Ameri Energy welcomes new partnership with Ghanaian gov’t

Ameri Energy, the company behind the construction of a 230MW power plant in Takoradi, has welcomed a new partnership with the Ghanaian government.

The Dubai-based company, which struck a five-year $510-million deal with the previous Mahama-led government in 2015, came under scrutiny last year over some figures in government and parliament.

Ameri, which accepted the government’s right to assess the contract, always argued that the plant represented quality and value. The company cited a PwC finding that of seven similar projects, the Takoradi plant offered the best value for money.

A renegotiated deal presented to Ameri by the then-Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, was officially withdrawn this week. The current Energy Minister has put forward a new agreement in its place.

Ameri, which struck the original short-term BOOT (Build, Operate, Own, Transfer) deal at a time of severe power shortages across Ghana, has now trained more than 80 per cent of local staff in the maintenance and operation of the plant.

The plant, which was built within four months and contains state-of-the-art turbine technology, has played a vital role in reducing the number of blackouts taking place across Ghana. It also supplies close to 20 per cent of the country’s electricity and has yet to experience a single shutdown.

Despite making considerable progress in recent years, much of sub-Saharan Africa still struggles with energy poverty. Close to 600 million people in Africa currently live without access to electricity.

Today, the company welcomed a new partnership with the Ghanaian government. The Chief Executive Officer of Ameri Energy, Mustafa Ahmed, said: “We are always happy to address any misconceptions about our work and we’ve engaged in a constructive dialogue with the government and all stakeholders.

“Now, having found a solution, we’re grateful not only for the government’s directness, but for their renewed faith in us as a company to bring reliable and affordable power to Ghanaians Our Takoradi project has proved a vital artery of power for the country. We’re also proud that its power has remained totally uninterrupted from day one.

“We remain committed to providing more jobs and training to our workforce – we are a firm dedicated to providing opportunities on a local level, in operations, maintenance and management.

“What matters most now, as it did when we began this project, is that the Ghanaian people have access to energy that is reliable and inexpensive. We very much look forward to our future operations in Ghana, partnering with government and the private sector to develop one of Africa’s most dynamic economies.”