Ghana faces $89.90 million fuel bill to avert power crisis amid gas pipeline maintenance

The Ghanaian government will require $89.90 million to procure liquid fuel to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply as the West Africa Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO) halts natural gas delivery for maintenance.

WAGP, which supplies natural gas to Ghana, is scheduled to undergo a major maintenance operation, known as pigging, leaving the country without gas for nearly a month.

This critical maintenance, initially planned for October 2024, was postponed to January 2025 by the previous government, creating an urgent need for alternative power generation measures.

In a statement issued by the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), the national power transmission company warned of severe power outages—commonly referred to as Dumsor—if liquid fuel is not procured to operate thermal plants during the maintenance period.

“There is a deficit in generation capacity during the period of the WAPCO pigging exercise.

Therefore, it is necessary to procure liquid fuel to operate thermal plants in Tema to meet demand,” GRIDCo stated.

The maintenance work on the gas pipeline, which transports natural gas from Nigeria to Ghana, is vital for ensuring the long-term reliability of the gas supply.

However, it poses an immediate challenge for power producers in Ghana, who rely heavily on natural gas for electricity generation.

GRIDCo emphasized that the procurement of $89.90 million worth of liquid fuel is critical to bridging the gap in power generation and avoiding disruptions to the country’s energy supply.