I promised end to load shedding, not 'dumsor' - Donkor

Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor has said his December 31 deadline in relation to resolving the power crisis was in connection with load shedding, and not ‘dumsor’.

‘Dumsor’ literally means erratic power supply and has been used interchangeably with load shedding, but Dr Donkor has clarified that he promised to end load shedding and not ‘dumsor.’

“Load shedding is not ‘dumsor,’ they are two different” things, Dr Donkor told GBC reporter Ibrahim Kwarteng when he inquired from him if his December 31 deadline still stood.

The minister promised at a press conference on February 2 this year that the load shedding will be over by the end of December 2015.

“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,” he promised at the time.

The Pru East MP later told Joy FM in an interview that he will resign if he failed to fulfill that promise.

When journalists recently asked him in the Central Region if the load shedding was likely to end per his deadline, Dr Donkor, who was touring the 20MW solar facility at the Onyadze Power Generating Plant in the Gomoa East District said: “Well let’s wait and see.”

As part of measures to address the on-going power supply challenges, Finance Minister Seth Terkper told Parliament last week when he presented the 2016 budget that government was working on the 220MW Kpone Thermal Power Project which he said is on course and expected to be commissioned for operations before the end of the year.

Also, he said installation works are progressing steadily on the 250MW Ameri and 225MW Karpower Projects and are expected to be commissioned before the end of the year, and work on the 110MW TICO expansion is completed and commencement of commercial operations is expected in 2016.

Additionally, he said installation works on the 360MW Sunon-Asogli expansion project is on-going. The first phase with an installed capacity of 180MW is to be commissioned by the end of the year, while the second phase of another 180MW would be completed in 2016; and the Volta River Authority’s (VRA) expansion of the existing Siemens plant (49.5MW), by the addition of 38MW, is 90 percent complete.

He said in 2015 a total of 272 solar systems were installed in public facilities including schools and community centres located in remote communities. A total of 375 solar systems were also rehabilitated in remote health facilities (CHP compounds) in 23 districts. He added that the Government will continue its investment in the sector to further address the power challenges.