General News of Saturday, 16 May 2015

Source: rainbowradio.co.uk

Power crisis to be reduced by early July - VRA board chair

The board chairman of Ghana’s power producer, the Volta River Authority has said that the biting power crisis which the nation is going through will reduce by the beginning of July this year.

Speaking on Rainbow Radio’s “Frontline” show, Hon Lee Ocran expressed worry at what he describes as over politicization of the power problem.

He described that the Volta River Authority (VAR) is currently installing a 220-megawatt plant while the Kpone dam is undergoing electro fitting which will also produce 150 megawatts of power when it bounces back.

He added that the Akosombo dam will also give Ghana more power as we approach the rainy season.

The V.R.A board chairman stated that the power crisis has increased due to technical challenges, adding it takes years to install thermal plants to produce power.

Hon Lee Ocran stated that it takes technology and knowledge to solve the power crisis and not miracles.

The Former Minister of Education who now chairs the sixth chairmanship position of the National Democratic Congress noted that the Former New Patriotic party administration could not build a single thermal plant between 2001 and 2009.

He questioned the importance of the $31 million dollars strategic reserve plant bought under the NPP to solve power crisis during their tenure, which he says didn’t produce 1 kilovolt of power.

Hon Lee Ocran has therefore assured Ghanaians of the government’s commitment in solving the power crisis.