GRIDCo to spend GHS500,000 to replace damaged pylons

The damaged pylons

The Director for System Operations at the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), Mark Baah, has revealed to energynewsafrica.com that it will cost the company about GHS500,000 (US$100,000) to replace its towers which had been vandalized.

One of the towers transmitting power from Karpower, Volta River Authority’s plants and AKSA to the national grid collapsed and fell on an adjacent tower, after it was hacked down by an unidentified persons on Monday dawn.

The incident, which is said to have occurred at about 1am, led to interruptions in power supply in some parts of Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi.

Investigators from the Criminal Investigations Department(CID) of the Ghana Police Service had visited the site to gather evidence for investigation.

According to him, the company would conduct an assessment to establish the integrity of the adjoining tower which the hacked tower collapsed on.

But even before the assessment is carried out, Mr Baah explained that they have already despatched some staff to go to the company’s warehouses all over the country to search if they could get the same parts for them to construct new towers to replace the vandalised ones.

He said in the event that they are not able to get the parts, then, they would have to import new parts, adding that each tower is going to cost about US$50,000 (GHS250,000).

“The towers are different. They are unique and so we have sent our staff to go to our warehouses to search if we can get the same parts. But if we can’t find the parts, then it will cost us some US$100,000 to procure parts for the two towers,” he said.