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A fourth dam for electricity in the offing
Accra, Oct. 7, Ghanadot/GNA - Ghana and Brazil on
Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Accra to
construct a 90-megawatt (MW) capacity hydroelectric dam on River
Oti at Juallay, near Pwalugu, in the Upper East Region.
Construction of the dam, which has been on the drawing board
since 1992, is part of measures being instituted by government
for additional 3,000 MW to the current national installed
capacity of 2,000 MW.
Work is expected to begin next year at an initial cost of 300
million dollars, with the Brazilian Government providing 250
million dollars and 50 million dollars by the Government of
Ghana.
Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, Minister of Energy who signed for Ghana,
said other thermal projects were underway to boost the country’s
energy sector.
He assured the contractors, Constructura Noberto Odebrecht and
Andrade Gutierrez that government was committed to provide all
the necessary support towards the project.
Dr Oteng-Adjei explained that re-activation of the project was
the outcome of a meeting between President John Evans Atta Mills
and Brazilian President Lula da Silva during the Africa-South
America Summit in Venezuela.
Mr Luis Fernando Serra, Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana signed for
Brazil, while Mr Carlos Buerno Vieira, a Director of
Constructura Noberto Odebrecht and Mr Fernando Ferreira,
Director of Andrade Gutierrez, the contractors witnessed the MoU.
The Akosombo hydroelectric dam has a generating capacity of 912
megawatts while that of Kpong is 160 megawatts and the third dam
under construction is at Bui in the Brong Ahafo Region.
About 99 per cent of electricity consumption in Ghana is
supplied by the Volta River Authority (VRA).
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