Energy Minister Announces Temporary Power Outage

Energy Minister John Abdullai Jinapor has announced a temporary nationwide power outage on Sunday, July 13, 2025, due to maintenance work by gas supplier ENI.

He explained that ENI will briefly shut down its gas supply valves to carry out upgrades aimed at increasing gas production capacity to 270 million standard cubic feet (MMscf) per day. While this may cause short-term disruptions, Jinapor emphasized that the move is crucial for stabilizing Ghana’s energy sector.

“This Sunday, ENI will temporarily close its valves to ramp up gas production to around 270 MMscf, which will help secure the energy sector,” he stated.

The maintenance, expected to last a few hours, may lead to intermittent power outages. “Since the plant will be offline briefly for maintenance, some power interruptions are likely—but it’s for a greater benefit,” he added.

Jinapor made these remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the 161kV Anwomaso-Kumasi Transmission Line project, funded by the European Union and the French government. The upgrade aims to resolve persistent low-voltage issues in Kumasi and Dunkwa mining areas while improving the national grid’s efficiency.

He further noted that, following expert recommendations, the government has opted not to switch the affected plants to liquid fuel during the shutdown. “Engineers advised against transitioning to liquid fuel for such a short period, as it involves complex adjustments like nozzle replacements. A four-to-six-hour shutdown doesn’t justify the risk,” he explained.

Jinapor reassured the public that measures are in place to minimize inconvenience.

In other updates, he revealed that ENI has made a new commercial oil discovery, while Tullow Oil plans to increase investments in Ghana’s upstream petroleum sector to strengthen the country’s energy outlook.