Harare — Most of Ghana is dark due to a scarcity of gas to operate the machinery required to generate energy in the country, BBC reports.

According to Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), the scenario generated "a supply gap of 550MW at peak time" at the Tema power plant, which is located near the capital, Accra.

Ghana is presently experiencing the greatest economic downturn in a long time. Although power outages occur frequently in Ghana, this one is the worst to hit the country in the past two years.

According to a study published in June 2023, the nation's energy supply is "critically unhealthy and tottering towards a power crisis". According to a research by the Centre for Socioeconomic Studies (CSS), the nation's financial difficulties made the power situation worse and could get worse in the upcoming years.

The nation's independent power producers threatened to cease operations in July 2023 due to unpaid debts from the state-owned Electricity Company of Ghana. The power company, GRIDCo, announced that the Tema power plant's "limited gas supply" would cause the supply of energy to customers in certain areas of Ghana to be reduced. The power utility company did not disclose what caused the gas supply disruption or how long it would take for normal supplies to return. For several years, Ghana experienced power outages known colloquially as "dumsor," which means "on and off" in the Akan language.

Most of the electricity supply in the West African nation comes from thermal and hydropower sources, many of which are not well-maintained.