Ghana’s President Assures End to Power Outages as Key Plant Resumes Operations

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Dumsor
Power outages

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reassured Ghanaians that the days of frequent power outages, known locally as “Dumsor,” are coming to an end.

In a statement addressing the recent disruptions in electricity supply, the President attributed the outages not to financial shortages, but to a gas supply issue, which was compounded by managerial inefficiencies. He emphasized that significant steps have been taken to restore stability to the national grid.

“The Sunon Asogli Thermal Power Station, which was previously shut down, has now resumed operations. Today, we can confidently assure the country of an uninterrupted power supply. Management is now secure and stable,” President Akufo-Addo said.

The Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited, which operates the country’s 560 MW power plant, restarted production after key interventions from Finance Minister Mohammed Amin Adams and Energy Minister Herbert Krapa. The ministers played a crucial role in facilitating the release of emergency funds to address the operational challenges that had led to the plant’s closure.

Sunon Asogli halted operations in October 2024 after the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) was unable to settle its outstanding debts, leaving the plant financially constrained. By September 2024, ECG owed the power company $259 million, excluding fuel costs. Despite refraining from billing the ECG for idle capacity, Sunon Asogli reported that the debt had grown by 23% between January and September of that year, with only 22.6% of invoices being paid through the Cash Waterfall Mechanism.

The President’s reassurances mark a positive shift for Ghanaians, who have long called for a lasting solution to the country’s ongoing energy crisis.

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