ACEP: Dumsor inspired 580MW, not 800MW

The amount of power that has been added to the national grid towards solving the energy crisis is 580 megawatts and not the 800 megawatts quoted by the president in his State of the Nation address, Deputy Chief Executive of the African Centre for Energy Policy, ACEP, Ben Boakye has said.

“800 megawatts? I didn’t get how the computation was done…. I don’t know where the excess is coming from,” he noted in an interview with Joy FM.

According to him, the new sources of power – including AMERI’s 250 megawatts, Karpower’s 225 megawatts and steam turbines generating additional energy at TICO – add up to 580 megawatts.

He explained that even though thermal sources were increasing energy supply, losses from the Akosombo Dam were reducing the total power output.

According to him, Akosombo was producing about 600 megawatts in 2014 but was now operating at a capacity of 300 to 370 as of 2015. He feared a prolonged dry season without rainfall would have a further negative impact as more turbines would have to be shut down due to low levels of water.

“While you are adding generation from thermal, Akosombo is increasingly not available. If the rains continue to delay, we may have to shut down some turbines,” he cautioned.

President Mahama in his speech to parliament said: “We have achieved the fastest mobilisation of power in the history of Ghana. About 800MW of power have been added to our generation within the shortest period of time.”

“Finalising and commissioning KTPP 220MW, commissioning TICO combined cycle 110MW, mobilising Karpower 220MW and Ameri 250MW have added extra power to our transmission grid. 180 MW of Asogli Phase II is also available as soon as we can get extra gas for it,” Mr Mahama said.

Meanwhile, flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, has said the failure of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to solve the load shedding exercise for four years cost the nation a whopping $3 billion.

“According to the reputable Institute for Social, Statistical, and Economic Research (ISSER), ‘dumsor’ cost the country, financially, $608million in 2014 alone, equivalent to 2% of GDP,” he stated.