Impending shutdown of three power plants won’t happen – ECG MD

The acting Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Ing. David Boadi Asamoah has reassured the public that the feared shutdown of three power plants will not occur.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Power Producers (IPP), Dr Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, had hinted that three power plants are set to shut down next week due to debts owed to the IPPs.

According to him, the government has failed to honour its promises to pay the $259 million debt owed by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). Already, Sunon Asogli power plant has shut down for the same reason while others are not operating at full capacity.

But speaking on JoyNews’ NewsFile on Saturday, November 23, Ing. Asamoah addressed concerns surrounding the potential shutdown, highlighting the measures being taken by ECG to prevent such an event.

Asked why ECG was not providing a timetable for the recent outages, he clarified that the power shortages were not consistent to enable that planning.

Mr Asamoah emphasized that ECG would monitor figures during peak periods, allowing them to determine the quantity of power available and how to distribute it efficiently nationwide.

He used the Ashanti Region’s situation as an example, noting that the load distribution there on Friday, November 22, was just about 130 megawatts. This was part of a nationwide effort to share power across specific regions, with Ashanti included in the allocation.

He explained, “It’s not that Ashanti faces continual outages, but the challenge in Ashanti is that distributing the necessary 20 to 25 megawatts means urban areas often bear the brunt of the load shedding. When power is sent to rural areas, they may experience cuts, which is unfair.”

In response to a question posed by the host, Mr Asamoah firmly stated, “It will not happen,” referring to the feared shutdown. He went on to explain that the payment schedule was originally set to be monthly, but during his tenure, he opted to implement a weekly schedule.

He elaborated, “I realised that a weekly schedule would have a more positive impact, and it allowed us to manage the power fall and meet the necessary payments. By tracking earnings and allocating the correct amounts, we could ensure payments to our Independent Power Producers (IPPs).”

Although the weekly schedule was his initiative, he called for discussions and agreed that this approach should continue moving forward.

In conclusion, Mr Asamoah reassured the public that ECG is taking proactive measures to ensure that the feared shutdown of power plants does not occur.