‘Dumsor’ not over - ACEP

Policy think-tank, Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), has argued the ceaseless blackout is not over, contrary to claims by President John Mahama that the power crisis has been resolved.

Mahama in his State of the Nation Address last week, told Parliament that 800 Megawatts of power has been added to the national grid, bringing some stability in power supply in Ghana.

But ACEP is predicting the country could be plunged into another crises if ailing industries resume production. The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) recently reported that some of its members’ businesses have relocated to neighboring countries in the heat of the crisis while some have also folded up.

The Head of Research and Policy at ACEP, Dr. Ishmael Ackah said, “load shedding has been suspended because the economy has not yet recovered”.

Dr. Ackah said these businesses which have gone under are not consuming electricity thus the stability.

Industrial and business consumption of power constitute about 67 percent of total power consumption in Ghana.

He added that VALCO is “receiving only 70 megawatts of the 350 it uses when in full operation”.

“Dumsor can only be said to be over when the estimated demand of 2,600 MW is there… and a reserved margin of 25 percent, which we do not have,” Dr Ackah stressed.