Shortage of gas cause of current dumsor - VRA

The Volta River Authority (VRA), has attributed the worsening power crisis to unavailability of fuel to operate its thermal plants at Aboadze.

Energy watchers have suggested that VRA is unable to purchase crude oil due to lack of funds. The country's power deficit has increased from 400 to 600 megawatts. Read more

On July 8, Tullow Oil Ghana announced an unplanned shut down of its FPSO at the jubilee field, rendering  the Ghana Gas Processing Plant at Atuabo unproductive. The situation has contributed to the intensity of the power crisis, increasing the power deficit from 400 to 600megawatts.

The Head of Corporate Affairs  at the Volta River Authority,  Samuel Fletcher, told TV3 some plants at Aboadze  have been shut down due to the unavailability of fuel.

"In the absence of gas you always some form of a rise in deficit because certain plants cannot run when there is no gas. At every point in time depending on factors at play, the crisis worsens or improves and in this case we have had a situation where the cases has relatively worsened because we don't have gas".

Tullow oil Ghana has not given a time frame within which the  FPSO would be fixed.

"We get frustrated when we can't produce for consumers.  You also know that this is the commodity we sell".

The Electricity Company of Ghana is indebted to the VRA to the tune of  1.2 billion cedis contributing to its inability  to purchase  crude oil  for its thermal plants .

ECG is yet to review the load shedding guide since it elapsed in April, a situation that has led to erratic power supply across the country.