President Akufo-Addo commissioned a 161-kilovolt GRIDCo ECG Bulk Power Supply Point built as part of the Project for the Reinforcement of Power Supply to Accra Central on Tuesday, June 13.
He promised that his administration will keep working towards “Keeping the Lights On,” despite the fluctuating global prices of electricity.
During his speech at the inauguration, he emphasised the importance of a reliable, efficient, and affordable power supply for any country in the twenty-first century that hopes to industrialise as part of its economic plan and guarantee its people a good standard of living.
“We are not going back to Dumsor; we leave that to President Mahama. Our daily lives, from simple things such as charging our mobile phones and keeping our electrical appliances working to operating our offices and businesses, are run by electric power.
“Electricity is no longer a luxury but rather a necessity in this day and age, and we must commit ourselves to working hard to ensure that we achieve universal coverage in this country in order to spur rapid rates of economic growth,” he said.
According to the President, the expected electricity demand rate of households and business establishments operating inside Accra Central and its environs stands at ten percent (10%) each year, which will have significant effects on our economy.
Power consumption in Greater Accra is expected to increase at a pace of roughly eight percent per year, eventually reaching over one thousand megavolt-amperes (MVA).
“The project we are commissioning today is a one hundred and sixty-one kilovolt bulk supply point, which delivers on the government’s commitment to “Keep the Lights On”. It also guarantees a stable, reliable, and regular supply of electricity for the busy and bustling Accra Central Business District and surrounding areas,” he added.
The Accra Central Bulk Power Supply Project would not have been possible without the generous contribution from the Japanese government and its external agency, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), as well as Japanese technology and technical help.
The President of Ghana spoke on behalf of the government and people to express gratitude to the Japanese government and the Japanese consultants, a joint venture of Yachiyo Engineering Co., Ltd. and West Japan Engineering Consultants Inc., and the main contractor, a Japanese joint venture of Mitsubishi Corporation, Hitachi Plant Construction, Ltd., and Yurtec Corporation.
He also thanked the local leadership of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the local families, “who ceded part of their lands to pave the way for the building of the transmission tower that provides a critical connection point from the BSP for onward connection to the power supply.”
