General Electric to construct 200MW power plant at Aboadze

An American multinational conglomerate, General Electric (GE), says it is ready to establish a 200MW combined-cycle power plant at Aboadze in the Western Region.

According to the company, when completed, the plant would be one of the most efficient power projects Ghana could be proud of.

 A release issued to the press by the company in Accra said the plant had the capacity to generate the power needed to supply power to more than one million Ghanaian homes.

Amandi Energy Limited would operate the plant on a seven-year Contractual Service Agreement (CSA).

“The plant will help to add reliable and efficient capacity to the grid to tackle Ghana’s increasing demand for power,” the statement said.

Metka, a leading international engineering firm, is the contractor for the project.

“This turnkey plant will be powered by GE’s 9E.04 gas turbine with tri-fuel capabilities,” the statement said.

Fuel

In the initial stages, the plant will be fuelled by light crude oil but the operators of the plant hope to make use of gas from Ghana’s offshore Sankofa natural gas field, depending on availability.

“GE’s fuel capabilities are unmatched. Having a turbine that is able to switch between fuels can provide increased plant operability allowing for power generation months before the indigenous gas supply would otherwise be available,” the statement quoted Mr Boaz Lavi, the General Manager of Amandi Energy Ghana Limited, as saying. 

 “Our customers have complex fuel needs, and this project illustrates the breadth of solutions we are able to deliver to meet their expectations,” Mr Leslie Nelson, General Manager, Gas Power Systems at GE Power in Sub-Saharan Africa, also said.

 “We are pleased that our strong regional presence allows us to get power to our customers, like Amandi Energy, quickly and efficiently," he added.

The plant, also described as “rugged”, has the capacity to burn more than 50 types of fuels and could switch between natural gas, distillate and heavy fuel oil, while operating under full load.