IES Warns of Imminent ‘Dumsor’ Crisis, Urges Immediate Action from Mahama’s Administration
The Institute for Energy Security (IES) has raised alarm over an imminent power crisis, commonly referred to as “dumsor,” urging the newly inaugurated Mahama administration to act swiftly to address the critical situation.
This warning follows concerns raised by John Abdulai Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu, who cited severe fuel shortages as the root cause of the looming power outages.
Speaking in Accra on January 7, 2024, after the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama, Jinapor disclosed that Ghana’s fuel stock is critically low, with only five hours of supply remaining.
He criticized the outgoing administration for its failure to secure adequate fuel supplies, leaving the incoming government in a precarious position.
Echoing these concerns, Nana Amoasi VII, Executive Director of the IES, highlighted systemic inefficiencies and poor planning as the underlying causes of the power sector’s vulnerability, stressing the need for urgent reforms to prevent prolonged outages.
“It is not something that we were not expecting. Being watchers of the space, we knew very well that we had a very fragile power sector stemming from systemic inefficiencies, including poor planning,” Nana Amoasi VII stated in an interview on Wednesday.
Reliance on Natural Gas and Lack of Backup Fuels
Nana Amoasi VII pointed out that while most power plants in Ghana are capable of running on liquid fuels in addition to natural gas, the country’s lack of adequate backup stocks has left the power sector exposed.
“Today we are more reliant on natural gas, but thank God almost all the plants we have in Ghana, excluding the hydro and solar ones, can run on liquid fuel as well. But we knew that we don’t have any backup or any stock of liquid fuel in adequate form, so we knew that at a certain point in time we could be exposed,” he explained.
Transition Gaps and Immediate Concerns
He expressed disappointment over the lack of procurement and lifting arrangements during the government transition, which could have ensured a seamless power supply.
“Unfortunately, we were expecting that as part of the transition arrangement, some form of procurement or lifting would have been made to ensure that there is no gap left within the space. But our checks indicate that we don’t have enough liquid fuel to give us that reliance and assurance that we won’t have any shock in power supply,” he said.
Call to Action
The IES is therefore urging the Mahama administration to prioritize addressing the crisis immediately.
“We appeal to the men in charge today to get back to work and start work as soon as possible. Otherwise, we are largely exposed,” Nana Amoasi VII warned.
The warning underscores the urgency of stabilizing Ghana’s power supply, as the nation braces for the potential fallout of another bout of dumsor, which has historically hampered economic activity and strained businesses and households.
