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VRA and ECG
commence new load management programme
Accra, March 24, GNA - The Volta River Authority (VRA) and
the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) would commence a new
load management cycle of four days, effective Wednesday
March 28, 2007.
Under the four-day cycle, customer groups will go off once
during the day for 12 hours and once during the night for 12
hours after which the cycle will be repeated.
A statement issued by the VRA and ECG on Saturday said the
load management programme had been reviewed as part of the
strenuous efforts to manage the current situation following
the acceptance of the recommendations made by the VRA and
ECG to the government.
It said the programme would be reviewed every two weeks to
monitor the impact of the measures being taken and
appropriate changes made where necessary.
It would be recalled that on August 26, 2006, VRA and ECG
announced a load management programme with the primary
objective of arresting the depletion of the Volta Reservoir
and facilitating its recovery, the statement said.
Regrettably, it said, the Volta lake level had continued to
drop at a higher rate than expected and it was at an
elevation of 237.78 feet as at today, Saturday, March 24,
2007.
It said the VRA and ECG had continued to address the current
situation in order to secure normal supplies to all
customers and as part of the process, government had
actively collaborated and provided support to the two
utilities with the procurement and installation of some
emergency power plants located in Tema.
Out of this, the first 50 MW had been installed and was
being tested prior to commencement of operations by the end
of this month with the remaining 86MW would be brought into
service by the end of April.
The statement said the immediate objective of the VRA and
ECG for all these actions was to ensure the little water
left was stretched through to the end of June when the major
rainy season in the Volta reservoir catchment area would
commence.
It said without this intervention, the Akosombo Hydro
station would be shut down before the end of April and
called on consumers to intensify their energy conservation
activities.
GNA
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