New Sub-Station for Aflao

A 333 MVA sub-station is under construction at Aflao in the Volta Region. The transformer, which is valued at $370,000 (?2.8bn), is intended to serve the new multi-million dollar Diamond Cement factory and to improve power supply in the region and the country as a whole.

The Director of Public Affairs of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Mrs. Ellen Esilfie disclosed this during a media facility tour to the project site at the weekend. She said the sub-station is being built at the instance of Diamond Cement Ghana Limited but design and construction are by VRA engineers.

Mrs. Esilfie said VRA will save about $200,000 by using its own engineers and staff to execute the project, which consists of the installation of power transformer costing $460,000 and a Communications Control System capable of identifying faults from ABB at a cost of $360,000.

She said VRA currently has 39 stations in the country with six in the Volta Region. The new sub-station would lessen the load of the over burdened station at Sogakope.

The Director of Engineering and Construction, Mr. Kwaku Arkerst said the new sub-station would enhance stability of power distribution from the Asiepe sub-station. He said the VRA would distribute 80MVA to the Electricity Company of Ghana in the region, Volta Region will get 25MVA and the Diamond Cement would take 10MVA when the project is complete.

The Managing Director of Diamond Cement, Mr. Chitti Babu said the factory is expected to start local production a month after the sub-station is commissioned. Currently Diamond Cement being sold in Ghana is imported from Togo, he said.