ECG powers Togo

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has taken the lead in supplying 17 communities in neighbouring Togo with power.

The programme, which is a deal between the ECG and its Togolese counterpart, Communaute Electrique Du Benin (CEB), is under a 2003 agreement under the West African Power Pool (WAPP), project which enjoins countries in the West African region to share power supply to countries in need of the commodity.

The GH¢3.6 million worth deal is partly supported by the European Union with the two companies involved in footing the rest of the bill. Under the project, three Ghanaian communities on the Togolese border are also to benefit from electricity supply for their role as power take-off points in Ghana.

Speaking at the ceremony during which an agreement to that effect was signed in Lome, Togo, the Managing Director of the ECG, Mr Anthony Gyampo, reiterated that the ECG had enough power to supply to households in Ghana and put the country’s power penetration at 70 per cent.

According to him, the difficulty the company faced was distribution challenges.

The WAPP project, which also gave birth to the West African Gas Pipeline project signed by the 16 West African leaders, enjoined participating countries to deliver 2000KW or more of electricity to sister countries.

Under the same project, the Volta River Authority (VRA) is expected to supply a similar amount of electricity to parts of Burkina Faso and the northern parts of Cote d’Ivoire.

The Deputy Director General of Communaute Electrique Du Benin, said the deal would boost socio-economic activity on the borders of both countries.

“He lauded the ECG for playing a key role in being the first to fulfill requirements under the WAPP agreement.