Government promotes private participation in energy supply

Accra, Sept. 1, GNA - Government is working around the clock to provide Ghanaians the requisite energy with emphasis on public-private participation to address deficiencies in the sector, Mr Joseph Oteng Agyei, Minister of Energy on Tuesday said.

Mr Agyei noted that for the past decade Ghana has been bedeviled with constant power fluctuations with its attendant's negative effects on the economy, saying with the operationalisation of the oil and gas in the country, Ghanaians would now have a sigh of relief.

He has therefore tasked power generating system operators to consider designing environmentally friendly products, which use gas to run their emergency power plants so they could fall within the framework of the West African Gas Pipe Line Project.

The Minister said this in a speech read on his behalf at the commissioning of multi-million national sales office for Cummins Ghana at Odorkor in Accra.

Mr Inusah Fuseni, a deputy Minister of Energy, who read the Minister's speech and Ms Joyce Aryee, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Mines jointly commissioned the sales office.

Cummins Ghana is an international power giant, which deals in the manufacturing of diesel and gas generators. It also provides after sales services for customers, who patronise their products range which spans 8kW to 3300kW.

It has already set up two branches in Tarkwa and Kenyasi to assist the Mining Sector.

Some of the products of Cummins Ghana include remote monitoring and control software, automatic transfer switches and generator set controls among others.

The Minister recalled that emergency power was needed in facilities such as hospitals, industry, commerce, sports education, agric, banks and challenged Cummins Ghana to deploy funding to research other modes of cheaper sources energy.

Mr Jacques Fourie, Managing Director of Cummins Ghana said the company started its operations in Ghana barely 20 months ago adding they had invested in excess of 10 million dollars in facilities, equipment working capital and development of 80 personnel.

He observed that in many places in Africa, including Ghana, the hunger for power was growing in proportions that electricity supply companies were unable to meet their demand.

Mr Fourie said Cummins Ghana was concerned in the supply of power from power stations to remote or rural areas.

"Our aim is to become a household name in the country regardless of the size of requirement and strive to make significant difference for communities in which we operate," the Managing Director said.

Mr Vinesh Surajiall, Business Development Director, Cummins Ghana said his company ensured that their generators met United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and European Union (EU) emissions standards wherever possible.

"Our strong history of emission leadership has enabled us to develop our own emission solution package in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EU regulations and requirements," he added.

Mr Seth Asante, a private legal practitioner, who chaired the occasion, lauded Cummins Ghana for exhibiting excellent professionalism in their operations in the country.