Report accurately on current energy crisis – VRA tells media
Mr Sam Kwesi Fletcher, Head of the Corporate Communication of the Volta River authority (VRA), has appealed to the media to provide accurate reports on the current energy situation in the country.
He said media has the responsibility to cross-check its facts with the appropriate institutions if they are not sure of the facts before placing them into the public domain.
Mr Fletcher said this during a tour by journalists to the VRA thermal and hydrological generating plants in Tema, Kpone, Akuse and Akosombo as well as the GRIDCO System Control Centre.
The tour, organized by the Corporate Communication Unit of the VRA, was to enable the journalists appreciate the operations of the VRA and to report accurately on measures being put in place to address the current shortfalls in power generation.
Mr Fletcher said the VRA for some time has not been able to attract the needed investment into electricity generation due to uneconomic tariffs especially the pricing of electricity.
He said the non-cost reflective tariffs have significantly weakened the finances of the organization as well as impair the efficient delivery of service.
He said the country is currently facing electricity demand and supply imbalance as a result of excess demand over supply while the system reserve margin has been completely depleted.
Mr Fletcher also said that the rapid annual electricity growth of about 10 per cent was largely responsible for eroding the reserve margin.
He said the VRA had to purchase significant quantities of expensive crude oil to generate power because of the absence of gas supply from the West African Gas Pipeline which has been damaged.
He said the increases in crude oil prices has worsened the financial position of the corporation since it was expensive to use crude oil to fire the various thermal plants operated by the VRA.
Mr Fletcher said despite the challenges faced by the corporation, the VRA has put in place plans to meet the current shortfalls in electricity demand.
He said the T3 Power Plant at Aboaze with planned capacity of132 MW is expected to be completed by the end first quarter of 2013 while the Kpone Thermal Power Plant and the TICO Plant at Takoradi (Combine Cycle) with 220MW and 110MW are also expected to be completed in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
Source: GNA