Ghana to Get Additional 3,665MW of Power in Five Years – President

President John Mahama has stated that an additional 3,665 megawatts (MW) of power would be injected into the national grid over the next five years.

The President announced this today on the floor of Parliament when he presented his third State of the Nation’s address in fulfillment of Article 67 of the Constitution.

The State of the Nation Address is a constitutional requirement that enables the President to inform the nation about current conditions of all sectors of the country.

President Mahama disclosed that, “following power purchase agreements entered into with several Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and plants that Volta River Authority (VRA) is currently working on, an additional 3,665 MW of power starting from this year and over the next 5 years is expected to be injected into the power transmission grid.”

This, he said would augment the existing generating capacity to power industry while addressing the needs of households.

He explained that the units include 360MW from SunonAsogli (Phase II), 750MW from SunonAsogli (Coal fired), and 350MW from Cen Power, and 360MW from Jacobsen.

The rest he said are 240MW from Amandi, 1000MW for GE , as well as 185MW for VRA (T4) and 220MW from VRA (KTPP).

The President promised to fix the current energy crisis that has bedeviled the country.

“The effect of this power crisis has affected all Ghanaians. We have been here before in 1998 2007 and I do not intend to manage it. I intend to fix it. I John Mahama will fix this challenge,” the President emphasized.

He also disclosed that the completion of planned steam generation units on some current single cycle plants, namely TT1, CENIT and KTPP would add additional 330 MW of power.

These measures, he said, when realized, would assure an energy security into the future.

The President informed the House that he had authorized the Ministry of Power to procure and feed into the system, 1,000MW of emergency power as an immediate measure to resolve the current crisis, adding that “guarantees are currently being agreed for 450MW from Karpower ship (Turkey), 250MW from APR (UAE) and 300MW GE.

He also assured the nation that the new Ministry of Power was working urgently on proposals to restructure the power sector beginning with the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Bui Power Authority (BPA), adding that the intention would be to bring the management of hydro plants under one entity.

On Health, President Mahama said Government would spend GH¢3billion cedis this year as indicated in the 2015 Budget to add 6000 new hospital beds between now and 2017.”

He said 15 new Polyclinics would be constructed this year in addition to some 13 new District hospitals which are being constructed to bring quality health care to the people of Madina, Salaga, and Twifo Praso.

On education, the President said the free SHS programme would be rolled out beginning the 2015-16 academic year, adding that “367,000 day students will pay no fees and will benefit from the policy.”

He also disclosed that government would distribute 10,000 made in Ghana sandals, 5,000 uniforms, 15 million exercise books and 30,000 PCs, 6 million text books to pupils.

As part of efforts to improve infrastructure in the educational sector, he said government would this year commence the construction of community based school in 50 communities.

President Mahama also informed the House that government in an attempt to reduce the financial burden on parents would this year offer 10,000 scholarships to brilliant but needy students while building the capacity of 5,500 science and mathematics teachers.

On agriculture, he said government would provide fertilizers, tractors and other agriculture inputs to farmers.

He also said government had put in place measures to ensure a reduction in fish importation in the country adding that cold stores and fish processing plants would also be established.

– ISD Gilbert Ankrah & Raymond Kwofie