Ministry to promote other sources of energy

The Ministry of Energy is collaborating with a private Swiss Consortium, NEK to collect wind speed data along the Eastern coast of Tema for the purpose of establishing a wind farm for generating electric power. To that effect, the Ministry and the NEK had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the establishment of a 50mw wind power project in Tema and funds for its financing through the private sector and grants from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) are currently on-going.

The Minister for Energy, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom said this in Parliament on Tuesday in an answer to a question asked by the MP for Amansie West Mr. Samuel Bour-Karikari who wanted to know what steps the Ministry was taking to ensure that 'wind farms' are established in Ghana as a supplement to the energy needs.

Dr. Nduom said it is a key policy of the Ministry was to promote the development of the country's renewable energy resources, including wind to complement the hydro and thermal sources.

The Minister said preliminary results from the studies conducted indicate that wind speed along the coast is sufficient to support the development of wind power generation and that the project will commence as soon as funding is secured.

He said the Energy Commission is collaborating with UNEP to undertake a wind energy resource assessment of the entire country to establish the potential of wind energy for power generation in other parts of the country.

In an answer to a question by the MP for Birim North, Dr. William Boakye Akoto as to why Akokoaso, Old Abirem and Asuboa North were left out of the SHEP IV Phase I electrification programme, the Minister said Old Abirem community has been earmarked for connection to the national electricity grid under the on-going SHEP-III Phase-III project.

Dr. Nduom said installation works have been completed and arrangements for customer service connections are being made to service potential customers in the community.

The Akokoaso and Asuboa North have also been earmarked for connection to the national electricity grid under the SHEP-IV project, which involves the extension of electricity to over 2,000 communities nation-wide, he said.

To another question asked by Alhaji Abukari Sumani, MP for Choggu-Tishigu as to when electricity services would be extended to cover the rest of the Tamale Municipality, particularly areas like Larini, Filling Point, Nyanshegu and Choggu Mma Naa Yiu, Dr Nduom said electricity would be extended to Filling Point, Nyanshegu and Gbolokpalsi suburbs of the Tamale Municipality under the on-going SHEP-III Phase-III project.

Dr. Nduom said the high-tension network and transformers have been installed at Filling Point and efforts are underway to complete the installation of the remaining electrical works this year.