Accra, June 22, GNA - The Chinese government has expressed interest in the funding of the implementation of the Bui hydropower project at an estimate of 600 million dollars. The project would take five years to implement and it is programmed for completion in February 2012.

Mr Joseph Adda, Energy Minister, responding to a question in Parliament, said the project "scope has provision for strong local participation in the construction and operational phases. It is estimated that during the construction phase about 3,400 people will be employed of which 2,900 will be Ghanaians." Mr Joe Danquah, NPP-Tain, had asked about the current status of the Bui power project. Mr Adda told the House that the Energy Ministry had entered into an agreement with Messrs Sinohydro of China and the project was to commence in the third quarter of this year when it was expected that all the requisite approvals, both in Ghana and China, would have been obtained. "The Bui dam project will improve the security of power delivery to the northern parts of Ghana and has the potential for the export of power to our neighbouring countries, namely, La Cote d'Ivoire, Mali and Burkina Faso within the framework of ECOWAS and the West African Power Pool system."

The Minister said although the Bui project had been designed primarily for hydropower generation, it had irrigation potential for agriculture development. "The irrigation potential is about 30,000 hectares. This is expected to be in downstream reaches of Black Volta River. The project will also enhance the development of fisheries in the lake to be created by the project," he added.

The Bui hydropower project consists of the construction of a dam and power station at Bui on the Black Volta River. The execution of the project would increase the current installed capacity of the country's power generation system by 400 megawatts.