Cenpower Generation Company Limited is optimistic of meeting the 2017 target of adding 350 megawatts to the national grid.

Work on the Independent Power plant is currently 42 percent complete.

Ghana’s Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur had visited the facility at Kpone to unveil a Tunnel Boring Machine to facilitate the project.

The technology which is the first to be deployed in Sub-Saharan Africa will be used to construct underground tunnels that will transport seawater off the coast to the project site to be used to cool the plant.

The Chief Executive Officer of Cenpower Theo Sackey told Starr Business the progress of work gives him confidence the plant will help solve Ghana’s energy problem both in the short and long term.

The 350 Megawatts plant when completed will increase Ghana’s power generation capacity by 10 percent. It will also provide approximately 20 percent of available national thermal generation when it finally comes on-stream in 2017.

The 900 million project was commissioned by the Vice President in January 2015.