TAQA, VRA say T2 power plant feeding electricity to national grid

The T2 power plant located in Takoradi has started operations and it is feeding electricity to the national grid, according to the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company also known as TAQA and Ghana’s Volta River Authority.

The two companies announced last week that the 330 megawatt plant is accounting for about 15 per cent of the country’s total capacity, news outlets in the energy industry have reported.

TAQA has a 90 per cent interest in the Takoradi T2 plant, and all power produced from T2 is sold under a 25-year power purchase agreement with the VRA which owns the remaining 10 percent, the reports indicated.

“We are proud to help restore reliable power to the homes and businesses of Ghanaians for many years to come,” Saeed Mubarak Al-Hajeri, chairman of TAQA was quoted as saying.

TAQA expanded T2’s capacity by converting it from a simple-cycle to a low-cost high-efficiency combined-cycle generation facility that uses waste heat to generate additional power. The conversion increases the net generating capacity from 220MW to about 330MW with no increase in fuel consumption or emissions, the reports noted.

Ghana has dire energy needs. The country’s current situation has been reported to be affecting the economy. Industries have shut down and small businesses are operating below capacity.

To meet the energy needs, Ghana requires annual investments of $1.2 billion for the next 10 years.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi