Technical problems in Ghana, Nigeria escalate power crisis

Fresh technical problems with the Volta River Authority have crippled the company’s ability to generate power triggering fears that the power supply situation could grow from bad to worse.

The VRA plants in the Western region are currently only able to generate 150 megawatts out of a maximum of about 600megawatts because of technical faults.

Due to the faults, the VRA is unable to process the optimum volume of gas which the Ghana Gas Company is ready to supply.

VRA is hoping to resolve the problem before Friday so it can take more gas from Ghana Gas in Atuabo in the Western region.

The VRA relies on Ghana Gas Company in the Western region to power its thermal plants enclave in Takoradi. It also relies on N-Gas in Nigeria to power thermal plants in Tema.

But fresh technical troubles with VRA is bringing more pain for an erratic power sector after government breathed a sigh of relief last week.

Nigerian authorities had threatened to cut significant levels of gas supply because of Ghana’s $180million debt. Ghana later placated its debtors with a $10m downpayment.

But last Saturday, technical problems with a fuse at N-Gas pipeline in Nigeria caused a drop in gas supply of about 100 million cubic feet.

About 590 megawatts has been shed as a result. Nigeria’s gas serves thermal plants located in Tema where only one unit of the Asogli power plant running.

It is taking time to fix the problem in Nigeria and restore normal supply levels, sources told Joy News’ Francis Abban.

While the Nigerian technical problem is being resolved, Ghana Gas Company only yesterday also developed a fault that required a 24-hour attention of engineers.
It has been resovled.

But another major fault at the Volta River Authority Thursday has crippled VRA’s ability to receive optimum gas from the Ghana Gas Company.

Engineers say they are hopeful the problem will be fixed by the end of the day.

The Communications Manager for Ghana Gas, Alfred Ogbami Tetteh explains that the problem means the VRA is only taking about 38 million standard cubic feet to produce about 150megawatts
Ghana’s debt to Nigeria and teachnical challenges in the sup