Accra, Jan. 30, GNA – The Volta River Authority (VRA), as part of its ongoing projects, will commence the phase II of the 13.8 megawatt Kaleo Solar plant project at Kaleo in the Nadowli District of the Upper West Region.
The project, being implemented by VRA and funded by the German government, will produce enough power for the consumption of more than 3,000 households in the communities.
Other projects include the conversion of Kpone Thermal Power Plant to Combined Cycle, conversion of Tema Thermal Power Plant to Combined Cycle and repowering of Takoradi 3 Thermal Plant as well as construction of the Bongo I and II Solar project and 75MW Wind Project.
Mr Emmanuel Osafo, the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Engineering and Operations, VRA said this in Accra at VRA’s Customer Experience Forum to interact with clients and chart the path forward on the growth of the company.
The Forum was on the theme: “Clean, Reliable Power Supply-Our Commitment.”
He said the Authority had made a profit of GH¢156 million in the 2020 fiscal year, up from a loss of GH¢127 million the previous year.
A recovery plan introduced in 2017, he said, played a pivotal role in guiding the company back to the path of profitability.
He said VRA had plans to convert the Akosombo township into a smart city and make it the technology hub of the country, harness the full potential of the 60MW Pwalugu Multi-purpose dam, which comes with an additional 50MW solar component and introduced electric buses in Akosombo.
He said among VRA’s sustainability plan for the ensuing years, included, inculcating private sector mindset in public service delivery to increase revenue, improve operational efficiency through prevention of avoidable plant outages, and increasing cash flows through innovative billing and debt collection.
The Authority, over the years, had been the main provider of electricity to support the economic development of the country and its neighbours – Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and La Cote d’Ivoire, which he described as a noble achievement.
Mr Frederick Okang, Manager, Power Systems Planning, Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), said the company commissioned 500 MW sub-station at Pokuase in Accra to improve power reliability.
He said the company had plans to make Kumasi a generation hub by building a 250MW station to improve power in the region.
Dr Ebenezer Tagoe, a Deputy Chief Executive In charge of Finance, VRA, said the reliability and affordability of power supply in the country for a year due to the effectiveness of its thermal plant, resulting in low cost of operation.
Mr Joseph Appiah Kodom Effah, Acting Senior Engineering Manager of Anglo Gold Ashanti-Iduapruem, speaking from the customer points of view, expressed satisfaction about the operations of VRA and GRIDCO, saying ” there has been a significant improvement in their operations.”
Some of the customers called on GRIDCO to introduce a smart meter system to optimise the digital space, especially in the era of COVID-19.
GNA