The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) has agreed to delay its planned pipeline maintenance by two weeks, averting an impending power crisis in Ghana.
This decision follows intensive negotiations led by a technical committee formed by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah to address the looming energy challenge.
The maintenance, originally scheduled to begin this week, was identified by the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) as a critical threat to the nation’s electricity supply. GRIDCo cautioned that ongoing fuel shortages for thermal plants, combined with disruptions in gas supply from the pipeline, could severely undermine Ghana’s power generation capacity.
During a high-level meeting involving WAPCo, GRIDCo officials, and the technical committee, stakeholders discussed the potential effects of the maintenance on the national grid. Concerns were raised about the possibility of renewed power outages, which could significantly impact businesses and households nationwide.
Following these deliberations, WAPCo agreed to postpone the maintenance to provide authorities additional time to secure alternative fuel supplies and stabilize electricity generation.
The WAPCo pipeline is a key infrastructure transporting natural gas from Nigeria to Ghana, Togo, and Benin. While the maintenance is essential for the pipeline’s safety and operational efficiency, Ghana’s heavy reliance on gas to power its thermal plants makes any disruption highly consequential for electricity supply.
Compounding the issue, Ghana is currently facing a fuel supply deficit, further straining the power sector. Efforts are underway to import additional light crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to mitigate the effects of the gas supply shortfall.
The government and stakeholders are working to fast-track fuel imports and finalize contingency measures to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the eventual maintenance period.
