Business & Strategy

Power Supply Disruptions Hit West Africa Amid Shortage Gas Supply

Written by Jerry Alomatu on June 17, 2024

News Views: 112

Reports indicate that several areas in Ghana, Benin, and Togo are currently experiencing power outages due to a prolonged disruption in gas supply originating from Nigeria.

The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited, headquartered in Accra, Ghana, recently disclosed a decrease in gas volumes available for transportation. This reduction in supply was attributed to maintenance work being carried out by a Nigerian gas producer, leading to the shutdown of its facility for a three-week period.

As a result of this development, the West African Gas Pipeline Company is facing challenges in transporting gas to customers in Togo, Benin, and Ghana. While gas transportation from the Western Region of Ghana to Tema continues, the situation is expected to normalize after the maintenance activities are completed.

The power shortage has impacted electricity consumers in the affected countries, with the Ghana Grid Company Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana notifying the public about interruptions in power supply. The reduction in gas supply from Nigeria has led to a decrease in overall power generation capacity in Ghana, prompting the possibility of load management measures during the maintenance period.

GRIDCo and ECG, while apologizing for the inconvenience caused, assured the public of their efforts to collaborate with other stakeholders to minimize the impact of the gas supply reduction on consumers.

The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited operates the West African Gas Pipeline, a critical regional infrastructure facilitating natural gas transportation across the sub-region.