The recent electricity supply challenges in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, have finally been resolved, bringing relief to residents who had been experiencing unstable power supply for weeks.
The situation had worsened over the weekend, prompting a public outcry and catching the attention of Energy and Green Transition Minister, John Jinapor.
Mr Jinapor made an emergency visit to the region to assess the situation and paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace, yesterday.
And, the Asantehene encouraged the Minister to improve the electricity supply to the people.
The Minister was accompanied by the leadership of Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), Volta River Authority (VRA), and Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
During the visit, the Minister was informed that the unstable power supply was mainly due to the upgrading of a generator’s capacity from 66 MVA to 145 MVA at the Anwomaso Bulk Supply Station.
The upgrade had increased the station’s capacity from 198 MVA to 277 MVA, allowing ECG to distribute an additional 70 Megawatts of power.
Mr Jinapor also inspected installation works on Ameri plants and toured sites for the installation of combined gas-diesel generating plants by Independent Power Producers (IPPs) Cenit and Aska Energy.
These projects, expected to be completed by the end of the year, would add approximately 700 megawatts of power to the grid, making Ashanti the new energy generation and supply hub with excess power for export ¹.
Currently, Ghana is generating enough electricity and even exporting excess power.
However, Mr Jinapor emphasised that beyond generation, the focus must be on transmission and distribution infrastructure.
He assured residents that the problem had been resolved and that they could expect improved power delivery.
For a permanent solution to Kumasi’s recurring power supply issues, he stressed the need for a reliable fuel source, specifically gas.
He revealed that the government had been purchasing expensive fuel to maintain electricity supply but aims to establish a second gas processing plant to process domestic gas and reduce reliance on expensive fuel.
Earlier, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, urged the Energy Ministry and relevant agencies to enhance communication regarding power outages in the region to keep the public informed, emphasising the need for transparency in addressing power supply challenges.
He noted that while various reasons had been cited for the outages including technical faults and alleged sabotage, poor communication had been a major concern, saying providing timely updates on planned maintenance and other power-related issues would help residents and businesses plan accordingly.
“The lack of communication between power providers and the public has been a significant issue. People wake up to power cuts without prior notice, which affects their daily activities and damages electrical appliances. If maintenance is scheduled, the public should be informed in advance to avoid unnecessary inconvenience,” Dr Amoakohene indicated.
FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, KUMASI
