A 330/161 kV Interconnecting Auto-Transformer project has been completed and opened by the Minister of Energy, John Peter Amewu at the Sunon Asogli Power Plant at Kpone to increase power transmission capacity in the country.
The project which commenced full-scale operation on April 15, 2020, involves the installation of a 200MVA Auto transformer to facilitate evacuation of about 120MVA additional generation capacity from the Asogli Power Plant into the grid.
The project which cost US$5.4 million is a partnership between the Ghana Grid Company, (GRIDCO) and the largest Independent Power Producer (IPP) Sunon Asogli Power Limited. GRIDCO contributed an Auto transformer at the cost of US$3.3 million, whilst Sunon Asogli invested over US$2 million to cater for the remaining cost of the project.
The new equipment operates by enabling power transfer between the 161kV and 330kV networks; thereby ensuring stable and reliable transmission of power. The additional generation capacity being made available through the project, will further make about 1500GWh of electricity available per year to the national grid.
Energy Minister John Peter Amewu described the project as historic in Ghana’s energy value chain and affirmed the strong collaboration between public (GRIDCO) and private sector (Sunon Asogli Power) to boost Ghana’s power supply.
The sector, according to him, has constantly been under some form of reform to ensure that the sector perform optimally under the international best practices; also build and boost the capacity of various players and also strengthen the private sector participation in the energy value chain.
“GRIDCO as you have today is a product of such reform and has gradually grow from strength to strength despite its limited resource capacity. GRIDCO has proven to be an institution of excellence in the ownership and operation of national interconnection transmission system within the sub region. This must be commended,” he said.
Chairman of Sunon Asogli Power, Yang Qun mentioned that the project will add additional 200MVA transmission capacity to the 330kV Aboaze-Volta transmission lines which will not only alleviate congestion to ensure stable power transmission and supply but also, add more than 1500GWh of electricity per anum to the national grid, which will theoretically would be transmitted from the 330kV network to the 161kV network.
The project is a manifestation of the commitment Sunon Asogli Power has to the energy sector and Ghana as a whole. “We are excited to be part of this project, which will ultimately, support measures by government to ensure sustainable, economical, and reliable power transmission in the country and across to other neighboring countries. This outstanding collaboration between GRIDCO and Sunon Asogli Power made it possible to achieve early completion withn four months,” he said.
Jonathan Amoako Baah, Chief Executive of the Ghana Grid Company said their commitment to maintaining a stable electricity grid has received a further boost with the completion of this project. “We applaud the collaboration effort of Sunon Asogli, in making this a reality. This is once again a testament to how a collective resolve by both our senior management, staff and key stakeholders can elevate our operations and transform Ghana’s power sector.”
The project which was at the instance of Ghana government, will ultimately address the 330/161kV power transformation challenges within the country’s transmission network. It is also expected to augment efficient evacuation of power from the main generation plants such as Sunon Asogli to the national grid, he added.
