Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdullai Jinapor, has announced a scheduled power interruption across the country on Sunday, July 13, as Italian energy giant ENI undertakes critical maintenance on its gas infrastructure.
The temporary shutdown, which will involve ENI turning off its gas valves, is part of ongoing efforts to boost the company’s production capacity to 270 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd). According to the Minister, while the exercise may cause some inconvenience, it is a necessary step toward long-term energy stability.
“ENI will be shutting off their valves briefly this Sunday to carry out maintenance work aimed at increasing gas production. This means there may be interruptions in power supply during the day, but it is for a good reason, to stabilize the energy sector,” Mr. Jinapor explained.
He made the remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the 161kV Anwomaso to Kumasi Transmission Line. The project, co-financed by the European Union and the Government of France, is expected to improve power reliability in Kumasi and the Dunkwa mining enclave by addressing persistent low voltage issues and system inefficiencies.
The Minister also noted that, following expert advice, the government has opted not to run thermal plants on liquid fuel during the brief shutdown, citing the technical complexity and associated risks.
“Transitioning to liquid fuel for such a short period involves changing nozzles and other technical work. If we are only going off for four to six hours, it’s not worth the risk,” he stated, assuring that every effort is being made to minimize the impact on power consumers.
In a related development, Mr. Jinapor revealed that ENI has made an additional commercial oil discovery, while Tullow Oil is reportedly planning to ramp up investment in Ghana’s upstream oil sector, signaling renewed confidence in the country’s energy landscape.
