The African Center for Energy Policy (ACEP) has warned that Ghana may face power crisis by next year.
The caution was contained in a report released by the group. According to ACEP, the danger the power sector faces in 2017 could be attributed to a potential disruption in gas supply.
The report, which was titled “Beyond 2016 Elections: Energy Sector Priorities” further warned that fuel supply insecurity is likely to continue in 2017.
It pointed out that the new administration must tackle as a matter of urgency challenges in the power sector since power supply from the nation’s hydropower sources are still dim.
The report explained that the insecurity has been heightened by low supply of hydropower due to low levels of water in the Akosombo and the Kpong retrofitting project.
“Even though the current water levels have improved to about 253.05 feet the record levels were below the minimum levels of 234 feet,” the report said. “Fuel supply has become more challenging, as thermal generation will continue to dominate the sector,” the report said, attributing the inability of the Asogli Power Plant to suspension of gas supply from Nigeria due to Ghana’s indebtedness to the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO) and NGas.
“The 2017 outlook therefore faces uncertainty due to the decision to permanently moor the FPSO, which will lead to suspension of oil and gas supply from the Jubilee fields for three months starting from April 2016,” it said. “This threatens power supply from Ameri and Aboadzi power plants.
Government has promised to substitute jubilee gas with TEN gas, but at 50mmscfd, gas from TEN will not be enough to completely substitute for jubilee gas as most of the non-associated gas in the TEN project is found in the Tweneboa reserve which is expected on stream more than a year from now,” it added.
It explained that a shortage of 40mmscfd of gas requires that some of the plants are run on light crude oil particularly the duel fuel Aboadzi thermal plants.
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