VRA Works At Increasing Power Supply

THE VOLTA RIVER Authority (VRA) says its wind power project which seeks to develop between 100 megawatts to 150 megawatts of wind farm capacity through joint-venture partnership is being put together.

Currently, two reputable companies have been identified which are working with VRA to undertake the wind measurement after which the project could be developed. Wind measurements will be undertaken at 8 sites, 4 coastal sites and 4 inland sites.

It is anticipated that two of these sites would be developed and the project is expected to be commissioned by 2015.

VRA is also upbeat about its Kpone Thermal Power Plant (KTPP), a GoG/VRA 230 megawatts Simple Cycle Thermal Power Project. The plant is made up of two Alstom units of 115 megawatts capacity each.

The gas turbines are already in the country at the Kpone Site, near Tema and VRA is currently raising funds to develop the project, expected to be commissioned by 2015.

Additionally, it is working on the Takoradi 2 Thermal Power Project, an independent power producer jointly owned by VRA and TAQA Energy of Abu Dhabi.

The project seeks to expand the 220 megawatts T2 plant from a Simple Cycle Power plant to a combined cycle power plant.

The project would increase the installed capacity of the plant by 110 MW. All agreements for the project are virtually completed for construction to start by end of 2012. The project is expected to be commissioned by 2015.

Another outstanding project is the Bui Hydro Power Project, a hydro power project currently under construction. It was expected to start operating from late 2012 to early 2013.

The project is located on the Black Volta River at Bui. And this is expected to add 400 megawatts of installed generation capacity to the existing generation resources.

The plant consists of three turbines of 133 MW capacity each. The project is being supervised by the Bui Power Authority (BPA).

Furthermore, VRA’s Solar Power Projects, which aim at developing 10 megawatts of PV plant capacity in Northern Ghana in the NEDCo areas of operation is very paramount.

“The technical and financial feasibility of deploying a Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plant in the NEDCo areas would be examined and detailed specifications would be developed based on the findings of the feasibility study.

Four sites in the environs of Kaleo (near WA), Lawra, Jirapa and Navrongo have been identified and acquired for a total of 10MWp PV plants.

“Contract has already been awarded for the construction of 2 MWp at Navrongo which is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. V

RA is seeking concessionary funding to develop the remaining 8 MWp,” Kweku Awotwi, CEO of VRA affirms.