The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has signed a US$67million deal with a consortium made up of GS E&D and Samsung C&E of the Korean Republic for construction of a power transmission line from Prestea in the Western Region to the Ashanti Regional capital Kumasi.

The Prestea-Kumasi Power Enhancement Project is a component of the 330kv transmission network originating from the Abaodze thermal power plant in the South to Bolgatanga in the north.

The 330kv Prestea-Kumasi segment of the project is estimated to be about 185km long and extends from Prestea in the west to Kumasi in the central part of the country.

The other segments of the project extend from Aboadze to Prestea and then Kumasi-Kintampo, Tamale and Bolgatanga.

The project, expected to be completed in 24 months, is to be financed through a concessional loan facility offered by the government of the Republic of Korea acting through the Export-Import bank of Korea.

Speaking at the signing of the agreement in Accra, CEO of GRIDCo William Amuna said the project will facilitate the evacuation of power from new power generation projects being undertaken in the Aboadze power enclave to other parts of the country.

Apart from increasing transfer capacity toward Kumasi, the north and nearby countries, the project will reduce GRIDCo’s transmission line losses and improve system voltage stability, Mr. Amuna said.

“With this project we should be able to transport large volumes of power from southern Ghana to any part of Ghana, and this is going to aid rural electrification. Currently, Ghana has about 76% penetration in terms of electricity. The president has indicated that within the next few years we should to get to 80%. We will try as much as possible to get to 80% and beyond,” he said.

“We also intend having a very robust grid system. We have a 330kv line that goes from Aboadze to Tema. Now we are going to have this line that will go from Aboadze all the way to Kumasi. In future we intend linking Kumasi to Pokuase in Accra so that we have a triangle of 330kv network, and if we have that our grid system is going to be one of the most robust anywhere in the world.”

Present at the signing was Power Minister Dr. Kwabena Donkor, who thanked the Korean government and consortium of investors for furthering the longstanding relationship that exists between the two countries.