Tag Archives: GRIDCo

GRIDCo blames recent ‘Dumsor’ on gas shortage stemming from commercial issues

The recent ongoing power outages in parts of the country are due to a gas shortage to power thermal plants, the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has clarified.

The power producer said the situation has affected electricity transmission in the country.

There has been irregular power supply in many parts of the country, escalating fears of the return of incessant power outages known as ‘Dumsor.’

GRIDCo’s Corporate Communications Manager, Dzifa Bampoh, explained that the gas supply challenges stem from “commercial issues” involving agreements, payments, and negotiations with gas suppliers.

She added that this bottleneck has reduced generation capacity, leaving GRIDCo unable to transmit adequate power to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

“Currently GRIDCo as far we are aware as a transmission entity, we are aware of some commercial challenges with supply in reference to gas. When we say commercial challenges, it means there are agreements, payment, and negotiations that need to be made with the gas suppliers,” she said in an interview with Joy News.

“So for us, we are unable to provide the full quantum of power supply that ECG would need to plan in the country just because there have been commercial issues related to the gas,” she added.

Madam Bampoh stressed that the outages are unrelated to the shutdown of Sunon Asogli Power Limited, which halted operations due to ECG’s debt.

Even if the Sunon Asogli plant were operational, gas supply shortages would still prevent it from functioning effectively, she noted.

“It doesn’t even have to do with the recent outages. The current outages we are experiencing including myself are really because we don’t have the full quantum of indigenous gas supply in Ghana to meet our demands.”

She assured that the situation would stabilize once the government resolves the commercial challenges with gas suppliers, restoring consistent power generation and transmission.

Source: Myxyzonline.com

Galamsey operators invade GRIDCo site within Northern Ashanti Mines

Illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, in Konongo, Ashanti Region, is posing a serious threat to power supply in parts of the Ashanti and Eastern Regions.

The illegal miners have invaded the Northern Ashanti Mines’ concession, where GRIDCO substation pylons are located, putting critical infrastructure at risk.

A GRIDCO substation situated within the operational area of Northern Ashanti Mines is now under threat due to the ongoing galamsey activities, which have compromised several pylons.

This situation raises the possibility of power outages affecting Konongo Township and surrounding communities.

Despite the efforts of the mine’s security task force, illegal mining continues to persist in the area. The mining company has expressed frustration, noting that their attempts to engage local security agencies, including the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) and the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC), have been unsuccessful.

In a recent escalation, the mining company’s task force was attacked by armed individuals, resulting in injuries and damage to property. The situation continues to pose a serious challenge to both the mining operations and the region’s power supply.

The company now fears an imminent confrontation between its security personnel and illegal miners on Thursday, October 10, as intelligence suggests the galamseyers plan to launch another assault on the mine and its employees.

 

 

Source: Citinewsroom.com