A utility Geographic Information System (GIS) worth $8.5 million has been handed over to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to create a digital mode of its electrical network and assets.
Under a project dubbed G Technology and implemented by Intergraph SG&I Deutschland GmbH (Hexagon), it would also aid in mapping of electrical network and improve identification of illegal connections.
It is part of the Modernising Utility Operations Activity, one of four project activities making up the ECG Financial and Operational Turnaround Project (EFOT) funded by Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
The Project Activity comprises procurement and installation of system software, server hardware, field hardware, and services for data migration and field validation of assets (such as primary and secondary substations, power lines, poles, underground cables, transformers, switches and customer service wires).
In a speech read on behalf of the Minister of Energy, Matthew Opoku Prempeh said under the EFOT Project, “we have pursued a two-pronged approach, thus strengthening the governance and management of ECG by bringing in Private Sector Participation (PSP) coupled with infrastructure and foundational investment designed to reduce technical, commercial and collection losses and improve service quality.
“I am glad to note that working with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) and other stakeholders, we have made considerable strides in both areas,” he said.
He said government was looking at a phased approach of the Private Sector Participation, (PSP) commencing with the retail end of the electricity distribution business, “it is our expectation that when the commercial collection loses have improved significantly, PSP would then target other segments of power distribution.”
The minister said GIS would provide the foundational layer of technology for effective asset management as well as regulatory compliance and also help ECG attain an accurate asset inventory with electric poles, transformers, cable lines, substations and other electric utility assets if properly managed.
Dr Prempeh was optimistic that with the new GIS, ECG would improve Poor customer data handling/management, unsatisfactory responsiveness to customer complaints and high level of distribution losses.
In a speech read on her behalf, board chair of MiDA, Ms Yaa Ntiamoah-Baidoo hoped that the state of the arts system handed over to ECG would be put to good use to ensure the realisation of the investment.
She expressed gratitude to the government of the United States for investing $316million through the MCC, to improve Ghana’s power sector.
She said the improvement in the power sector of the country had significantly contributed to the enhanced operations of many businesses in the country, which had likely resulted in higher productivity and increased profits.
“We can also attest to the improvements in road safety and security with the Compact Programme’s investments in street lighting across 20 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions.”
“The installation of high energy-efficient and Durable Street lights on over 500km stretch of streets and roads is contributing to an enhanced quality of life in parts of Accra and the Eastern Region,” she added.
According to Madam Ntiamoah Baidoo, the compact programme envisaged that investments that support ECG’s operations and financial turnaround would contribute to strengthening the utility and consequently have a bearing on the other operators in the power supply value chain.
Mr Keli Gadzekpo, ECG Board Chair commended MCC and MiDA for their support in building the project, adding that the GIS would provide a digital platform and tools for ECG to plan, manage and efficiently operate its network to meet global utility management standards.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG
