VRA Disputes Allegations Of Being Responsible For The Power Outages In Ghana

The Volta River Authority (VRA) has denied being responsible for the recent power outages in the country.

This follows allegations that the Authority is excessively exporting power to neighbouring countries.

In a press release dated March 24, the VRA indicated that the claim that it is not meeting its power supply obligation to Ghana is erroneous and misleading.

“The VRA wishes to state that since 1972, the Authority has been supplying power to neighbouring countries without reneging on its mandate to deliver reliable and affordable power to Ghana; and this the Authority continues to do,” parts of the statement read.

“Also, it is important to mention that the allocation of the power generated from the Akosombo and Kpong hydropower stations is supervised by the Electricity Market Oversight Panel (EMOP) and not the VRA,” the company added.

VRA explained that as a result of this arrangement, the Ghanaian market is always prioritised in power allocation.

This is in accordance with government policies to ensure long-term optimization of the nation’s hydro resources, it added.

This comes after the Independent Power Generators, Ghana (IPGG), attributed the current power outages to the Volta River Authority’s excessive exportation of electricity to other countries.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, pointed out that the VRA is focusing on exporting power to neighboring countries and is therefore not meeting its domestic obligations.

Read More: Current power outages due to excessive export of electricity by VRA – Independent Power Generators

Dr. Apetorgbor, noted that though the VRA has been tasked to explore the export market to reduce the burden of idle-capacity on government, it must do so within the law.

However, the VRA, dismissing these claims, assured the general public and all other stakeholders that it will continue to prioritise electricity supply to the Ghana market in line with its mandate, government policies and regulatory obligations.

Read the statement below: