West African Gas Pipeline repaired – Minister
Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, has said the repair work and testing on the West African Gas Pipeline has been completed and soon the supply of gas shall resume.
Mr Buah said since last August, the country had to endure a very excruciating load shedding exercise as a result of a damage to the West African Gas Pipeline.
He said this during the Meet the Press series in Accra on Thursday.
He said by close of the year, government is expected to add a total of 534 megawatts to the Bui power plant bringing total installed capacity of 2,845.5 megawatts.
“In 2014, we will add a total 342 megawatts with the completion of 220 megawatt Kpone thermal power plant; 110 megawatt Takoradi II Expansion project and another 12 megawatt solar plant,” he said.
He said in 2016, 1,711 megawatts was expected from additional seven planned projects, bringing the aggregate generation capacity to 5,958.5 megawatts.
The Sector Minister said the planned capacities would be provided by the Volta River Authority, Bui Power Authority and Independent Power Producers adding that “the Ministry is reviewing the enabling environment to attract prospective developers to the power sub-sector”.
Mr Buah said the Ministry would continue to support the Ghana Grid Company to expand and modernize the existing facilities by developing a non-congested transmission system and leverage funding for planned projects.
On the rural electrification project, he said government is poised to connect over 5,315 communities by the end of December 2016 and this would increase the access rate from 72 per cent to over 93 per cent.
He said this year alone, a total of 177 solar facilities have been disturbed to remote schools, clinics, and security outposts adding that this sums up to 2,405 solar systems installed in remote public facilities since 2009.
He said about 1,742 households have also been supported to acquire solar systems with loans and grants through some rural Banks.
The Sector Minister said following the remedial work by the Jubilee partners to reverse the decline in the oil production, production has since increased from about 60,000 barrel per day to 100,000 barrel per day.
He also said government has procured 5,000 cylinders with cook stoves for distribution on pilot basis and is expected to create additional employment avenues for the youth.
Source: GNA