The Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has explained that the intermittent power outages currently being experienced in the country are as a result of some transmission challenges, assuring that efforts are underway to resolve it within the next few months.
According to him, government considered what was happening seriously and was working with all the agencies involved to find a permanent resolution to the issues.
Dr Prempeh gave the explanation in Accra last Thursday when he jointly addressed the media with officials of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo).
He noted that the situation had nothing to do with generation as the country was currently generating more than it required despite the temporary closure of the Bui Hydro-generating Dam.
On his part, the Director, Systems and Operations at GRIDCo, Mr Mark Baah said the company was currently undertaking some key projects to enhance the supply and reliability of power in the country, with special emphasise on Accra and Kumasi.
Some of the projects he outlined as the Millennium Development Authority (MIDA) funded Pokuase sub-station and Kasoa Bulk Supply Point installation, the French Development Agency (AFD) funded Tema-Accra transmission line reinforcement project and the 330kV Kumasi–Kintampo transmission line.
With regard to the situation in Kumasi and the northern parts of Ghana, Mr Baah explained that it was as a result of the shutting down of Bui Dam due to the low water level.
He said as a result of the situation, all the electricity required in that area have to be supplied from the southern part of Ghana, a situation which often triggered outages due to the volume of supply and the inability of the Bulk Supply Point to receive for onward distribution.
To address this, he said a short-term solution had been implemented and that was transporting a 66MVA transformer from Accra to Kumasi.
Mr Baah said the medium-to-long-term solution was to construct a 330kV transmission line between Anwomanso and Kintampo – earmarked to be completed in July 2021.
He said as engineers continued to work on improving the situation, the intermittent outages especially in Accra and Kumasi would persist for some time, however, over the next two or three months the situation in Accra would be resolved with Kumasi over the next four to six months.
Mr Baah also said the GRIDCo would soon release a time table to announce period of outages in Accra and Kumasi, stressing that “These outages will be limited to just parts of Accra and Kumasi and not the whole country.”
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
