President Akufo-Addo yesterday commissioned the newly retrofitted Kpong Power Generating Station as part of the effort to guarantee the efficiency, sustainability and reliability of the various power generating plants.
The retrofit station will operate for at least another 30 years, and it is being opened barely a fortnight after the President commissioned the Volta River Authority’s (VRA) second utility-scale 6.5-megawatt solar power plant at Lawra in the Upper West Region.
“Together, they are further testimony of our determination to ensure the availability of reliable power supply to spur on our socio-economic development,” the President said at Kpong on the second day of the tour of the Greater Accra Region.
The Kpong Generating Station first turned on its turbines in 1982, and since then, its four generating units producing 160 megawatts of electricity have contributed significantly to the energy needs of the country.
“That is why the conscious decision by the Volta River Authority to rehabilitate this power station, after some 30 years of operation is laudable, and should be an example to other state institutions entrusted with public assets,” the President disclosed.
He continued, “The completion of this project is further proof, if any were needed, of the expertise of Ghanaian engineers and technicians in their ability to administer new technologies for the effective management of our power plants. It is particularly gratifying that in spite of the disruptions posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the contractor, VRA and the consultants were able to complete this project within a reasonable timeframe.”
President Akufo-Addo said his administration would continue to support the energy sector to address all the challenges, particularly the financial burden, due to the mishandling of the sector by the previous NDC government.
He said they are committed to taking prudent measure to ensure that Ghana becomes a net exporter of electricity in West Africa.
Cookstoves Distribution
The President later launched the distribution of 500,000 improved cookstoves project at a ceremony at Akuse in the Eastern Region.
“I am happy to inform you that significant progress has been made, and very soon the programme for the LPG cylinder recirculation model, which will ensure wider use of LPG throughout the country, will be launched,” he said.
The President continued, “Since it will be difficult to have all households switch to the use of LPG, in the short term, our strategy is to promote the use of two million improved and efficient wood-fuel stoves as an interim measure, until such time that all households eventually migrate to LPG or electricity as main cooking fuels.”
Job Opportunities
He said, “In terms of the creation of job opportunities, about two hundred direct jobs have been created by this project alone at Ashiaman, Komkope, Mobole, Achimota, Kasoa, Weija, Cape Coast and Kumasi, where artisans were engaged in the production of the various components of the stoves. This is expected to increase to some 1,000 direct jobs as we scale-up.”
He thanked the East-West Power Corporation, the Climate Change Centre (CCC) and the government of South Korea for providing the grant funding of US$5,500,000.00 to produce locally and distribute 500,000 improved charcoal stoves in Ghana in exchange for carbon credit to offset their carbon dioxide emissions.
By Charles Takyi-Baodu