Government of Ghana has announced plans to relocate the Ameri Power Plant, currently located at Aboadze, in the western part of the West African nation to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region to help stabilise the national grid.
The Ameri power plant, which is made up of 10 power units, are power plants installed on a deck barge and technically referred to as “floating power plants”.
Presenting the 2021 Budget Statement in Parliament on Friday, Ghana’s Caretaker Finance Minister, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated that although the country experienced adequate power generation capacity in 2020, this decision to relocate the Ameri Plant along with the completion of other power projects will help stabilise Ghana’s power supply.
“Mr. Speaker, in 2020, the country had adequate generation capacity to meet the demand for domestic, commercial and industrial customer…In 2021, the Ameri Plant will be relocated to Kumasi to help stabilise the national grid”.
According to the Caretaker for the Ministry of Finance, this decision by government will also help address the recent power outages experienced in major parts of the country.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu further stated that in addition to the above-stated initiatives, Government has resolved to address the present challenges by completing various transmission line projects to support the national grid.
These projects include, Lot 1 (Kumasi – Kintampo) of the 330kV Kumasi-Bolgatanga Transmission Line Project, which according to Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, is near completion and the A4BSP (Pokuase Bulk Supply Point) that is 92 per cent complete.
The 161kV Volta-Achimota-Mallam Transmission Line Upgrade Project, that also has completion rate of 53 percent for the Volta-Achimota section, and 31 percent completion rate for the Achimota-Mallam transmission line.
The remedial works on the Aboadze-Prestea 330kV Transmission Line is also said to be 90 per cent complete.
Other projects to be pursued by government this year include “the construction of a new substation at Dunkwa-on-Offin, reconstruction of over-aged 161kV transmission lines from Aboadze through Dunkwa to Asawinso with higher capacity, and the reconstruction of the existing 330kV and 161kV Aboadze Switchyards.”
He also informed the House that the 200MW Amandi Power Project is currently at the last phase of commissioning.
“Phase 1A of the 400MW Early Power Project (147MW) is currently going through commissioning,” he added.
Source; www.energynewsafrica.com