The Bui Power Authority, one of the state power generation companies in the Republic of Ghana, has announced that it will undertake controlled spilling at the Bui Generating Station (BGS) in the Bono Region from Monday, October 21, 2019, for a period of about 5-10 days.
The decision, according to the authority, is aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the dam.
A statement signed by CEO of Bui Power Authority (BPA), Mr Fred Oware noted that the dam was designed to hold water up to 183 metres above sea level (masl).
However, the statement said as of October 16, 2019, the water level at the Bui Reservoir was 181.78 masl with a daily rise of 0.20m per day.
“The reservoir is, therefore, forecast to reach 182.50 masl by October 21, 2019,” it explained.
The Authority will, therefore, open the Spillway Gates of the dam structure to spill the excess water to acceptable levels to safeguard the structural integrity of the dam and also for effective power generation.
This action would be undertaken in the event that the reservoir reaches elevation 182.50.
According to the statement, BPA had earlier, in 2015, during a similar exercise, identified some areas and communities downstream that were likely to be affected by the water spillage and so is working with the district assemblies and emergency services to cater for any challenges to life and property.
The spillage will not have significant effect on the accumulated inflows for operations of the BGS in 2020.
The BGS, currently, dispatches power from two generating units with the third under comprehensive maintenance.
The maximum operating level of the BGS is 183 masl and a minimum operating level of 168 masl.
“We assure the general public that all water discharged from the Bui Reservoir will flow into the Volta Lake to enhance power generation at the Akosombo and Kpong Generating Stations,” the statement said.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
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