Ghana in the Dark: Gas Shortage Sparks Nationwide Blackout

• Ghana hit by nationwide blackout due to gas shortage for electricity generation.
• GRIDCo reports a 550MW supply gap, equal to 10% of total capacity.
• Outage began Thursday evening, with more expected on Friday.

Numerous regions in Ghana plunged into darkness as a result of insufficient gas to fuel the electricity generation machinery in the country.

The power distribution company, Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), reported a significant “supply gap of 550MW during peak hours” at the Tema power plant near the capital, Accra, which amounts to about 10% of the country’s total capacity.

The extensive power outage commenced on Thursday evening and while some areas have had their power restored, GRIDCo’s spokesperson, Dzifa Bampoh, warned of additional outages on Friday evening, particularly during peak hours.

Ghana is currently grappling with its most severe economic crisis in a generation, and this nationwide outage is the worst the country has seen in two years.

A study conducted in June highlighted the precarious state of Ghana’s energy supply, which is teetering on the brink of a power crisis.

The financial challenges faced by the country have exacerbated the power situation, as highlighted in a study by the Centre for Socioeconomic Studies (CSS). Independent power producers in Ghana had threatened to halt operations in July due to unpaid arrears owed by the state-run Electricity Company of Ghana.

GRIDCo, in a statement, cited “limited gas supply” as the reason for curtailing electricity delivery to consumers in certain areas of Ghana and expressed deep regret for the inconvenience caused.

The issue stemmed from a problem with gas supply from Takoradi, with some reports suggesting that gas suppliers had not received their payments.

The power utility firm did not provide an estimated timeline for the restoration of normal power supplies.

Ghana has been grappling with power shortages, colloquially known as “dumsor,” for several years, as the country heavily relies on gas for electricity generation, and any disruption in gas supply results in outages.

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