President John Dramani Mahama held an urgent meeting with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) on Monday, January 13, 2025, to address Ghana’s mounting energy sector challenges and avert a potential power crisis.
The dialogue focused on resolving the government’s $1.2 billion debt owed to IPPs, a financial burden that has strained their operations. The debt, which accumulated over several months, has sparked repeated threats from IPPs to halt power production, raising concerns about an impending energy crisis.
IPPs, key contributors to the national grid, have warned that their inability to sustain operations due to unpaid arrears could disrupt electricity supply nationwide. President Mahama’s engagement with the IPPs is seen as a critical move to stabilize the sector and ensure uninterrupted power delivery.
Adding to the growing anxiety was a recent announcement from the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo), which operates the pipeline that supplies gas to Ghana’s power plants.
WAPCo had informed the government that it would be shutting down operations for scheduled maintenance, further increasing the risk of power shortages in the country.
The announcement was met with concern by both the government and the public, as the maintenance shutdown would have removed a critical supply of gas that powers many of Ghana’s electricity plants.
However, in a brief reprieve, the scheduled shutdown by WAPCo was postponed for two weeks, alleviating some immediate fears of a widespread power crisis.
