By Yvonne Atilego.
Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), says there has been improvement in reliability and stability of power supply across the country.
Speaking at a media briefing in Accra, the Director, System Operations of GRIDCo, Mark Baah, said GRIDCo is working to maintain this stability. According to him, GRIDCO has now seen an increase of two to 14 generating companies including independent power producers.
”24/7 every second of the day there is somebody at the control enduring demand and supply is equal. Beginning 2008 when we were settled we had only two generating companies in Ghana. As of now, we have 14 generating companies including IPP independent power producers. They are confident to invest in Ghana because GRIDCo provides open access in a fair manner at the moment we have 31 generating companies and the likes.”
”The highest demand pulled from the system that we ever recorded was 3206 Megawatt and demand keeps changing day by day hour by hour and it depends on for instance the temperature if it is very cold like July, August people switch off their fans and their AC so the demand would climax.”
”In these times when the weather has gotten warm, we see the demand increasing. If you see the period 2013, 2014 that was serious dumsor we were not growing and it impacted on the economy so we all have to work to ensure that we don’t enter into such a period again because we have to continue to grow if we want to see people been employed, people working people enjoying quality power at their homes.”
Mr. Baah also spoke about some projects being embarked upon by the Company.
“We have the second major transmission from South to North, ….. from South to North Bolgatanga in the North and indeed crossing over to Burkina Faso that has been completed at a cost of around $200 million and we had funding loans from AFD, World Bank Korean Investment Bank and the like so this year we finally completed everything. We are doing it in Accra Tema alone so we have the Accra Central Box Supply Point.”
”It was funded by JICA-JAPAN, then the Pokuase Box Supply Point was also completed. It was a major Grant at a cost of $47 million. Kasoa Box Supply Point, which is ongoing, also received a major Grant at a cost of $ 43 million and the reconstruction of the transmission, which occurred in July.
