Construction of the 435 Mega Volt-Amp (MVA) capacity Kasoa Bulk Supply Point (BSP) project, and the associated interconnecting circuits, has been completed, and inauguration comes with the expectation of bringing an end to power supply challenges in parts of the Central Region.
The US$50million power project – the second-largest in Ghana after the 580 MVA Pokuase BSP – has been realised under the auspices of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) and the government’s Accountability Entity under the Compact II Programme.
It was necessitated by the phenomenal growth and expansion in industrial and socio-economic activities in Kasoa and adjoining communities.
At the project’s inauguration, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumai noted that the latest vital infrastructure asset – to be managed by the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) – will help the grid system’s stability to reduce outages.
“Located within the Central Region, this substation will address some of the major challenges to reliable power delivery for the fast-growing and rapidly industrialising Kasoa community through its linkage with GRIDCo’s Winneba and Mallam substations,” he stated.
Furthermore, he observed that the strategic investment will also contribute to a reduction in technical losses, improve power quality, and also resolve issues related to the quantum of unutilised energy – thereby improving the operational efficiencies and finances of ECG and GRIDCo.
The Vice President noted that the project had been pending for several years until this government identified and prioritised it for implementation under the Ghana Power Compact.
The two Millennium Challenge Account programmes, he observed, have contributed to shaping the country – noting that Ghana’s Compact programmes have so far benefitted from some US$863million in grant funds. These includes the Agricultural Transformation Compact from 2007 to 2012 and the Power Compact from 2017 to date.
These interventions, he indicated, have resolved some binding constraints in two vital sectors of the economy, and have left excellent benchmarks in development programme management; in particular, the use of donor funds to complete projects on time and within budget.
According to Dr. Bawumia, poor quality and inadequate power supply to communities have impeded the country’s drive towards a new economy – an economy that focuses on rapid industrialisation and improved services.
To this end, he said government seeks to “steer the country’s economy from an unhealthy dependence on the export of raw materials and its negative impact on job creation and unemployment, to the production and export of finished products and the consequent improvements in balance of payment”.
The Deputy Chief of Mission for the United States Embassy in Ghana, Nicole Ann Chulick – also speaking at the programme, said completion of the project marks the end of MCC’s Ghana Power Compact.
This is after some US$316million was committed by the United States government as grant funds in the last six years to improve Ghana’s energy infrastructure and support long-term economic growth.
She noted that the MCC partnership with Ghana is outstanding, given Ghana is one of the few countries to have completed two compacts. “These two commitments have invested nearly US$860million in projects to boost economic growth and reduce poverty.”
On his part, Deputy Minister of Energy, Joseph Cudjoe – also speaking at the ceremony, said government is fully committed to continuous improvements in the county’s energy infrastructure, and thus ensure a robust energy sector.
He said Ghana has committed to the right partnerships and engagements, and adopted the right attitude to ensure that plans for improving the energy sector are fully realised.
To this effect, he indicated that the Energy Ministry is working tirelessly to solve the challenges in the power-generation, transmission and distribution value-chain by completing key projects.
The 435 MVA capacity Kasoa BSP, with state-of-the-art technology, is GRIDCo’s second Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) substation and the largest after the 375 MVA capacity substation located on the Graphic Road in Accra.
The Kasoa BSP comprises three 161/34.5kV, 120/145MVA 3ph, Power Transformers, four diameters of 170kV GIS Switchgear, an associated 34.5kV component and a 50MVAr Static Synchronous Compensator Transformer (STATCOM) for reactive power control.
