The Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) is expected to release a temporary load-shedding timetable for the Tamale metropolis in the coming days.
This, according to authorities, has become necessary due to a technical challenge at the Adubili-Yili KV substation, together with the malfunctioning of an underground cable.
Power supply to certain parts of the metropolis including Lamashegu, Lamakara, Industrial Area, UDS- Dungu Campus, Chogu and others were cut off from the grid over the weekend.
Speaking to Citi News, the Corporate Communications Manager at NEDCo, Maxwell Kotoka, said his outfit is working to address the technical challenges as soon as possible.
He said they were at a point where “we have a fair appreciation of the challenge.”
“We are sure that in the next couple of hours or a maximum of two days, we should be able to come up with a defined schedule,” Mr. Kotoka said.
He also addressed suggestions that his outfit was not being transparent enough over the power situation.
Mr. Kotoka said scheduled power cuts are publicised as and when they are set to occur.
“We have not hidden that from them. As open as we are, management has issued statements explaining that these two difficulties will compel us to restrain the distribution of power.”
But he noted that “right from the beginning, we are unable to tell in very clear terms how much load we will have shed at what time.”
“So we have appealed to them to allow us to do some experiments to see how much we can give at any given time,” Mr. Kotoka added.
Ghanaians have consistently been complaining about the erratic power supply, especially in some of Ghana’s urban areas.
They have also been complaining about the lack of a load-shedding timetable to aid planning.
In line with this, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) published a schedule for planned power outages in parts of the Greater Accra Region from 10th May to 17th May 2021.
It said these scheduled outages are to facilitate the work of various contractors on its different lines.
ECG explained that it needs to tie in the Pokuase Bulk Supply Point (BSP) to GRIDCo’s 330kv transmission line, hence the need to shut down the transmission line which will affect the Mallam Bulk Supply Point that supplies power to many households.
