Ghana faces three-week power outage as gas supply from Nigeria reduces

Ghana’s state-owned electricity company has announced a three-week power interruption following a significant reduction in gas supply from Nigeria.

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) made the announcement on Thursday, stating that the reduction, which began on Wednesday, is attributed to ongoing maintenance work by a Nigerian gas supplier.

ECG noted that the decrease in gas supply has led to a diminished power generation capacity across the country. To manage the situation, ECG has stated that load shedding will be implemented.

In a joint statement, the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and ECG explained, “Due to a gas supply shortfall from Nigeria, we are implementing a load management program to maintain system stability and reliability during the three-week maintenance period of the gas supply infrastructure.”

The ECG assured the public that it is working closely with other stakeholders in the power sector to optimize available resources and minimize the impact on consumers.

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They emphasised their commitment to managing the disruptions effectively to ensure that essential services remain uninterrupted during this period.

On Wednesday, the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) announced a reduction in the volumes of gas available for transportation due to the maintenance shutdown of a producer’s facility in Nigeria. This reduction affects gas supply to customers in Togo, Benin, and Ghana.

WAPCo stated, “One of the producers of the natural gas we transport from Nigeria has shut down its facility for a three-week maintenance, resulting in decreased gas availability for customers in Togo, Benin, and Ghana. The current situation is beyond our control, but we expect normalcy to return after the maintenance activities.”

The West African Gas Pipeline, stretching 678 kilometres and operated by WAPCo, delivers natural gas from Nigeria to Benin, Togo, and Ghana.

It starts on land at the Itoki terminal in Nigeria, travels through various points including Lagos, and then goes underwater to reach Ghana. Branches from the main line deliver gas to other cities in Benin, Togo, and Ghana.