Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ghanaian Times
Published on 2024-04-18 06:22:01
President Nana AdÂdo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, recently inaugurated two important energy projects in the Ashanti Region to improve energy supply to the middle and northern belts. These projects include the 110-kilometer natural gas pipelines built by Genser Energy in the Ejisu Municipality and the 250-megawatt Africa and Middle East Resource Investment (AMERI) Thermal Power Plant, now known as the Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plant (K1TPP).
The gas pipelines, made up of 12,000 steel pipes, will support the full utilization of local gas resources by connecting the Ejisu Plant Metering Station to provide power to the 250-megawatt thermal plant. This will generate a minimum of 250MW of power needed in the Ashanti Region, ensuring reliability and stability in the national grid and providing quality and reliable power to electricity consumers in the middle and northern parts of the country.
The AMERI plant, commissioned in 2016, was handed over to the government of Ghana in 2022 and subsequently transferred to the Volta River Authority (VRA) after the expiration of the Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) agreement. Following a grid impact study by the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) in 2021, it was recommended that 250MW of power generation was required in the Ashanti Region for grid stability and reliability, benefiting electricity consumers in the middle and northern parts of the country.
To meet this demand, the Ministry of Energy and VRA strategically relocated the AMERI power plant to AwomÂaso in the Ejisu Municipality of Ashanti. The fully operational power station currently generates 150MW of electricity, with plans to add an additional 100MW in the second phase of the project, totaling 250MW.
During the inauguration, President Akufo-Addo emphasized the significance of these projects in providing sustainable electricity for the nation, especially for the people of the Ashanti Region. He highlighted the region’s potential for the development of small and medium scale enterprises, anticipating that improved electricity supply would stimulate growth and create employment opportunities for the youth.
The president also noted the government’s commitment to delivering affordable and reliable electricity to drive industrialization and position Ghana as a net exporter of electricity in the ECOWAS region. With a national electrification rate of 88.8%, efforts are underway to achieve universal electricity access by the end of the year.
Asantehene, in inaugurating the gas pipeline, urged the government to focus on the private sector, emphasizing the need for policies that attract investments and promote industrial development. He encouraged a shift towards private sector involvement in setting up industries to drive economic growth.
The Board Chair of Genser Energy, Otwasuom Osae NyamÂpong, called on the government to facilitate private capital investment for national development. Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, credited his predecessors for the plant’s commissioning and highlighted the role of private partnership in ensuring adequate electricity supply.
In conclusion, the successful inauguration of these energy projects signifies a step forward in Ghana’s energy sector development, enhancing power supply reliability and promoting economic growth in the Ashanti Region and beyond.
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