An energy expert has advised Ghana government to ration power, if need be, to help address the current challenges confronting the energy sector.
Benjamin Boakye, Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), has asked the government to overlook the idea of trying to please Ghanaians because it just assumed power.
According to him, it would be better for the government to shed load whilst seeking solution to the challenges facing the sector than making an attempt to satisfy everyone whilst the problem exacerbates.
His advice comes on the back of President Mahama’s plea to the West African Gas Pipeline Company to suspend its maintenance exercise to keep the power on in the meantime due to the looming crisis.
But speaking on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Thursday, January 09, 2025, Ben Boakye noted that there have been several maintenance exercises over the years leading to power outages within the period, something he says the government shouldn’t be afraid to do.
He indicated that the maintenance could be carried with some minimum amount of load shedding also known as ‘dumsor’, whilst the government makes permanent arrangement to stabilise the grid.
Either than that, he asserts it would get to a time where the entire eastern enclave would have to be shutdown which would have adverse effect on the national grid.
“We have seen many of those in the past years. There have been many shutdowns, maintenance. I think that some minimum amount of shedding should be allowed whilst they get some HFO and liquid to run some turbines to stabilise the grid,” he counseled.
He said it is better to address the problem that way “because if you shutdown the entire eastern enclave, it will create instability in the grid but the amount of energy required to stabilise the grid, we need to put that on and get the liquid fuels whilst we fix the gas supply.”
“Gas is the cheapest fuel for us and therefore the less debt we create when we consume gas so I’m hoping that we’ll be sober and reflect on these things and not create a lot more debt,” he added.
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