Dumsor Fears: Three Power Plants Facing Imminent Shutdown Over $259 Million Debt
- The Independent Power Producers has warned that three critical power plants face an imminent shutdown
- The government is owing these plants $259 million because of power supplied to the Electricity Company of Ghana
- The Sunon Asoli Power plant is offline because of the Electricity Company of Ghana's failure to settle the debt
The Independent Power Producers has warned that three critical power plants are facing imminent shutdown due to accumulating unpaid debts.
The IPP CEO, Dr Elikplim Apetorgbor, claimed the government had defaulted on a $259 million payment owed by the Electricity Company of Ghana.
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Apetorgbor told Citi News the government needs to act swiftly to prevent the shutdown by settling the debts. He did not disclose the plants set to be affected.
“I can confirm that all is not well; if there is no intervention before Friday, I can tell you that by Monday, three key power plants will be off the grids."
The Sunon Asogli Power Plant has already shut down due to the Electricity Company of Ghana's failure to settle a huge debt.
According to Sunon Asogli, the non-payment had left them in a tight financial state, making them unable to fund operations.
The power producer also called on the Finance Ministry to intervene and find a solution as soon as possible.
ECG and load-shedding hiccups
In June, the West African Gas Pipeline Company said a gas supplier's maintenance work caused power cuts in Ghana.
The reduced supply limited power generation capacity, resulting in power outages in Accra, among other cities in the country.
According to the BBC, the Electricity Company of Ghana implemented a load management schedule to manage the country's available energy.
During an earlier stretch of power cuts, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission fined board members of the Electricity Company of Ghana for not providing a load-shedding timetable.
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PURC warns about ECG's debt
YEN.com.gh also reported that the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has been consistently warning about the indebtedness crippling the ECG.
Dr Ishmael Ackah, the Executive Secretary of the PURC, sounded the alarm in a letter to the Presidency, the Energy and Finance Ministers, and key stakeholders.
Ackah warned the situation could have devastating effects on the operations of the Volta River Authority, the Ghana Grid Company, and the Bui Power Authority.
Proofread by Samuel Gitonga, Copy Editor at YEN.com.gh
Source: YEN.com.gh
