maclatunji: I find the theme of the subject of this thread and the comments so far disappointing and distasteful.

maclatunji: I find the theme of the subject of this thread and the comments so far disappointing and distasteful.

Nationwide power outage hits Ghana again.
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Ghana has once again experienced a nationwide power outage which occurred on Wednesday evening lasting for about an hour and a half.

Accra residents in particular, who thought the power cut was just one of those intermittent cuts and was restricted to Accra alone became more alarmed and irked when it was evidently clear that people from afar were also suffering the same fate.

The cause of the outage was not immediately known as attempts by Citifmonline.com to ascertain the cause of the outage from the authorities responsible of production, distribution and transmission failed. A similar outage hit the country on December 7 which lasted close to about four hours.

Idokojimmy:
Perhaps the issue needs to be broken down. Currently, power outage in Ghana has worsened. This situation is expected to continue untill God knows when. Comments by Ghanians show that they are not comfortable with the turn of event, as accussing fingers are being pointed at all those directly or indirectly involved in Govt. many (Ghanians) have ran to Nigeria to take refuge pending when power supply improves.
Ok! Recall that some months back, a Ghanians Prof regarded Nigeria as a failed State, identifying among other things power supply as our serious challenge. He glorified Ghana, painting a picture that depicted their country as the best in Africa. Today, the reverse is the case. GEJ has stepped up his game, and power has improved geometrically.
Investors are beginning to troop in, the ongoing privatization has been made attractive and viable hands are showing interest. Barack Obama recent said Nigeria is the fastest growing economy in the world. I'm sure you can now see where the poster is coming from?
He simply wants Nigerians to know that things can only get better and better. That there is no country that is too much for us. Our big brotherly role in Africa remains. All we need do is to support those in Govt to do more.

berem: Is it not high time Ghana generated her own Electricity? For how long will they continue to use ours? We don't have enough to go round and we still supply power to Ghana? This is a very big shame to both Ghana and Nigeria!

Gbawe:

"Use ours" Ghana does generate her own electricity !!! Haba !!!

carytommy:
yes but most of her electricity is produced here in Nigeria. dont tell me you didnt know that.

General News of Monday, 29 January 2007 Source: GNA

Nigeria To Supply Ghana Energy



Addis Ababa, Jan. 29, GNA - Nigeria has agreed to supply 80 megawatts of electricity to Ghana as part of a deal to help the country to address its current energy crisis.

Additionally, it has accepted to take over the supply of power to Benin and Togo, to take off the burden on Ghana and bring some relief to the country.

President John Agyekum Kufuor made the announcement when answering a question on how Ghana was tackling the energy problems it was facing, when he presented the country's implementation report on the African Peer Review Mechanisation (APRM) recommendations at the Sixth Summit of the APRM Heads of State and Government Forum.

This was on the sidelines of the Eighth Africa Union's ordinary session held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Ghana's report received overwhelming commendation by the 25 States that have signed up to the APRM.

President Kufuor said Nigeria through the West Africa Power Pool, which comes on-stream in February, 2007 would be increasing its electricity supply to Ghana.

Ghana's energy requirement is put at 2,000 megawatts and its present total generation mix comes up to 1,200 megawatts, 69 per cent of which is from hydroelectric sources and 30.4 per cent from fossil fuels. The Akosombo hydroelectric dam has a generating capacity of 912 megawatts while that of Kpong is 160 megawatts.

Ninety-Nine per cent of the electricity consumption in Ghana is supplied by the Volta River Authority.

President Kufuor said with the Power Pool Agreement, Ghana, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire would put their electricity generation into a pool so that in the event of a shortfall in any of the countries, it would fall on it to avoid crisis situation.

He said the country on its own was also taking some measures to boost its energy generation and cited plans to construct the 400-megawatts capacity Bui Dam.

He was expressed the hope that the inauguration of the West Africa Gas Pipeline Project in March, 2007, would significantly enhance the operation of the Osagyefo Barge.

President Kufuor said Ghana again was exploring other alternative sources including solar and bio-diesel.

Meanwhile, the AU's Eighth Ordinary session being attended by the 53 Heads of State and Government, the high point of which, would be the election of a new Chairman to take over from Congolese President Dennis Sassou Nguesso opens on Monday morning at the Economic Commission for Africa's (ECA) Conference Centre.

Mr Ban Ki-Moon, the United Nation's Secretary General, is in the Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa to attend. 29 Jan. 2007

Electricity sector in Ghana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (November 2010)

Electricity sector in Ghana refers to electricity generation and usage in Ghana.
Contents
1 History
2 Nuclear research
3 See also
4 References
[edit]History

The first government-sponsored public electricity supply in the country commenced in the year 1914 at Sekondi. It was operated by the Railway Administration which extended supply to Takoradi in 1928. Meanwhile, the Public Works Department had commenced a limited Direct Current (DC) supply in Accra during the year 1922, this was immediately followed by a large Alternating Current (AC) project which commenced on 1st November, 1924. A small plant consisting of three horizontal single cylinder oil-powered engines was installed in Koforidua in 1925 and opened by the Honorable William Omsby-Gore on 1st April 1926. Also in 1926, work commenced on the task of providing electric lighting and power to Kumasi. A restricted evening supply commenced in May 1927, and a power station was brought into full operation on 1st October 1927. In the same year DC supply was installed at Winneba but this was subsequently changed to AC by extending an existing supply from Swedru. During the period 1929-30, a limited electricity supply was extended to Tamale until a new AC plant was installed in 1938. The next power station to be established was Cape Coast which came into being in 1932.Subsequent to its takeover by the Electricity Department from the Public Works and Railways on 1st April, 1947. A power station at Swedru was commissioned in 1948.

This was followed by the installation of generating plants at Oda, Dunkwa and Bolgatanga in 1948. On 27th May, 1949, an electricity supply was made available at Nsawam through the building of an 11000 volt overhead transmission line from Accra. The Keta supply which was included in the programme was delayed by staff difficulties and was not commissioned until 1955. The Tema power station was commissioned in 1956 with a 3 x 650 kW generating set. The Ho power station followed in 1957. From 1961-64. The Tema Station was extended to a maximum capacity of 35,298 kW, thus, making it probably the biggest single diesel-powered generating station in Africa. It is also on record that in 1963 the Electricity Division brought into operation the first 161,000 volts transmission system in Ghana, which was used to carry power from the Tema Power Station. At its peak in 1965, about 75 percent of the power was used in Accra.

[b]In 1994, Ghana's total generating capacity was about 1,187 megawatts, and annual production totaled approximately 4,490 million kilowatts. The main source of supply is the Volta River Authority with six 127-megawatt turbines. The authority's power plant at Akosombo Dam provides the bulk of all electricity consumed in Ghana, some 60 percent of which is purchased by Valco for its smelter. The power plant also meets most of the energy needs of Togo and Benin, which amounted to an estimated equivalent of 180,000 tons of oil in 1991. The balance of Ghana's electricity is produced by diesel units owned by the Electricity Corporation of Ghana, by mining companies, and by a 160-megawatt hydroelectric plant at Kpong, about 40 kilometers downstream from Akosombo. A third dam at Bui on the Black Volta River has been under study for some time, with the aim of increasing power supplies in northern Ghana or of selling power to Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso (Burkina, formerly Upper Volta). There have been difficulties, however, in raising the funds needed for the 450-megawatt generating plant. Other sites with the potential for power generation, on the Pra River (Ghana), the Tano River, the White Volta River, and the Ankobra River, would also require substantial investment.[/b][1]

Ghana has attempted to increase distribution of its electricity throughout the country. One program, funded by the World Bank's International Development Association, will provide reliable and widespread electricity in the urban and southern parts of the country. In addition, the extension of the national grid to the Northern Region was commissioned in 1989. The extension links northern Ghana to the power generated from the Akosombo Dam.[1]

The second phase of the extension will connect major towns in Upper East Region with the regional capital, Bolgatanga, at a cost of US$100 million. The final phase will see exports of electricity across the northern border to Burkina. In early 1991, furthermore, the International Development Association announced a loan to the Electricity Corporation of Ghana to finance the supply and expansion of electricity networks in the northwestern areas of Accra. The corporation aims to extend the supply of electricity to all isolated centers where diesel is the main source of power.[1]
Plans were also afoot to increase the supply of electricity by utilization of thermal energy. Construction was anticipated by late 1994 on the country's first thermal power generating plant near Takoradi. Scheduled for completion in 1997, the plant will contribute 300 megawatts of electricity to the national grid.[1]
[edit]Nuclear research

See also: Nuclear power in Ghana
Ghana has a National Nuclear Research Institute which trains undergraduate and postgraduate students in the techniques of nuclear science application in such areas as agriculture, medicine, and research. In 1994 a research reactor was constructed at Kwabenyan, near Accra.[2] In addition, a second nuclear physics center is to be established in Kumasi on the recommendation of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission

berem: Is it not high time Ghana generated her own Electricity? For how long will they continue to use ours? We don't have enough to go round and we still supply power to Ghana? This is a very big shame to both Ghana and Nigeria!

Gbawe:

Where do you get this ignorant crap from? Why are you supporters of GEJ so eager to deceive others simply to make him look good? You put down others falsely and praise GEJ falsely. You cannot be talking about the Ghana I left two months ago and was in for around a month. I can't even be bothered entertaining your ignorant flight of fantasy.

berem: Is it not high time Ghana generated her own Electricity? For how long will they continue to use ours? We don't have enough to go round and we still supply power to Ghana? This is a very big shame to both Ghana and Nigeria!

GHANA SUFFERS POWER OUTAGE [size=15pt]AS NIGERIA'S IMPROVE[/size]

Ricky_Ross: MY WIFE JUST LANDED IN ACCRA LAST NIGHT AND HAS BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THE POWER SITUATION OVER THERE. ACCORDING TO HER, MOST PARTS OF THE CITY IS STILL IN DARKNESS.

otumfour: GRIDCO To Announce New Load Shedding Schedule

The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO) is expected to announce a new nationwide load shedding exercise due to a shortfall of 300 megawatt of power supply on the national grid.

The shortfall had occurred due to planned shutdown of a power plant in Takoradi for routine maintenance and a technical problem that had affected gas supply for the West Africa Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO) to the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Sunon Asogli plant.

The Takoradi power plant, before the shutdown, supplied 110 megawatts of power to the national grid while the gas-fired Asogli plant, generated 200 megawatts of power.

Briefing journalists at a conference in Accra on Monday, Mr William Hutton-Mensah, Acting Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana, gave the assurance that industries would be given top priority concession during the load shedding exercise, adding that there would be minimum effect on their operations.

He, however, advised the public, especially residents in Accra that would experience power failure every other day during the peak periods, to use energy-efficient appliances to conserve energy.

Mr Maxwell Odoom, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Resources for the VRA said, WAPCO shut down its pipelines following loss of pressure around the Lome segments in Togo due to a damage caused to the pipeline by ship’s anchor.

He added that WAPCO had given the assurance that a team of engineers on a vessel from Gabon were expected to reach the faulty pipeline section and to start repair works by tomorrow September 4, 2012.

Mr Odoom who could not state exactly how long it would take to repair and restore gas supply, added that it was the expectation that the unpleasant situation “would not last forever”.

He said in the absence of gas-fired power plants, machines that used Light Crude Oil (OLC) would be switched into use.

Mr Odoom added that there was enough OLC supply to run the available power plants.

The cost of running the crude oil-powered plants is estimated at 45 million dollars for a month.

Mr Kofi Ellis, Director for Planning and Business Development at VRA, however expressed optimism that the power plant at Takoradi was expected to become functional by tomorrow September 4, 2012 to ease the shortfall from the current 300 megawatts to 200 megawatts.

GNA

http://www.modernghana.com/news/415685/1/gridco-to-announce-new-load-shedding-schedule.html

Ricky_Ross: THIS POWER PROBLEM IN GHANA DID NOT START TODAY, LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF IN GHANA JUST LIKE NIGERIA.

Mr.chippychappy:

alj harem: There are still serious power outage in Yaba area. I still cannot see any improvement. Like yesterday they low current almost damaged some of my appliances.

Na wa for ppl oh