VRA takes over new thermal power plant
Subsequently, the Canadian government, which partly financed the building of the thermal plant, officially handed it over to the Ghana government at a ceremony in Accra yesterday.
The Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mr Armah-Kofi Buah, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the VRA, Mr Kweku Awotwi, signed for the government and the VRA, respectively, while the Canadian High Commissioner in Accra, Ms Trudy Kernighan, and the Vice-President of Magellan Aerospace, Mr John Bayley, signed on behalf of the Canadian government and the contractors, respectively.
The project, which was constructed at a cost of $245 million, was financed with a loan facility from the Canadian government and the Societe General of Canada and Investment Bank.
The T3, which is a combined cycle thermal power plant, is made up of four gas turbines, four steam generators and a steam turbine.
It has the capacity to operate on light crude oil, natural gas or diesel.
Mr Buah commended the Canadian government for its support for the project and said the coming on stream of the T3 project would help address the deficit in power supply.
He said the government was determined to meet its target of ensuring that the current load shedding came to an end by the end of the month.
He used the opportunity to apologise to Ghanaians for the manner in which the load shedding was being conducted and entreated consumers to use electricity judiciously.
Ms Kernighan, for her part, gave assurance of her government’s readiness to offer assistance to the Ghana government to overcome its power challenges.
Story by Della Russel Ocloo
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