I never said power crisis will end 1st quarter 2015 - Jinapor

I never gave a deadline to an end to Ghana’s power crisis, Deputy Energy Minister John Jinapor has clarified.

Jinapor told Accra-based Asempa FM Friday that he only told Parliament that several measures were being put in place to lessen the power crisis and was hopeful the deficit could be reduced by the end of the first quarter in 2015.

He told the Chamber Thursday that a lot is being done at the various thermal generation plants to offset the energy deficit.

Ghana is currently experiencing power supply difficulties as citizens enjoy electricity for less than 24 hours in a day and sometimes have to endure 48 hours without power.

Jinapor told Members of Parliament the Mahama-led administration is working feverishly to reduce the power deficit to the barest minimum or eliminate it.

According to him, Ghana is in talks with West African giant Nigeria for more gas to power thermal generation plants.

He said the Government was also optimistic that the coming on stream of gas from the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant will help ease the crisis.

The Plant is expected to be commissioned next month after which it will start commercial operation.

Also, the Takoradi International Company’s (TICO) expansion project and that of Tema are on course to add more power to the national grid. He added that the Government is in talks with independent power suppliers as well to lessen the load on the existing ones.

The government is also in the process of bringing on board a power ship in 2015 that will generate close to 450 megawatts of power.