Ghana is set to receive US $212m from the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) for a series of projects and initiatives to modernize the country’s power distribution sector.
Chief Executive Officer of MiDA, Martin Eson-Benjamin confirm the reports and said the authority will commit the funds in the third year of the compact toward enhancing the country’s power distribution infrastructure and technology as a strategic decision to turn around operations of the power distributor.
“MiDA is currently finalizing negotiations toward construction of the biggest Bulk Supply Point (BSP) at Pokuase, which is likely to start by March this year. Another BSP is expected in Kasoa to supplement that part of the country going into the Central Region,” said Martin Eson-Benjamin.
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Power distribution projects
Additionally, four primary substations which will feed on the BSPs to be situated at Kotobabi, Korle-Gonno, Achimota and Kanda will be established. “These are vital investments which, when put in the right places, will improve the quality and sustainability of power in these areas,” said Martin Eson-Benjamin.
“These are vital investments which, when put in the right places, will improve the quality and sustainability of power in these areas. Ultimately, it will ensure that ‘dumsor’ and other power challenges, including power losses, are put in check because we will have more reliable equipment to hold the power,” He added.
Illegal connection
The government of Ghana revealed that US $1.3m was recovered from illegal power connections in Accra. This came from seven districts within the capital. Mr. Jonathan Asante, the Manager of the RPU of the Accra East Region revealed this a while back stating that they detected 4.74 GWh of energy would have been lost to illegal connection in 2018. In 2017, they recovered 1.8GWh of lost energy of US $591,000.
As a result, MiDA, according to its CEO, is also looking at refurbishing existing power lines at various power stations as a way of tackling the power losses from wastages and illegal tapping.
“There are a lot of power lines intertwining at the various power stations and which are strung over long distances; although these lines carry low voltage power to various locations, they also create a lot of losses,” said the CEO.
