The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has installed an 11-million-dollar Primary Substation with 52 mega volts amperes (MVA) and interconnecting circuits, within the catchments area of the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) to ensure a stable power supply for quality healthcare delivery.
The UGMC currently has a 1,000-bed capacity, 12 theatres, 36 Intensive Care Units and other ultra-modern facilities and equipment, so siting the Primary Substation within its catchment area would greatly enhance power supply and, in effect, its smooth operations.
The Substation is part of the ECG’s Financial and Operational Turnaround Project of the Ghana Power Compact II, financed by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a United States Government’s foreign assistance initiative.
Other institutions to benefit from it include the University of Ghana Campus, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Ghana Standards Authority, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration and adjoining communities.
The project was implemented by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), to reduce ECG’s commercial and technical losses and improve the power supply to homes, health facilities and businesses.
Dr Darius Osei, the Chief Executive Officer of the UGMC, told the media in Accra on Wednesday, during the Substation’s inauguration, that the Centre received most of its clients whose medical bills were financed by private health insurance companies and had affordable and flexible payment scheme.
He said the Substation had come at an opportune time to aid the Centre in optimising full operations and encouraged every Ghanaian to patronise the facility.
“You know during the heat of the Coronavirus pandemic the Centre was one of the health facilities in the country that really provided quality healthcare and was well patronised by everybody,” he said.
Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, a Deputy Minister of Energy, in charge of Petroleum, who inaugurated the Substation on behalf of the Minister, said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s Administration was carrying out several other initiatives and projects to ensure that the nation met the increasing power needs.
These power needs arise out of the growing population, urbanisation and the Government’s industrialisation agenda through initiatives such as the One District One Factory.
Apart from the Pokuase Substation, which was inaugurated in October 2021, works had also been completed on the Kasoa Bulk Supply Point (BSP), a 435-MVA Capacity Gas Insulated Switchgear substation.
The US$50m BSP project was also funded by the United States Government under the Ghana Power Compact programme, with outstanding minor works ongoing and awaiting formal inauguration in June, this year, Dr Adam said.
Also, the national transmission backbone under construction from the coast to Bolgatanga had a gap between Kumasi and Kintampo as outstanding works and had since been completed.
In addition, Dr Adam said the Tema-Accra transmission line upgrade project to accommodate an increase from 161KV capacity to 330KV capacity is progressing smoothly.
Ghana’s medium to long term goal was to increase the contribution of renewable energy in the energy mix and at least attain a minimum of 10% contribution from renewable energy in the generation mix by 2030.
“On behalf of the Government and People of Ghana, I would like to pay particular tribute to the US Government and the Millennium Challenge Corporation for the continued support to our country as valued partners in our development aspirations,” he said.
The Deputy Minister commended MiDA for its effective oversight of the project, and Messrs Eiffage Energie Systemes, the construction company that built the substation, as well as Messrs TBEA Company Limited of China for interconnecting and offloading the circuits.
“To the management and staff of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO), and the Electricity Company of Ghana, congratulations to you for the invaluable work you have done and continue to do on this project and the management of our national energy infrastructure,” he stated.
Dr Adam said the Government remained fully committed to providing a safe, stable and affordable power supply to the country.
