1,000MW energy hub for Kumasi, Jinapor rolls out transformers, turbines, and a command centre to end regional blackouts.
Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, said the series of interventions include the upgrading of transformers at the Ridge Bulk Supply Point by the Ghana Grid Company, rehabilitation of transmission lines in the Airport enclave and ongoing works at the Cenit thermal plant to generate 110 megawatts alongside AKSA’s combined cycle project to bring its steam unit on stream to stabilize power supply in the Ashanti Region. “The ministry is immediately putting in place 300 transformers and intends to scale this up to 700 in a second phase with further upgrades by GRIDCO expected in July to improve system reliability and service delivery across the country,” he said. Addressing the media during a working visit to some critical energy infrastructure projects in Kumasi such as Ridge substation and transmission line works at Anwomaso-Boadi-Kaase and Anwomaso-Airport, he also announced plans to develop Kumasi as an energy hub with about 1,000 megawatts of installed capacity from existing and upcoming plants. He also announced the creation of a command and control centre in collaboration with the Energy Commission and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission to enhance outage response and system monitoring. The peak demand in Ghana has hit around 4,500 megawatts and there was the need for more generation capacity, he said. Ashanti Regional Minister Frank Amoakohene, said there was the need for more power supply to facilitate the increasing industrialisation of the region.
