Govt secures 450,000 barrels of fuel to avert blackout

By Solomon Nartey Tetteh

The government has acquired 450,000 barrels of fuel to tackle the country’s worsening power supply challenges and help stabilise electricity nationwide.

The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition confirmed the delivery, which is expected to provide urgent relief amid ongoing disruptions that have affected homes and businesses in recent weeks.
The consignment, which arrived at the Tema Port, will be allocated to power plants facing critical shortages, especially those operated by Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

The intervention comes after weeks of erratic electricity supply caused by insufficient fuel for thermal generation. Last week, Energy Minister John Jinapor warned of a looming nationwide power crisis, disclosing that Ghana had less than three days’ worth of liquid fuel left for power generation.
Appearing before Parliament’s Energy Committee on May 15, Mr. Jinapor said the Ministry was racing against time to secure funding to pay for urgent fuel supplies.

“The Ministry of Finance is being engaged, but due to financial constraints, our options remain limited,” he stated.

He added that part of the fuel consignment was obtained on credit, but lack of immediate funding continues to pose a threat to power stability.
The 450,000-barrel delivery is considered a crucial step toward averting a deeper energy crisis and ensuring continued supply to the national grid.