Ghana lacks resources to immediately fix outage-causing infrastructure – Nsiah

The Director of the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy, Benjamin Nsiah, has warned that Ghana lacks the necessary resources to immediately address the infrastructure issues leading to recent nationwide power outages. He described the situation as troubling, stating that while power demand in the Volta Enclave has risen over time, the outdated infrastructure - about 40 years old - is struggling to meet the increasing need.

Speaking on Adom TV’s weekend show, Nanwotwi Yi, Nsiah explained, "The Akosombo waterline was constructed in the 1980s, so the demand outweighs the supply. When the demand continues to increase, it will cause a trip or have an effect on the control room." He emphasized that while this is a significant challenge, Ghana may not currently possess the financial capability to resolve it right away.

"Whether we have the financial resources to resolve it immediately is another thing, and even if it can be resolved, we may need about a year or so to sustainably address this particular issue. So we will face some of these challenges periodically," he added. Nsiah also cautioned the Energy Ministry to exercise caution regarding the information it shares with the public.

He pointed out that the minister had initially claimed the control room issue had been resolved, but that was a temporary fix. Consequently, the public believed the problem was solved until the system tripped again. Therefore, effective communication is crucial, according to Nsiah. He further advised system planners and managers to consider establishing parallel or dual redundant lines, allowing for substitute power when one line fails.