ECG rolls out projects to improve power supply

Accra, April 28, GNA - The management of Electricity Company of Ghana Limited (ECG) has embarked on projects nation-wide to improve power supply reliability to customers.

The projects involve supply and installation of 33kV and 11kV cables and transformers, construction of new Bulk Supply Points and 11kV feeders, reinforcement and upgrade of existing 33kV double circuit tower lines, conversion of existing 11kV feeders to 33kV, supply of power transformers. It is to effectively transform the 161,000 volts of electricity power supplied to ECG by Volta River Authority (VRA) to between 207 volts and 250 volts for onward distribution to households and other users to prevent the frequent power fluctuations experienced by customers. So far, 450 million dollars have been spent on the projects, which are at various stages of completion, some to be completed this year while others in 2011.

Mr Julius Kwame Kpekpena, Director of Engineering, ECG announced this when he led some journalists to tour some project sites in Accra on Wednesday.

The sites visited included, Dome station where two 26 Mega Volts Ampere Transformers are being installed to convert 11,000 volts of power to serve communities within Kwabenya District and Adjringanor Bulk Supply Point which will serve the motorway, East Legon and Adjringanor.

Mr Kpekpena said the projects were also to reposition ECG to supply power to new communities that were being hooked onto the national grid under the government's Rural Electrification Project. He said ECG required one billion dollars and a continuous investment of 150 million dollars annually to ensure improved and reliable power supply to customers.

Mr Kpekpena said ECG would in July this year benefit from a 70-million-dollar facility from the World Bank to improve electricity power supply in the country.

He said while efforts were underway to improve the situation, ECG had installed a mobile power plant at Tema, which supplied power to customers during power trips.

Mr Kpekpena appealed to customers to exercise restraint while efforts were made to improve the situation. The tour continues on Thursday, April 29, in Tema Metropolis.