Accra, March 3, GNA - Government's efforts at ensuring increased and reliable energy supply is set to receive a big boost within the next few weeks as the Osagyefo barge begins power generation.

Test runs of its small generators are currently being carried out in preparation for a switch-on of the two main generators. Mr Philip David Elders, Chief Executive Officer of Balkan Energy, operators of the barge, sited at Efasu in the Western Region, broke the news when he paid a courtesy call on President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu on Monday.

The Company has for the past six months been working to get the barge, which has been sitting idle for sometime now, into operation. He said initially, they would be generating 125 megawatts of electricity.

In course of time they would be adding two news plants to raise the production capacity to 600 megawatts.

The Osagyefo barge, purchased with a Japanese loan to improve the energy generation mix of the country, would be fired by gas. President Kufuor said the Government was eager to see the plant put to use to bring economic benefits to the nation.

"Let's get this source of power operating for our mutual benefit", he said.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the Global Health Programme, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation led by Dr Tachi Yamada, its President, was also at the Castle, to pay a courtesy call on President Kufuor. The Foundation is involved in guinea worm eradication and malaria prevention in the country.

President Kufuor said the nation was grateful for the humanitarian work it was doing.

He suggested to the Foundation to consider joining in the school-feeding programme, which was now being implemented on pilot basis in the country.

This, he said, was because quality nutrition was an effective way of promoting good health.