Minister-designate for Energy, John Jinapor, has clarified his recent statement regarding Ghana’s fuel reserves, explaining that his claim of only 5 hours of fuel left pertained specifically to Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO).
Addressing the appointments committee on January 13, 2025, Jinapor sought to correct what he described as a misinterpretation by the media following his comments about potential power shortages.
Jinapor explained that his earlier remarks, made after President John Mahama’s swearing-in on January 7, 2025, were misunderstood due to sensationalized headlines. “I was specific. I said we had 5 hours of HFO, and it is true. We had 5 hours of HFO. I said we had zero hours of DFO for Sunon Asogli, and it is true,” he clarified. He emphasized that these figures were related to fuel supplies for power generation, and warned that any disruption in gas supplies could lead to significant power losses, potentially triggering load shedding.
The Energy Minister-designate was responding to a question from the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo Markin, who had sought clarification on his earlier statements. Jinapor noted that his comments, posted on social media, had caused concern about widespread power outages. He stressed that while the HFO reserves were low, the situation was not as dire as the media had suggested.
Regarding CenPower, one of the country’s major power generation companies, Jinapor confirmed that as of President Mahama’s inauguration, it had up to 23 days of fuel reserves, alleviating concerns over immediate fuel shortages.
In his earlier social media post, Jinapor had warned of serious load shedding due to depleted fuel stocks and the scheduled maintenance of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAPCo) from January 20 to February 16, 2025. He claimed that the previous government’s failure to replenish fuel supplies for power generation left the country vulnerable during the pipeline’s shutdown. Specifically, he accused the Akufo-Addo administration of politically motivated delays, which he argued could lead to a significant power supply deficit of about 1,000 megawatts.
Jinapor also criticized the outgoing administration for not securing enough liquid fuel to mitigate the effects of the maintenance, despite assurances made during joint transition meetings. He warned that it would take weeks for new fuel supplies to arrive, further compounding the issue.
Despite these concerns, Jinapor assured the appointments committee that measures were in place to handle the challenges and that the country would not experience the catastrophic power shortages initially feared. His comments reflect the ongoing complexities of managing Ghana’s energy sector, with the upcoming WAPCo maintenance posing a potential strain on the power grid.
As discussions continue, the energy sector remains a key focus, and the resolution of fuel supply issues will be crucial in ensuring a stable power supply during the maintenance period and beyond.