GRIDCo clarifies recent power outages

The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) says the recent power outages experienced in the country, was due to a scheduled performance test on a new regulating and metering gas station in Tema.

It said the exercise was embarked upon by the West Africa Gas Pipeline (WAGPCo) on Monday, March 16.

A statement issued by GRIDCo, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency, said this led to limited gas supply to power plants in the Tema enclave.

“Additionally, some plants in the Aboadze enclave also experienced gas flow challenges; making them unable to generate power. These two incidents led to disruptions in available generation, resulting in prolonged power outages in parts of the country yesterday,” it said.

“Subsequently, the gas challenges were resolved, and power was restored to all affected bulk supply points on Tuesday, March 17.”

It noted that GRIDCo acknowledges its coordinating role in the power delivery value chain and would continue to project transparency and dedication at all times.

“We continue to work closely with our stakeholders in the sector including the Volta River Authority (VRA), the IPPs, Electricity Company of Ghana and Northern Distribution Company (NEDCo) to ensure we reflect an atmosphere of coordination and collaboration in order to project a good image for the sector in the eyes of customers and the general public,” the statement said.

“We want to urge Ghanaians to take note of our social media platforms @GhGridCo for Twitter and facebook.com/gridcogh for regular updates and information.”

GRIDCo is a leading power transmission company in West Africa. It operates the Ghana Wholesale Electricity Market and provides electricity transmission services in Ghana and West Africa.

Since its inception, GRIDCo has continuously ensured reliable supply of affordable electricity to households by continuously upgrading and extending the grid and the introduction of modern systems in compliance with IEC 61850. As a result, access to electricity in Ghana has increased from 66.7 per cent (2009) to 82.5 per cent (2016).

The increase in electricity access has resulted in increased income, improved trade balance and the provision of local solutions.

It has also contributed to industrial development and new job opportunities in the sub-region.

In West Africa, GRIDCo has established inter and intra connections with countries to the North, East and West of its boundaries, as part of the West African Power Pool System and has positioned Ghana as a Net-Exporter within the Sub-region.