VRA to upgrade transmission facilities in north

Wa, April 23, GNA - The Volta River Authority (VRA) is to upgrade its transmission facilities at the Sawla sub-station in the Northern Region to the North-Western part of the country from 34,500 kilovolts to 161,000 kilovolts.

Contract for the project, which has already been awarded to a French company, would begin soon and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Mr G.N.A. Hoegah, Area Manager of the Northern Electricity Department (NED) of the VRA, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Saturday at Wa that, after the completion of the project, areas that have been experiencing low voltage, particularly Nandom, would have their problems solved.

He said 19 towns and villages in the Upper West Region, which are being connected to the national grid under the second phase of the Self-help Electrification Programme would all get power after the completion of the Sawla project.

Under Phase Three of SHEP, 44 communities in the Region would be connected to the national grid, Mr Hoegah said. Out of this, Nadowli District has the highest of 14 communities, followed by Wa District, 13; Sissala, seven; Jirapa/Lambussie, six; and Lawra District four.

The phase was to start this month but this has not been possible because none of the beneficiary communities has presented its layout. Most communities in the area are clamouring for power but Mr Hoegah said there are criteria for selecting the beneficiaries.

The economic potentials of a community are a major determinant, he said, adding that their proximity to the power supply point must not be more than 20 kilometres. They must also be able to provide low voltage poles, wire their houses while the government provides transformers and high tension poles.

Under the Vision 2020, he said, every community would be connected to the national grid depending on the availability of funds and donor support for rural electrification.