All the six major transformers procured by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) for the ongoing Pokuase Bulk Supply Point Project have arrived in Ghana, MiDA said in a statement on Monday.
The transformers, which come in two sizes – 145 MVA and 39 MVA – and will support the operations of GRIDCo and ECG, were shipped in two batches and arrived at Tema Port on April 27 and May 4.
All were manufactured in Turkey and have been subjected to factory assessment tests in the presence of officials of MiDA, ECG, GRIDCo and other stakeholders connected to the project, the statement added.
It is expected that starting from Friday, May 8, 2020 all the transformers will make their very slow journey from Tema Port to the Project Site at Pokuase.
Ahead of the transformers’ arrival, MiDA had worked with ECG and GRIDCo toward safe transportation of these vital equipment to the project site – so as to ensure very minimal disruptions to power supply for consumers along the way. In line with this, ECG on May 8, 2020 put out notifications in the media alerting customers of expected but limited outages that would occur during the transfer process. The affected areas in some parts of Tema and Accra will be Tema Community 1 and Sites 17 and 18; Tema Communities 8 and 9; parts of Ashiaman and along the Spintex Road Corridor. The other areas are East Legon, Manet Estates, Jehovah Witnesses Camp, Achimota School, Action Chapel, Ghana Standards Board, Madina, ACP Estates, Pokuase Ridge and Collinson Farms.
The outages in these areas are expected to last no longer than 20 minutes, even as the massive equipment make a slow journey along these corridors to their point of installation at the Pokuase BSP Site.
The arrival of all the six transformers, together with other related equipment, marks a significant milestone in construction of the first 330kV Bulk Supply Point in Accra, which will be the largest sub-station in Ghana when completed.
Work on the Pokuase BSP Project is currently 61% completed, and it is scheduled for handing over to ECG and GRIDCo at end of the first-quarter 2021. The Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, Madam Akosua Frema Osei Opare, broke ground to commence work on this US$50million Project on April 30, 2019.
MiDA is delighted by the fact that current global challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic notwithstanding, such vital equipment have reached Ghana on time and will enable the Contractor, Messrs. Elecnor SA, to meet the Project’s timelines and deliver this critical Project for the benefit of the over 350,000 residents in the catchment area. A large number of businesses, institutions, and more importantly some health facilities will also benefit from the Project.
Progress continues to be made at all the other Project Sites, as MiDA and all its Contractors have put in place plans and protocols aligned to government’s policies, and have adopted the best global practices in order to safeguard health and ensure the safety of workers and communities, even as efforts are made to stem impacts of the pandemic in Ghana.
The Pokuase BSP Project is being funded by the United States government through its Agency, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and Government of Ghana as part of the Ghana Power Compact Programme.
