Nana Amoasi VII, the Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Security (IES), has stated that President Akufo-Addo’s directive to suspend exporting electricity to neighbouring countries is not sustainable.
Samuel Atta Akyea, Chairman of the Energy Committee of Parliament, revealed on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, that President Akufo-Addo had instructed the Volta River Authority (VRA) to scale back electricity exports to neighbouring countries in light of the ongoing intermittent power outages, commonly referred to as ‘dumsor’.
Nana Amoasi VII, in an interview on the Big Issue with Selorm Adonoo on Saturday, April 6, commended the decision, highlighting the importance of prioritizing domestic demands over external demands.
However, he also pointed out that the Volta River Authority (VRA) will lose revenue as a result of this decision, making the choice both positive and negative.
The IES Director emphasized that the decision is not sustainable and will not resolve the power outage issue, as the gap between the required load and what is produced remains significant, around 600 megawatts.
He explained that even after removing 250 megawatts from the export market for domestic use, a deficit of approximately 400 megawatts would still exist.
Consequently, the ongoing power outages, or ‘dumsor,’ would continue until a permanent solution is found.
“So there are two things here, one positive, one negative, which must be analysed well so that we ensure that we get the best out of this decision. However, this decision is not sustainable and will not address the load shedding we are seeing because the gap in here between the required load shedding from consumers and what is produced is roughly about 600 megawatts.
“If you take 250 megawatts from the export market for domestic use, you will still have something close to 400 megawatts as the deficit of which load must be shared. And so this is not a sustainable approach, it’s not a game changer, we’ll still be seeing the dumsor we are seeing until a permanent solution is found.”
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