Ghana’s major cement producer Ghacem says cement shortages may occur soon due to recent power cuts in the manufacturing industry.
The fall in supply could also lead to an increase in cement prices.
The current power rationing exercise means that the “Nation Builder’s” weekly output of about 58,000 could see a more than 10 percent decline.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) earlier this month announced that it is cutting power supplied to industries by as much as 25 percent in order to create an artificial reserve margin to stabilise the power sector, which it said is under immense pressure to meet rising demand.
Under the announced load-rationing system for industries, manufacturers will have no power for 48 hours, before enjoying what the power distributor described as “uninterrupted” power for six days after which the process restarts.
Mr Kofi Ellis, Planning and Business Development Officer of the Volta River Authority (VRA), explained in Accra last week that “2015 is going to be a relatively difficult year” for Ghanaian Industries. According to him, the Akosombo Dam, is running below its capacity as it is running only five of its six units.
Dr George Dawson-Ahmoah, Ghacem’s Strategy and Corporate Affairs Director, said: “This load-shedding management has decreased our output. We are not able to produce at our full capacity”.
