Ghana Risks Blackouts in Two days as Fuel Stocks Run Out Says John Jinapor, But Former Energy Minister Disputes Claims

MP John Abdulai Jinapor warns of imminent blackouts due to fuel shortages, but former Energy Minister Herbert Krapa dismisses the claims, urging competent management.

John Abdulai Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Yapei-Kusawgu, has raised concerns about an impending energy crisis in Ghana, warning that the country’s fuel stocks for power generation are critically low. He cautioned that unless immediate action is taken, the nation could face blackouts within two days. Jinapor explained that even if fuel orders were placed now, it would take up to eight weeks for the fuel to arrive and be processed, leaving the country vulnerable to potential power outages.

Speaking in an interview with JoyNews after President John Mahama’s inauguration on January 7, Jinapor, who is also Co-Chairman of the Transition Team’s sub-committee on Energy and Natural Resources, blamed the outgoing Nana Akufo-Addo administration for failing to secure sufficient fuel supplies despite repeated warnings during the transition period, which could result in an energy crisis.

“I have bad news for you,” Jinapor stated. “Just today, the confirmation we are getting is that we have only five hours of fuel stock. If you look at heavy fuel oil and distillate fuel, we don’t have up to two days. And so in two days’ time, we are likely to run out of fuel.”

However, former Energy Minister Herbert Krapa rebutted Jinapor’s claims in a social media post. Krapa asserted that the new NDC government needs to focus on maintaining the power supply as the NPP did under Akufo-Addo for the past eight years, without causing an energy crisis.

“Mr. Jinapor is wrong. Load shedding does not ‘loom.’ It is caused either by technical or emergency power generation issues or a lack of competence in managing the power sector. Mr. Jinapor seems to be haunted clearly by the latter,” Krapa’s post read.

Jinapor had explained that the process of importing and treating fuel takes an average of eight weeks, underlining the urgency of the situation. “This administration has not ordered any fuel as we speak, and it takes on average four weeks for the fuel to arrive and four weeks for the fuel to be treated,” he noted, highlighting the potential for an energy crisis.

During the transition, Jinapor said the outgoing administration assured them that fuel had been procured to meet immediate needs. However, he discovered that there was insufficient stock to last even two days. “Clearly, we have a major, major problem, and this is an incoming administration. Even if you order the fuel, like I’m telling you, it will take about eight weeks,” he stressed, emphasizing the looming energy crisis.

Krapa disputed this claim, adding that President Akufo-Addo’s government had left sufficient fuel in stock to keep the lights on. “By the time of leaving office, President Akufo-Addo’s government left in stock light crude oil, which Cenpower currently generates power with, whilst AKSA continues to take delivery of heavy fuel oil which it generates power with. This fact is easily verifiable with a phone call to both power plants,” he said, addressing the energy crisis concerns.

He further advised the new administration to ensure they manage fuel supplies effectively. “The responsibility of the new administration is to not only procure more liquid fuel to keep the lights on whenever liquid fuel becomes required to complement gas supply but also plan competently to avert power supply disruptions. We did it, and they can do it too if they can,” Krapa’s post continued.

Ghana’s energy sector, which relies heavily on thermal plants for approximately 60% of its electricity generation, is already under strain. These plants depend on imported heavy fuel oil, distillates, and natural gas. The looming fuel shortage threatens to disrupt electricity supply across homes, businesses, and industries, further exacerbating the country’s economic challenges and the energy crisis.

Hydropower, which contributes between 30-40% of Ghana’s electricity, has been unreliable due to inconsistent rainfall affecting the Akosombo and Bui dams. Renewable energy, including solar, accounts for only 2% of the energy mix, offering little relief in this energy crisis.

Although Ghana has an installed electricity generation capacity of over 5,100 MW, operational challenges such as fuel shortages and maintenance issues reduce the actual available capacity, creating a significant gap in supply. The country’s annual electricity consumption exceeds 16,000 GWh, with demand growing by about 8% annually due to urbanization and industrialization, heightening the potential for an energy crisis.

Source: thehighstreetjournal.com