By James Amoh Jnr.
Afienya (G/A), April 14, GNA – The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has successfully installed and commissioned a new 120/145MVA Siemens Energy power transformer at the Afienya Substation.
The move has significantly boosted power supply capacity to parts of the Greater Accra Region.
The project replaces an existing 50/66MVA transformer and more than doubles the station’s capacity.
This has positioned the substation to meet rising electricity demand across Accra, Dawhenya and surrounding communities.
Dr. Benefit E.A.K. Patu, Supervisor for Electrical Maintenance at GRIDCo, said the upgrade was necessitated by persistent overloading challenges driven by increased demand on ECG’s expanding distribution network.
“The capacity of the original transformer was nearing its operational limit due to increasing load. With the new 120/145MVA transformer, we now have the capacity to accommodate more load and extend reliable power supply to more communities,” he said.
He noted that the enhancement would not only improve supply reliability in the enclave but also strengthen the National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS), ensuring a more stable and efficient power delivery for both current and future needs.
The installation works involved a series of technical processes, including the positioning of the transformer on its foundation, assembly of components and accessories, and oil filtration to ensure optimal insulation and cooling performance.
Engineers also undertook oil treatment procedures to reduce moisture content to acceptable parts per million (PPM) levels.
Continuous monitoring recorded single-digit results, which were subsequently validated and approved by the technical services team.
The Protection and Control (P&C) team, led by Mr Francis Koomson, supervised the safety systems of the transformer.
The team decommissioned old cables, installed new wiring and conducted comprehensive protection tests, including trip testing to ensure the system responds appropriately under fault conditions.
“Our responsibility was to ensure the transformer operates safely. We verified that in the event of a fault, the system will trip as expected,” Mr Koomson, an engineer, said.
Following successful testing and validation, the transformer was approved for commissioning.
The project was executed entirely by GRIDCo engineers under the leadership of Dr. Patu, with support from Mr Francis Koomson, Supervisor for Protection and Control, and Mr. Albert Baiden-Amissah, Supervisor for Line Maintenance.
GRIDCo said the successful commissioning of the transformer demonstrated its commitment to operational excellence, innovation and reliability in power transmission, while reinforcing its role as a key backbone of Ghana’s energy sector.
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba