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VRA says drop of water level is
normal, sustainable
Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - The Volta River Authority (VRA), on
Tuesday said the current steady drop of the water level in
the Akosombo Dam was a normal operational activity that
should not spark any fears.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mrs Gertrude Koomson of
the Corporate Affairs Department, said the current level was
being managed carefully and effectively to sustain the
nation throughout the Christmas and New Year seasons.
"The drop in the water level is expected at this time of the
year because the rains have ended.
"It is a normal phenomenon also because the inflows from the
major tributaries of the lake have also reverted to their
normal flow."
The level of the water in the dam on Tuesday was 256.10
feet, down from Monday's 256.16 feet. The minimum level is
240.00 feet.
Mrs Koomson said the VRA had put in a lot of contingency
plans ranging from the strategic use of the turbines at
Akosombo together with reliance on government's emergency
power plants to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
She said at present the VRA was running two turbines but
this was increased to three when the need arose at peak
times.
"We are running an average of 100 megawatts of power from
the emergency power plant at Tema apart from the 50
megawatts installed capacity from the Wood Group, an
Independent Power Producer (IPP) from the US," Mrs Koomson
said.
In addition the 80 megawatts installed capacity by the
mining companies was serving as a strategic reserve plant
and when the need arose it would be tapped into the national
grid based on the agreement with the companies.
"Of the 126-megawatt plants which the VRA itself is
installing, about 50 megawatts is currently running. All
these are being done to ensure that we have continuous
supply of electricity," Mrs Koomson said.
She added that a 110-megawatt combined cycle plant would be
installed at Tema to be powered by gas expected to arrive
from the West African Gas Pipeline.
Mrs Koomson also mentioned the recent 20 megawatts plant
which was commissioned by President John Agyekum Kufuor as
well the contract signed by government with an American
energy company to make the Osagyefo Barge operational as
part of steps to make Ghanaians enjoy uninterrupted
electricity supply.
GNA
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