The Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, has confirmed that a vessel carrying 450,000 barrels of light crude oil has arrived in Ghana to bolster the country’s dwindling fuel reserves.
The shipment comes after the minister revealed in Parliament last week that Ghana’s fuel stock had dropped to a critical level, with only 2.6 days of supply remaining.
Speaking during a radio interview on Citi FM on Monday, May 19, 2025, Mr Jinapor assured the public that fuel discharge had already begun to support thermal power generation across the country.
“The vessel has arrived. We are okay with the fuel. We are going to start the discharge,” Mr Jinapor said, addressing concerns raised after his alarming update to Parliament.
He clarified that the fuel consignment had been ordered over a month ago, taking into consideration the logistical timelines for transporting fuel from Nigeria to Ghana. Mr Jinapor stressed that there was no reason for panic, as the power supply system was under effective control.
Dismissing suggestions that his parliamentary remarks were intended to alarm the public, the Minister explained that his comments were made in response to a formal request from Parliament’s Committee on Mines and Energy.
“The statement was not meant to create panic at all, and the statement was not even a press statement to the public. I was briefing the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Energy,” he clarified.
Beyond the light crude oil delivery, Mr Jinapor also announced that the Ministry had secured additional supplies of heavy fuel oil and diesel to ensure uninterrupted operation of thermal plants.
He pointed out that under his leadership, a previous power shortfall of about 780 megawatts had been addressed, and load-shedding had been eliminated through effective management and fuel procurement strategies.
Mr Jinapor further disclosed that his team had resolved a looming crisis involving power producer Karpower, which had earlier threatened to shut down operations.
“Karpower had threatened that they would shut down. We’ve resolved the matter. The shutdown is no more coming. That’s not grumbling. That’s solving the problem,” he stated.
