Kumasi Polytechnic receives power relay equipment

Kumasi Polytechnic and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have received sets of numeric relay power protection equipment worth GH¢100,000.00 to facilitate teaching and learning at the electrical engineering departments of the two institutions.

The equipment is a gift from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) based in the US.

Relay equipment is used for sub-station power protection, controls and detection of faults on power transmission lines and sub-stations.

Mr. Fred Nana Ankah, the West Africa Regional Sales Manager of SEL, made the presentation. He said it was their contribution to the training of students in the latest relay technology in the energy sector.

He said the company, having opened offices in Ghana to serve as sales-point of its products in West Africa, considered it important to assist students to become familiar with and try their hands on the equipment.

Ghana Grid Company, Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Northern Electricity Department (Kintampo Sub-station) are using the SEL relays.

Mr. Ankah, an alumnus of K-poly, said training of trainers’ model had also been developed to build the capacities of lecturers and technicians in the departments.

He said the company would build laboratories for the electrical engineering departments of the two institutions to expose students to latest technologies and aid them to become competitive on the job market.

Prof Nicholas Nana Nsowah-Nuamah, Rector of K-Poly, thanked the company and said the equipment would transform electrical training and education at the polytechnic.

He appealed to the alumni of the polytechnic to do more to support the institution as it sought to become a centre of excellence in the training of middle level manpower for the country. Mr. Kwadjo Ntiamoah-Sarpong, Head of the Polytechnic’s Electrical and Electronic Department, said it was important that students got in-depth knowledge of modern technologies in their field of training and hailed the company for leading the way.