Kwadwo Nsafoah Poku, an energy expert and member of the energy committee of the NPP 2024 manifesto, has revealed that the power distributor, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has arrangements with the independent power producers (IPPs) for power to serve its customers.
He therefore backed the ECG for disagreeing with the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) on the issue of the publication of a load-management schedule.
GRIDCo, in a March 28 statement, reported ECG to the sector minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh for the power distributor’s failure to comply with a load-management schedule from the systems manager.
“ECG had their own power purchase agreement within which they operate and they have arranged and signed off in agreement with these independent power producers (IPPs). If at any point in time these IPPs are generating far in excess of what you need for your concessionary area, then somebody calls you to tell you that you need maybe 2000 megawatts for your concessionary arear, the power purchase agreement you have signed with the IPPs are producing 3000, but you, that you only need 2000 that you signed agreement, manage load of let’s say 200 megawatts.
“ECG is saying that why should I manage the load because my contractual obligation is being met and I should be able to get power for my customers,” he explained on The Key Points on Saturday, April 20.
Calls for dumsor timetable
Responding to concerns about ECG’s failure to release a load-shedding timetable despite the persistent erratic power supply, the NPP communicator asserted that ECG does not merely publish a load-shedding timetable.
He noted that a lot goes into the drawing of a load-management schedule.
Mr. Nsafoah cited the ECG’s statement, which noted that the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) gives ECG limited timelines in notifying it of generation shortfalls to their bulk supply points (BSPs), which results in dumsor.
He also dismissed the concerns that the power challenges in the country are largely due to a lack of money to purchase fuel.