'Dumsor': Power Minister’s promise "doubtful" – Energy Consultant

Energy Consultant John Peter Amewu has cast doubts on a promise by Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor that the energy crisis will be over by the end of the year.

Dr Donkor, who has promised to resign if the erratic power situation continues beyond 2015 told Journalists at a press briefing on Monday February 3, 2015 that Government was putting in place a lot of measures to resolve the situation.

Ghana is currently reeling under a worsening power situation which has led to the shedding of between 440 and 650 Megawatts of energy during off-peak and peak periods respectively.

It had been planned, according to Dr Donkor that 250 and 350 Megawatts of energy were supposed to have been shed instead of the current situation.

Dr Donkor said the power deficit could be put down to “non-availability of some generating units through faults, mandatory inspection and routine maintenance, poor hydrology, fuel supply challenges,” as well as the increase in demand over the decades.

Currently two of six units of the Akosombo Dam, which provides about 40 percent of Ghana’s energy needs are off due to low water level while the 400-Megawatt Bui Dam comes on stream during emergency situation. Also, the Kpong Dam is not producing power due to low water level.

At Monday’s press briefing, Dr Donkor said: “On behalf of the Ministry of Power, permit me to say that we are very much concerned about the current supply challenges confronting the nation and its consequences on industry, homes and the citizenry.

“We wish to assure that we are determined to adopt every strategy necessary to bring an end to the load shedding...what I can say is that load-shedding will end this year,” Dr. Donkor said.

However, Mr Amewu told Morning Starr host Kafui Dey on Tuesday that if several promises by President John Mahama about an end to the power crisis failed to come true in the past, then there was no way he would trust the Minister’s promises.