disruption will result from a temporary shutdown of gas valves to allow for rehabilitation works aimed at increasing gas output.
Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the 161kV Anwomaso to Kumasi transmission line on July 8, Mr. Jinapor explained that ENI’s planned maintenance will temporarily halt gas supply, leading to expected short-term power outages. “This Sunday, July 13, ENI will turn off their valves temporarily to increase gas production to about 270 MMscf. It means that we are stabilising the energy sector,” he stated.
The Energy Minister assured that while there may be some inconvenience, the upgrade will significantly benefit the energy sector by boosting gas supply to the national grid. “Because the plant will be turned off for a short period within the day for maintenance works, we are likely to experience some interruption of power. It is for a good purpose,” he stressed. Mr. Jinapor also indicated that technical advice had been followed in deciding not to run thermal plants on liquid fuel during the short shutdown period.
“Based on the advice from engineers, I have directed that we do not attempt to run those plants on liquid fuel for that short period. It involves changing nozzles, it involves a lot of work, and so if we are going off for about four to six hours, you don’t risk transitioning to liquid fuel only to come back to gas,” Jinapor explained.
The Energy Minister assured the public that all necessary steps are being taken to minimise the impact of the power interruption. He also revealed a new oil discovery by ENI and said Tullow Oil has expressed a commitment to invest further in Ghana’s upstream petroleum sector.
The Anwomaso to Kumasi transmission line project, co-funded by the European Union and the Government of France, is expected to address low voltage issues and improve power efficiency in Kumasi and mining communities such as Dunkwa.
By: Leticia Osei
