WAPCo Postpones Pipeline Maintenance, Averting Imminent Power Crisis in Ghana
The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) has agreed to postpone its planned pipeline maintenance by two weeks, temporarily averting a potential power crisis in Ghana. This decision was reached after intense negotiations led by a technical committee established by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah to address the looming energy challenge.
Originally scheduled to begin this week, the maintenance work posed a significant threat to the country’s electricity supply, according to the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo). The company had flagged the maintenance, along with ongoing fuel shortages for thermal plants, as a major risk to Ghana’s power generation capacity.
GRIDCo had previously raised alarms that the combined effects of fuel shortages and the disruption of gas supply from the pipeline could severely cripple the country’s ability to generate power. In an effort to avoid this crisis, the government is racing against time to secure US$89.9 million for liquid fuel procurement, which will be needed to maintain electricity generation during the planned shutdown of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) in January 2025.
The planned maintenance activity, known as “pigging,” would have suspended the supply of natural gas from Nigeria for a month, raising fears of prolonged power outages, commonly referred to as “dumsor.” Ghana’s thermal power plants in Tema—such as Cenpower, Asogli, AKSA, and KTPP—are heavily reliant on natural gas and currently lack sufficient reserves of liquid fuel to compensate for the disruption.
GRIDCo had outlined several urgent measures to address the situation, including the immediate acquisition of liquid fuels to sustain power generation. The company also emphasized optimizing the use of limited gas resources by aligning production schedules with ENI and Tullow Oil. Additionally, GRIDCo is working to add 244.66 megawatts (MW) of dependable power generation by the fourth quarter of 2025. This plan includes securing 129 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of natural gas, or its liquid fuel equivalent, to meet demand.
The pipeline maintenance, initially scheduled for October 2024, had been postponed by the previous government, leaving little room for contingency planning. This delay, however, has now compounded the current energy challenge. The potential power crisis comes at a time when Ghana is already grappling with economic pressures, and any prolonged outages could worsen the situation, impacting industries, households, and overall efforts to stabilize the economy.
With the latest postponement by WAPCo, the new government has gained some additional time to secure the necessary fuel to keep the lights on. However, the threat of a power crisis remains, and all stakeholders will need to act swiftly to ensure that the country’s electricity supply is not disrupted when the pipeline maintenance eventually begins.
