ECG upgrades Aflao substation

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has begun construction works to upgrade the 10 Megawatt (MW) primary substation at Aflao to a 20MW station.

This upgrade will give the station additional capacity to accommodate any future loads and make provisions for future 33KV feeder expansions.

Aside from the additional capacity being added, the old obsolete structure housing the control panels at the station will be replaced, additional feeders will be added to the switching station, and the 500m dusty road in front of the station will be tarred.

The Volta Regional Engineer of ECG, Bernard Tetteh, expressed excitement about the project and touted the enormous benefits its completion will bring to ECG’s customers.

“With the increasing population and demand for electricity in the area, we forecast that shortly, the existing 10MW transformer will not be adequate to sufficiently serve customers,” he said, adding: “With an additional 10MW transformer, more customers can be added on, and where there is a problem on a transformer, customers can be temporarily transferred unto the other while the challenge is resolved.”

During the period of the construction, a 10MW mobile transformer unit has been installed at the station, as a temporary alternative. This means that customers will not be negatively affected during the upgrade period.

The Volta regional General Manager of ECG, Joseph Forson, reiterated the company’s commitment to improving electricity supply to customers, and resolving network challenges.

He said: “This project forms part of our ongoing drive to make the electricity distribution system across the region more efficient and robust.”

Mr Forson added: “Other initiatives already ongoing in the region include re-insulating all High Voltage (HV) networks in coastal areas with polymeric insulators and injecting more distribution transformers into highly populated areas.”

Currently, the Aflao substation serves Aflao, Denu, Dzodze, Agbozume and parts of the Akatsi district. The projected is expected to be completed by March 2018.