Karpower Arrival Isn�t Fanfare; It Is A Time Of Singing Dirges�. - JOY

Electrical Engineer and 2012 Independent Presidential Candidate, Jacob Osei Yeboah (JOY) says the fanfare which surrounded the arrival of Karpower by consumers at the Tema Port should have been singing of dirges.

He added that the 2800 megawatts generation would have been enough to serve the whole country without power outages but due to 40 percent lose during the power generation, the government is forced to inject more money to reduce the lose by 10 percent.

The Energy Conservationist explained that the percentage of energy which goes waste during power generation will increase because 40 percent of electricity power get lose and so the Karpower which is suppose to generate 225 megawatts to support the 2800 megawatts the country needs to give constant power will be insufficient.

"If the total Inefficiency of VRA, GRIDCO and ECG which is about 40% is not improved, the consumer will have to pay in proportion to the incremented total capacity of the energy generation mix," he stressed.

Speaking on Okay Fm’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Mr. Osei Yeboah noted that as Karpower is bringing in additional 225 megawatts to the current generation capacity of about 2800 megawatts, this means total generation capacity will be 3025MW.

He hinted that 90 megawatts of the Karpower will go waste while generating the 225 megawatts; thus as 1120 megawatts goes waste during the 2800 megawatts capacity generation then at incremented 3025 megawatts capacity, 1210MW will go waste.

“So at anytime that generation increases, consumers will have to pay a higher waste capacity cost. So the fanfare of the Karpower should rather be singing of dirges by consumers. If one argues that the government subsidies power, it is a great drain to the country at this IMF sanctioned economy.

As argued, he said if the government had embarked on energy efficiency Programme by GRIDCO, VRA and ECG to have redeemed 10% of the losses, about 280MW of the current capacity of 2800MW would have been available to the consumers.

“There will not be additional fuel cost of $7 million per month excluding operational cost. The Karpower plant analysis will be a great depressive drain on our critical economic sustenance. A higher power cost is disincentive to Ghanaian industries' global competitiveness. Such industrial disadvantage will increase unemployment to the youth. The $7M fuel will affect payment of workers' wages and salaries. Dumsor cannot also be solved by Karpower”.

He therefore advised the Government to employ energy conservation and efficiency strategies that can inure higher cost benefits to consumers and power generation and distribution companies.

Adding that, Ghana will be better of economically and socially by the untimely and wasteful venture of Karpower plant as this money which will be used to buy fuel could have been used to help in accruing 10 percent out of the 40 percent loss of power.

He was emphatic that the 10 years contract for emergency Karpower plant was wrong in the era where the economy is wailing as $7 million will be used every month for fuel.