The Power Distribution Services (PDS) has released its first load shedding time table in which it announces a 12-hour power outage in eight regions of the country.
Greater Accra; including Tema, Oti, Ashanti, Volta, Central, Western, Western North and Eastern regions will experience the 6AM to 6PM outages on Friday, April 5.
PDS says the outages which have already taken effect in all stated parts of the country have been necessitated by ongoing works on the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant.
The Energy Ministry has said the total shut down of the Atuabo Plant is to make way for Ghana to connect its systems with the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO).
This is to ensure a flow of stranded gas from the Western region to Tema, from where a number of plants that feed the national grid are located.
Joy News checks reveal a significant amount of work has been done on the pipelines over the last few days and most of the pipes have been connected.
Cleaning and painting of the pipes are ongoing and they are expected to be completed on Friday. Levelling of chippings under the pipe racks have also commenced, Joy News sources have said.
The sources also said gas into the plant for commissioning purposes will start today and once completed gas can be exported to the Volta River Authority (VRA) at Aboadze on Sunday, April 7 ahead of target.
They have assured that by the end of the 12-day deadline announced by the Energy Minister, there should be stable supply of power in the country.
Ghanaians who have already been dealing with the outages without a timetable, are incensed at the development.
They have criticised the PDS for refusing to admit that the country was heading back to the dark old days of ‘dumsor’.
Already, many businesses and homes have been affected by the outages that started in March.
Joy News’ Efua Evans Chinery was in some parts of the Greater Accra Region and reported that, consumers are angry.
Some of them told Efua they had no idea their lights were going to go off – at 5AM – and the PDS should have announced the timetable earlier than they did.
In the Ashanti region, Luv News’ Kwesi Debrah visited some areas where consumers said they were “disturbed” by the outages as their businesses are struggling.
Some questioned why Ghana after 62 years of independence is unable to handle its power needs and has to always slide into darkness.
Source:Fiilafmonline/Joy
