We did not say there would be 'dumsor' for 3 weeks – Deputy Energy Minister clarifies ECG, GRIDCo statement

Collins Adomako-Mensah, a Deputy Minister for Energy, has clarified a joint statement issued by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) warning Ghanaians of an interruption in the power supply, known as ‘dumsor’, due to a reduction in the supply of gas from Nigeria.

Speaking on a panel discussion on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, the deputy minister stated that the announcement by ECG and GRIDCo was never an indication that the country was going to experience ‘dumsor’.

According to him, the statement was just a notification to Ghanaians about a possible hindrance to the country’s ability to generate its power needs.

"We did not say there would be ‘dumsor’ for 3 weeks. The West Africa Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) issued a statement, informing us that one of their suppliers in Nigeria is embarking on maintenance for three weeks. So they quickly wrote, informing all the beneficiaries of the WAGP line, i.e., Benin, Togo, Ghana, that this may cause some disruptions in the supply of gas or the amount of gas that comes in.

“So, GRIDCo and ECG, being proactive, also released a statement indicating to Ghanaians that because of the work being done in Nigeria, which will cause a reduction in the supply of gas through the WAGP line to Ghana, we might experience some challenges,” he said.

Collins Adomako-Mensah, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Afigya Kwabre, indicated that the government and Nigerian authorities were able to find an alternative supplier of gas, which is why there was no disruption in power supply as indicated by ECG and GRIDCo.

"Fortunately for us, WAPCo and the Ghanaian team and a committee that was set up quickly were able to find an alternative supplier of gas. And for the past week and a half, the maintenance is still ongoing in Nigeria. But you realize that we are not feeling the effect as was expected based on the release from GRIDCo."

What ECG and GRIDCo said:

The power supplier indicated that some parts of the country were already experiencing a disruption in power supply due to the reduction in the supply of gas from Nigeria.

It added that the situation has caused a reduction in Ghana’s power generation capacity, which could result in load management over the period of the work.

"The Ghana Grid Company LTD. (GRIDCo) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) wish to inform the public that due to a reduction in gas supply from Nigeria since Wednesday, June 12, 2024, some areas across the country have experienced an interruption in power supply.

"The West Africa Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo), in a statement, has explained that the reduction in gas supply was due to maintenance works being undertaken by a gas supplier in Nigeria and is projected to last three (3) weeks," part of the joint statement reads.

It added, "The maintenance has caused a reduction in overall power generation capacity in Ghana, which could result in load management over the period of the work."

Watch his remarks in the video below:

We didn't say there was going to be 'dumsor' for 3 weeks - @adomakomens #GoodMorningGhana #MetroTV pic.twitter.com/4DAGpzhzHu

— Metro TV Ghana (@metrotvgh) June 19, 2024

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