“I wish to reassure you all that my government will continue to work towards ‘Keeping the Lights on’, in spite of the global dynamics of energy pricing, because the alternative is not an option. We are not going back to dumsor, we leave that to President Mahama.”
These were the words of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, 13th June 2023, when he commissioned the 161 kilovolt GRIDCo, ECG Bulk Power Supply Point, constructed under the Project for the Reinforcement of Power Supply to Accra Central.
Addressing the gathering, President Akufo-Addo noted that in the 21st century, any country that aspires to industrialise, as part of its economic agenda, and assure its people of a decent quality of life, must necessarily ensure that its citizens have access to stable, efficient, affordable power supply.
“Our daily lives, from simple things such as charging our mobile phones, and keeping our electrical appliances working, to operating our offices and businesses, are run by electric power. Electricity is no longer a luxury but rather a necessity in this day and age, and we must commit ourselves to working hard to ensure that we achieve universal coverage in this country in order to spur on rapid rates of economic growth,” he said.
The President noted that the power needs of Accra’s Central Business District have important implications for our economy, with projected electricity demand rate of residents and commercial establishments, operating within Accra Central and its environs, standing at ten percent (10%) per annum.
In addition, power demand in Greater Accra is projected to reach about one thousand megavolt-ampere (1,000 MVA), with an average annual growth rate of some eight percent (8%).
“It is evident that the execution of the Accra Central BSP project is consistent with the country’s power needs and development, with a GDP growth rate of up to fifteen percent (15%) around the time of project preparation,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo continued, “The project we are commissioning today is a one hundred and sixty-one kilo-Volt Bulk Supply Point, which delivers on government’s commitment to “Keep the Lights On”. It also guarantees stable, reliable and regular supply of electricity for the busy and bustling Accra Central Business District and surrounding areas.”
The Accra Central Bulk Power Supply Project, indeed, project could not have become a reality without the generous grant from the Japanese Government and its external agency, the Japanese International Development Agency (JICA), and without Japanese technology and technical assistance.
On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, the President extended deep appreciation to the Japanese Government and the Japanese Consultants, a Joint Venture of Yachiyo Engineering Co., Ltd. and West Japan Engineering Consultants Inc; the main Contractor, a Japanese Joint Venture of Mitsubishi Corporation, Hitachi Plant Construction, Ltd., and Yurtec Corporation, for the efforts and continuous support and contribution to Ghana’s development and growth.
“This project is an excellent illustration of the strong co-operation that links the Republic of Ghana and the Kingdom of Japan, which we cherish very much. My gratitude also goes to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for providing access to part of the compound of its Primary Substation E, which facilitated the construction of this Accra Central BSP. I also wish to thank all traditional leaders, as well as the Ghana Railway Development Authority, for access to the transmission line right-of-way,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo further expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and families in this area, “who ceded part of their lands to pave way for the building of the transmission tower that provides a critical connection point from the BSP for onward connection to power supply.”
About Accra Central Bulk Supply Point
This Bulk Supply Point is a gas insulated sub-station, which is GRIDCo’s first sub-station with such technology. This is an innovation in technology applied in areas where spaces are significantly limited, thus large capacity switchgear and transformers, which are compact, can be installed.
The benefits of this Accra Central Bulk Supply Point, amongst many others, are to reduce transmission and distribution losses, ensure high reliability of electricity supply, and ensure a high level of personnel safety.
With the operationalisation of the Accra Central BSP, power voltages have become stable (protecting valuable equipment), power supply reliability has improved, and, with this, efficiency has been restored, reducing system losses as required by the regulator, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC)