Akosombo (Eastern Region), 15 Feb '99 -

The Volta River Authority (VRA) has secured an 18 million dollar loan to resume maintenance work on the Akosombo Power Generating Plant. The work, expected to begin in October this year, will put the turbines in proper shape, make them more efficient, and increase their life span for another 30 years. Mr Emmanuel Nsiah, acting Head of Electrical Management Unit of VRA, said this on Friday when the Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade, Mr Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, paid a working visit to the Station. The work to be carried out include replacement of the turbines' runners and the installation of a major generator. Since the construction of the plant over 30 years ago, attempts at rehabilitating the turbines have not proved very successful due to some difficulties.

Mr Nsiah said contract for the work has already been awarded adding that studies on the viability and potentials of some Ghanaian water bodies for hydro power generation have been concluded. Mr Nsiah said the studies ranked the Bui Project which could provide 400 mega watts of power being the first among five others. Mr Ruiz who was conducted round facilities at the dam, Comander K.T. Bedu-Addo (rtd), Technical Director, later went on a cruise aboard a Volta Lake Transport Company vessel for a cruise on the Volta river. Meanwhile Mr Emmanuel Nsiah Acting of the Electrical Management Unit, has warned that the volume of water in the Dam has started to drop again. The level of the water which was at 249 metres at the beginning of the year, has gone down to 246 metres by last Friday, February, 13. Mr Nsiah attributed the situation to the lack of inflows into the dam but said this will not have a negative impact on the ability of the plant to produce power or affect the energy situation in the country.

Mr Nsiah said the present level of 246 metres is " four and half metres higher than what pertained in 1998 which necessitated the rationing of power nation-wide." He said the production of power by the Aboadze Thermal Plant and another 30 megawatts of power by two independent power producing companies in Tema would support has helped to reduce the pressure on the dam. He said currently only two units of the plant are being run by the Volta River Authority (VRA) adding that there are plans to add an additional unit by the end of this month. On a question posed by Mr Ruiz on the effect of three dams constructed by Burkina Faso on the volume of water in the Volta Lake, Mr Nsiah said "the percentage of water taken by the Burkinabe dams does not have significant impact on the water in the Akosombo Dam". He said Ghana can no more rely solely on hydro power and adding "this is why we are developing the thermal plant."

In 1998, Ghana experienced energy crisis, which slowed down socio-economic activities in the country as a result of unfavourable rainfall pattern leading to less water flowing into the Dam. The country resorted to power rationing for more than nine months.