WAPCO Cuts Gas Supply to Ghana Over $20 Million Debt – Energy Minister
The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO) has reduced gas supply to Ghana due to a $20 million debt, further deepening the country’s energy crisis, Energy Minister John Jinapor has revealed.
This development adds to Ghana’s growing power sector challenges, with independent power producers (IPPs) and Italian energy giant ENI also threatening to halt supply over unpaid debts. The minister disclosed that the energy sector debt has now ballooned to GHS 80 billion, significantly impacting power generation stability.
No Plans for Load Shedding – Minister Assures
Addressing the media, Mr. Jinapor acknowledged the severe financial strain but assured that the government will not return Ghana to prolonged power outages, commonly known as “dumsor.”
“This is a supply situation; no load management will be required during this period. This is the official report I receive daily, so we are not shedding load. There is no load shedding, so we cannot publish a load-shedding schedule when we are not shedding load,” he stated.
Weak Transmission System Exacerbating Power Issues
The minister admitted that Ghana’s power transmission grid is weak, making the system vulnerable to outages.
“Admittedly, we have inherited a very weak system; the transmission grid is very weak, and so, at the slightest opportunity, you will see some areas going off,” he explained.
Despite the mounting challenges, the 2025 budget includes a proposal for a major tariff increase to help resolve ECG’s financial difficulties and stabilize power supply in the long term.
Source: MyJoyOnline
Ghana’s energy crisis deepens as WAPCO cuts gas supply over a $20 million debt. Energy Minister John Jinapor denies load shedding plans, but sector debt hits GHS 80 billion.