‘Load shedding over during off-peak hours’
Load shedding during off-peak hours is over, following the reduction of the 250 megawatts deficit to 80 megawatts, President John Dramani Mahama has said.
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“From today no off-peak load shedding; mark my words,” he made the announcement to thunderous applause at the National Prayer and Thanksgiving Service yesterday.
He said the narrowing down of the 250 megawatts deficit to 80 megawatts meant that there would be enough power to supply consumers during off-peak hours without any load shedding.
The President gave an assurance that by the end of April, 2013, the whole load shedding would be over.
“By the end of this month, the load shedding will be over and Ghana will not see this darkness again,” he said.
The load shedding began last year following the break in gas supply from the West Africa Gas Pipeline to Ghana. The suspension of the gas supply, used in power generation at the Asogli Power and the Volta River Authority (VRA) plants, was occasioned by the damage to parts of the pipelines in Togo.
President Mahama said he was in Nigeria last Friday, where he held discussions with President Goodluck Jonathan on the need to ensure regular supply of gas to Ghana, beginning from the end of this month.
He said the gas was to feed the thermal plants which were dependent on gas for the generation of power.
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Again, he said, he had also requested the supply of crude oil to feed the country’s refinery.
The President hinted that he would commission a 30 megawatts plant at Aboadze today.
Besides, he said, he would go to Atuabu to inspect the gas process plant, which he would commission at the end of the year.
He said gas from the plant, which would be supplied to the plants dependent on gas for power generation, would make the country self-reliant in gas supply.
President Mahama affirmed his resolve to work to end the power crisis and prevent its reoccurrence.
“I am determined to work so that this land of God will never see darkness again,” he said.
He asked Ghanaians to resolve not to allow the country’s infrastructure to go bad without any development.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru