“Dumsor”: Nana Amoasi VII argues that Akufo-Addo’s directive on electricity export won’t resolve the crisis

Nana Amoasi VII, the Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Security (IES), has expressed his views on President Akufo-Addo’s directive to suspend the export of electricity to neighboring countries, stating that it may not offer a sustainable solution.

The Chairman of the Energy Committee of Parliament, Samuel Atta Akyea, disclosed on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, that President Akufo-Addo had instructed the Volta River Authority (VRA) to reduce electricity exports to neighboring countries due to the ongoing intermittent power outages, known as ‘dumsor.’

During an interview on the Big Issue with Selorm Adonoo on Saturday, April 6, Nana Amoasi VII commended the decision, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing domestic electricity demands over external commitments.

However, he also noted that the Volta River Authority (VRA) stands to lose revenue due to this directive, highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of the decision.

The Director of the IES stressed that the decision is not a long-term solution and will not address the power outage issue effectively. He pointed out that there remains a significant gap of around 600 megawatts between the required load and the actual production.

Even with the removal of 250 megawatts from the export market for domestic use, there would still be a deficit of approximately 400 megawatts. As a result, the persistent power outages, or ‘dumsor,’ would persist until a permanent solution is implemented.

“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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