An impending power outage in Ghana has been avoided thanks to an agreement by the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) to delay its scheduled pipeline maintenance by two weeks.

Intense deliberations led by a technical group that Chief of Staff Julius Debrah formed to address the impending energy crisis resulted in this decision.

According to the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), the work, which was originally planned to start this week, poses a serious risk to the nation's electrical supply.

Ghana's power generation capability would be severely crippled by the continuous fuel shortages for thermal plants and the interruption in the pipeline's gas delivery, according to GRIDCo.


Representatives of WAPCo, GRIDCo authorities, and the technical committee discussed the possible effects of the maintenance on the national grid at a high-level meeting. The potential return of power outages has sparked worries since it might cause disruptions to homes and businesses across.

After talks, WAPCo decided to postpone the maintenance so that authorities have more time to find alternate fuel sources and stabilize power production.

Context of the Fuel and Maintenance Crisis

For the transportation of natural gas from Nigeria to Ghana, Togo, and Benin, WAPCo's pipeline is essential. The efficiency and safety of the pipeline depend on the planned maintenance.

Ghana's thermal plants are powered by gas, thus any interruption might have a serious impact on the country's electrical supply.

The electricity industry is also under additional strain due to the nation's ongoing fuel supply shortage. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) and more light crude oil are being imported in an attempt to lessen the effects of the gas supply shortage.

The government and pertinent parties are attempting to complete backup plans and speed up fuel imports in order to keep the electricity supply going throughout the impending maintenance time.