Substation Installation At Mpraeso To Ensure Availability of Excess Power- ECG

The Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Mr Kwame Agyeman-Budu has stated that, the installation of the substation at Mpraeso, will serve a purpose of ensuring the availability of excess power required for both present and future investment and also enhance customer-end-voltage in the supply communities.

He made this statement at the commissioning of GH¢55 million cedis, 2 by 10 Megavolt Amperes (MVA) and a 33 by 11 Kilovolt (KV) primary substation at Mpraeso, where he explained that, the station will serve the Kwahu-Ridge and the Afram Plains enclave.

He indicated that, due to the strategic location of the station, it will be possible for the Eastern Region to link the Ashanti Strategic Business Unit (SBU) electrical network at Agogo.

Mr Agyeman-Budu then noted that, several network development projects had been completed for reinforcement of the primary distribution network and also for upgrading and expanding of the networks.

He further posited that, the completion of the projects, as well as the injection into the network system, would improve the flexibility of overloaded feeders, the voltage profile as well as an increase in systems capacity, to accommodate the increasing demand of customers.

Highlighting on his outfit’s contribution and investment to the eastern part of the country, Mr. Agyeman-Budu intimated that, the ECG had invested about Gh₵66 million in infrastructure projects to improve power supply.

Also speaking at the commissioning, the Eastern Regional General Manager of the ECG, Mr Micheal Baah stated that, prior to the construction of the substation, the Kwahu ridge used to experience erratic and poor-quality power supply due to the length of the 11KV feeder at the Nkawkaw primary substation, which served the area.

He said, the situation compelled management to provide a 33/11 KV mobile substation in 2016 to be used temporarily, while measures were being taken for the construction of a permanent primary substation.

He noted that the completion of the station will bring flexibility in the supply of power because the Region could now link all the four outgoing feeders to the station to reduce the impact of power outages.

Among the projects undertaken by the utility company in the Eastern Region include, the construction of 2 by 10, 33/11 MVA primary substation at Suhum at a cost of GH¢2,809,524.48, the complete laying of submarine cable in the Afram River at a cost of GH¢7,464,483.19 to enhance the quality of power supply at Afram Plains and the conversion of a 33KV single circuit feeder to a double circuit feeder from Akyem-Tafo to Koforidua costing GH¢11 million Cedis.

The ECG is also undertaking other electricity distribution system reinforcement and extension projects which will see an improvement in the countries access to reliable and quality electricity services. The project activities involve the construction of new Bulk Supply Point (BSP) and switching substations, the reinforcement ECG’s distribution the reinforcement and extension of the existing power distribution system in peri-urban or rural areas, the deployment off-grid solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems in 60 lakeside and island communities and the empowerment of key institutions in the sector through institutional development and capacity building.