Ghana to experience power shortage in future

Mr Norbert Anku, the Director of Southern Network Services of GRIDCO, said by 2015 to 2016 supply of energy could experience shortage and unreliability if additional generation of 500 MW was not added by early 2016.

He said GRIDCO projected demand and energy consumption for 2014 was 2,179.5 MW adding that the consumption projection represented 13.9 per cent increase over 2013 actual consumption.

Speaking at a business forum on Wednesday Mr Anku said fuel security supply such as gas from West African Gas Pipeline and adequate stock of Light Crude Oil and Distillate Fuel Oil are some of the possible supply risk in 2014 generation.

He said another risk was the major planned maintenance works especially when the maintenance period went beyond the planned schedule due to the age of the units with the thermal generation.

He said insufficient reactive power compensation which could lead to poor customer supply voltage, less optimal generation schedule resulting in increased transmission losses and inadequacy in transmission capacity were some of the possible risks.

Mr James Asare-Adjei, President of Association of Ghana Industries, said while the Association had challenges with planning in the midst of the erratic power supply, requested Electricity Company of Ghana to give companies in the industrial zones some exemption from the power outages to sustain businesses.

He said patronage of goods produced in the country was being promoted to strengthen the industrial sector adding that the vision of the sector would be a mirage if steps to fix the energy problem were absent.

Mr Asare-Adjei- called for long term planning for the energy sector and effectively implement such plans to avoid perennial problems in the sector.