2 in strategic talks to help mining firms hit by energy crisis

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resource is in strategic talks with the Power Ministry to help address the challenges facing mining companies in the wake of the worsening power crises.

“We are in discussions with the power minister to see if anything special can be done for the mining industry.

“There are issues and challenges and we also recognized that there are ways to fix them and efforts are being made to fix them.  But slowly but surely, I think that things are going to fall in place.”

 Several mining companies such as AngloGold Ashanti, Golden Star Resources, Newmont among others were roped into the ongoing load shedding exercise last year which is crippling their operations. The situation have deteriorated this year, leading to a hike in their operational cost.

Nii Osah Mills in an interview with the B&FT in Obuasi explained that government is working to ensure that mining companies are able to get enough power for their operations.

“Government is working feverishly to very hard to solve the issues challenges facing the paower sector.”

He explained that retrofitting is being done to an 80 kilowatt power plant which was procured and donated by some mining companies. The plant, he said is running at the time on oil and is being retrofitted to run on gas.

“The plant is being worked on to run on gas as the Atuabo gas is expected to come on stream,” he said.

“Obviously power plays an important role in mining as the machines and equipment take terrific amount of power and we are talking to the power minister to find a way to give extra power to mines because the play such a huge role and their equipment has to be kept constantly running and a shut down takes away from the process,’’ he explained.

“I am an optimist, I see a bright future, I see that the power issues will be solved soon,” remarked.