VRA boss highlights strategic investments to boost power reliability

The Volta River Authority (VRA) acting Chief Executive, Edward Ekow Obeng-Kenzo has shared insight on the utility’s major strides to enhance Ghana’s power generation reliability and extend the lifespan of its critical infrastructure.

Speaking at the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC)’s investment hearing session on Monday, July 7, 2025, Obeng-Kenzo underscored the significance of VRA’s role in Ghana’s economic engine.

He further cited an extensive ongoing and planned investments across the country’s power infrastructure.

“VRA is the premier power generator of this country. The reliability of our assets is very critical for economic growth.

“As a company, we’ve deployed a number of strategies to ensure that our machines and assets are reliable and available to generate for the state,” he told the media.

Obeng-Kenzo revealed that from 2022 to date, VRA has made significant investments in asset reliability and availability, with results visible across Ghana, from the western corridor to the north, east, and central zones.

“Our machines are running as expected. Ahomaso in Kumasi is also operational, and our solar plants are generating power as expected.

“All these investments, on solar, balance of plant assets, and other infrastructure, will be detailed in our submission to PURC,” he added.

He revealed VRA’s life extension project for the Aboadze Power Plant, which is nearly 25 years old.

He mentioned that the utility is investing in modernization to keep the facility operational for another two decades.

“We believe Aboadze can still run for 20 more years. We’ve completed the first phase of its life extension and are preparing for the second phase,” he disclosed.

Moreover, he disclosed that the Akosombo Dam, one of Ghana’s largest energy assets, is also undergoing retrofitting and smart technology integration to improve efficiency.

“We’ve started making Akosombo smarter. We’re using advanced technologies to improve its performance and ensure sustainability.

“We also plan to refurbish some of the turbines that have been running for over 20 years,” he noted.

His remarks echoed VRA’s commitment to long-term planning, sustainability, and technological innovation in powering Ghana’s future.

The PURC investment hearing forms part of the process toward finalising the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) for 2025–2028, where utility companies present detailed investment strategies to justify tariff adjustments.

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