By Dennis Peprah
Bui, (B/R), March 31, GNA – The Bui Power Authority (BPA) has begun work on the construction of four megawatts floating solar to augment power generation at the Bui Generating Station in the Banda District of the Bono Region.
According to Mr Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, the Chief Executive Officer of the BPA, the facility would add up to the one megawatt floating solar, already constructed on the Bui dam reservoir which covers 444-kilometer square making it five megawatts.
He explained the Authority had also installed 10MW of battery system “which is like a UPS, so that any time the two powers want to meet, it will smoothen the power before it goes onto the national grid”.
“Now, we have to understand that the solar is in hybridization with the hydro plant and the battery system will help in the smooth hybridization, that is putting the solar and the hydro onto the national grids so that the two of them do not meet at the same time,” Mr Dzamesi stated.
The Chief Executive Officer was speaking in an interview with the media, after he conducted Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister round the dam’s plant site at Bui.
Accompanied by some members of the Bono Regional Security Council and District and Municipal Chief Executives, the Regional Minister was at the dam site to acquaint herself with hydro power generation and other authority operations.
Mr Dzamesi said construction of the solar facility was expected to be completed by the end of April this 2023, saying “once it is completed, and because we have the battery storage and the transformer in place, it would just be hooked unto it, and we will have more power for our dear country”.
He explained the authority had targeted to construct 250MW of solar, indicating that it had already constructed and commissioned 50MW at its solar farm in the dam’s enclave, saying construction work on an additional 100MW was going at the farm.
“Out of the 100MW, we expect to finish 40MW this year, and then have the other 60MW next year. We have also given 50MW to another contractor, though work on the project has been delayed from his side.”
“We want to move outside the Bui enclave, and we have acquired lands very close to the at GRIDCo substations at Yendi, Tamale, Buipe, Bolgatanga and Sawla so that anytime with want to put on-land solar it would be very easy to hook unto the national grid,” Mr Dzamesi stated.
He added the authority had signed an agreement with First Sky Company Limited, saying very soon construction work on another 50MW would begin at Yendi, and commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his support to the BPA
On her part, Madam Owusu-Banahene lauded the BPA’s innovations, saying the authority ought to be commended for giving energy on zero emissions, and protecting the environment as well.
While commending the board, management and staff of the authority, the Regional Minister said she was hopeful that the authority would do more and help to tackle power rationing in the country.
GNA