Ghana’s energy sector faces escalating challenges starting Monday, November 25, 2024, as key power producers, including Karpowership Energy, AKSA Energy, and Cenit Energy Limited, significantly reduce their electricity supply. This development raises concerns about potential blackouts for households and businesses during the festive season.
Reports indicate that Amandi Energy and Karpowership are now entirely off the national grid, while AKSA Energy has scaled back its load from 370MW to a mere 58MW. These reductions are expected to result in a critical shortfall of approximately 450MW.
The situation is further exacerbated by the halting of operations by Sunon Asogli and Amandi Energy, two Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Sunon Asogli cites unpaid debts from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as the reason for its shutdown, while the government attributes Amandi Energy’s outage to ongoing maintenance without a clear timeline for completion.
Last week, Dr. Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, CEO of the Chamber of Independent Power Producers, warned that three additional power plants could cease operations if the financial challenges facing the IPPs are not resolved. This financial standoff has intensified Ghana’s power crisis, popularly referred to as dumsor, disrupting economic activities and daily life.
In response, the ECG has shifted from a monthly to a weekly payment schedule in an effort to reduce arrears owed to Sunon Asogli and other power producers. Stakeholders are hopeful that these measures will stabilize the power supply and prevent a full-scale energy crisis as the festive season approaches. However, the sector remains under close scrutiny to see whether these interventions will yield the desired outcomes.
