Nationwide power outage expected Sunday as ENI shuts valves
By: Solomon Nartey Tetteh
The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdullai Jinapor, has announced a temporary nationwide power disruption scheduled for Sunday, July 13, due to maintenance work by gas supplier ENI.
According to the minister, ENI will temporarily shut off its gas valves to facilitate rehabilitation work aimed at boosting gas production to 270 million standard cubic feet (MMscf) per day.
“This Sunday, ENI will turn off their valves temporarily to increase gas production to about 270 MMscf. It means we are stabilizing the energy sector,” Mr. Jinapor stated.
He acknowledged that while the maintenance will cause brief interruptions in power supply, the long-term benefits will strengthen the country’s energy infrastructure.
“Because the plant will be turned off for a short period during the day for maintenance works, we are likely to experience some power outages. But it is for a good purpose,” the Energy Minister noted.
Mr. Jinapor made the announcement during a groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the 161kV Anwomaso to Kumasi transmission line.
The project, co-funded by the European Union and the Government of France, is expected to address persistent low voltage challenges in Kumasi and the Dunkwa mining areas, as well as reduce inefficiencies in the power transmission system.
The Energy Minister further revealed that, based on technical advice, the government has decided against switching the plant to liquid fuel during the brief downtime.
“Based on advice from engineers, I have directed that we do not attempt to run the plants on liquid fuel for that short period. It involves changing nozzles and other complex work. So, if we are going off for four to six hours, you don’t risk transitioning to liquid fuel only to switch back to gas,” he explained.
Mr. Jinapor also assured Ghanaians that measures are in place to minimize the impact of the planned shutdown.
Meanwhile, the Energy Minister announced a new commercial oil discovery by ENI, while Tullow Oil has expressed interest in increasing investment in Ghana’s upstream oil sector.
