The Electricity Company of Ghana says average supply interruption has seen a 52% reduction owing to huge investments made in the power distribution sector by the government.

ECG has also deployed the use of drones to monitor and audit network systems to help curb the major challenge of vegetation interference as well as identify other weak spots of prompt rectification.

This initiative, according to the power distribution company, is expected to further reduce outages to a large extent and increase customer satisfaction.

The Managing Director of ECG, Kwame Agyemang-Budu, said this when he commissioned a GH¢55million primary substation at Mpraeso to end erratic power supply experienced in Kwahu ridge area and Kwahu Afram Plains of the Eastern Region.

Prior to the construction of 2×10MVA 33/11KV Mpraeso Primary substation, these areas were supplied from the Nkawkaw Bulk Supply Point (BSP) with only two feeders; the mountains 11KV and Donkorkrom 33KV, resulting in a frequent outage in the entire enclave whenever there was a fault on the mountain feeder.

The Managing Director, Kwame Agyemang-Budu said, the facility will cater for the rapid load growth on the Kwahu ridge and the Afram Plains enclave to ensure reliable power supply to customers and minimize outages.

He added, “It will reduce the length of HV Circuits thereby, reducing technical loses, ensure the availability of excess power required for both present and future Investment, enhance the customers end voltage in the supply Communities and afford the company the opportunity to link the various 11KV feeders into a ring system on the Kwahu ridge to ensure system flexibility”.

Mr. Agyemang Budu further stated that the strategic location of the primary substation makes it possible for ECG Eastern electrical network to link Ashanti SBU electrical network to Agogo in case of an emergency.

He was hopeful that the improvement in power supply in the Kwahu area will boost the tourism industry and industrialization in line with the government’s vision.

Mr. Agyemang-Budu said the Mpraeso installation brings the total cost of engineering installation in the Eastern region within the past three years to approximately GH¢66 million (GH¢65,280,012.5).

On his part, the Eastern Regional Manager of ECG Ing. Michael Baah declared that the new substation will “bring flexibility in the supply of power because, ECG can now link all four outgoing feeders from this station to serve our customer, thereby reducing the impact of outages to customers. Now, both ECG and our customers in this part of the region can have a sigh of relief since our plight of long outages and poor quality of power of power supply had ended.”

The Member of Parliament for Mpraeso Seth Kwame Acheampong said the now stable power supply will help open up the local economy and boost tourism.