Turbines for Asogli Power arrive next month

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14-07-08

THE turbines and boilers which will produce 200 megawatts of power under the first phase of Sunon Asogli Power Plant at Kpone, near Tema in the Greater Accra Region, are expected in the country early next month.
The first major privately-owned power plant project in the country is a joint venture between Shenzhen Energy Group Company Limited of China, Strategic African Securities and the China African Development Fund Limited.
Addressing the press in Tema on Thursday, the Chief Executive Officer of the Sunon Asogli Plant, Togbe Afede, said everything was on track for the completion of the first phase of the project, which was expected to cost $160 million.
“My people are determined to do an excellent job. They are committed to ensuring that the country meets her energy demands,” he said, adding that the transfer of the land from the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) was a problem which was partly responsible for it not being able to get a license.
Togbe Afede said the company was currently processing its land documents, and indicated that the owners of the land had been paid already.
On its environmental impact assessment, he said, the company was working closely in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to secure the necessary documents, one of the key requirements for the granting of a license.
He said the EPA had been very supportive, saying that “everything we have done had been consistent with the requirements of the Enviromental Protection Agency”.
Togbe Afede said the EPA had gone through all the stages of the project, and that it did not have any problem with the construction of the project in view of the “hight’ standard of work being carried out.
The beneficiaries of the project, he said, included the people and government of Ghana, as well as industry.
Responding to a question as to whether the company would export power or not, he said, once the plant had been able to produce more power, some would be exported, saying that the discovery of gas in the country was also great news.
Togbe Afede stated that the partners of the project would be working in other sectors of the economy to speed up national development.
The second phase of the project, which would be completed by the end of 2009, would produce 360 megawatts of power, thereby bringing the total power output to 560 megawatts.