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President Kufuor calms concerns about
the energy crisis
Akosombo (E/R), July 24, Ghanadot - President John
Agyekum Kufuor asked Ghanaians to be patient and
remain confident about overcoming the energy crisis.
This comes on Tuesday as the water level of the Akosombo
Hydro-electric dam begins to show signs of stabilizing after
a period of consistent drop.
The dam and its tributaries have registered a change in
water level over the last three days. The waters are
rising and development experts at the Hydro-Generation
Department of the Volta River Authority (VRA) say it would
lead to an advantageous rise by the end of the week.
The VRA is operating on two out of the Dam's six turbines,
as a result of the drop in the water level for the past
weeks.
President Kufuor, addressing workers of the VRA after an
inspection tour of the power generating facility, said the
Government was making progress in its efforts at
diversifying the country's energy sources.
He said it was, however, important to appreciate that
building dams, thermal plants and everything electrical
required some time.
President Kufuor denounced attempts by sections of the
society to play politics with the energy problem and advised
personnel at the VRA not to allow "the pettiness and
cynicism of this group of people" to affect their
performance.
He told them that the country was relying on their
efficiency and professionalism to overcome the energy
challenges.
The President said VRA, run wholly by Ghanaian
professionals, should see itself as strategic and crucial to
the nation and re-affirmed the Government's confidence in
the Authority.
"You should know how important you are and must avoid
politicisation and unionism. Let us all pull together."
Mr Kirk Koffi, Director of the Hydro-Generation Plant, said
they could safely run the two turbines below the Dam's
minimum water operating level of 235 feet without danger to
either the equipment or the dam.
He assured the nation that they have good instrumentation
and monitoring systems and from time to time they also
invited experts from outside to evaluate the stability of
the dam.
He said the facility was being operated professionally and
that no decision would be taken that was likely to endanger
it. "We know what we are doing."
The VRA over the last 10 years has overhauled the Dam's
equipment at a cost of 126 million dollars.
Mr Koffi said although the Dam was 45 years old, the
equipment they were operating were as new as only two years.
President Kufuor later inspected emergency power plants
installed at Tema to complement electricity generated by the
Akosombo Dam.
The 38 sets of plants are to produce a total of 106
megawatts of electricity, while a Mining Reserve Power Plant
by a consortium of Mining Companies is to provide additional
80 megawatts.
VRA is also building a thermal plant to generate 126
megawatts.
Source GNA
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