Utilities
From The Report: Ghana 2013
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With the economy growing at record rates, the authorities are working to keep pace with rising demand for water, power and sanitation. Compared to many neighbouring countries, Ghana’s utilities are in healthy standing, though the sector has not been without problems. The country’s water and sanitation systems are in need of improvement; only 64% of the population had access to clean water and 15% to adequate sanitation as of 2010. While Ghana has excess installed electric capacity, the Volta River Authority plants have not been operating at full capacity due to natural gas shortages and underperformance. To better supply growing electricity demand, the government plans to increase installed capacity to 3160 MW by 2015. Moreover, the government recently completed a master plan allowing the Ghana Grid Company to begin refurbishing and replacing outdated infrastructure. With new projects either on schedule for completion or about to be launched, Ghana’s water and power sector is likely to improve in the short term.

This chapter contains interviews with Kweku A Awotwi, Chief Executive, Volta River
Authority; and Charles Darku, Former CEO, GRID.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

System upgrades: Initiatives are under way to address supply constraints and promote private investment
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With the economy growing at record rates, the authorities are working to keep pace with rising demand for water, power and sanitation. Compared to many neighbouring countries, Ghana’s utilities are in healthy standing, though the sector has not been without problems. Over the past year power outages increased to the point that local industries cited inadequate power supply as the top constraint on private sector growth in the first quarter of 2013, according to the Association of Ghana Industry’s…

Interview

OBG talks to Kweku A Awotwi, Chief Executive, Volta River Authority (VRA)
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Interview:Kweku A Awotwi In what way will local gas production affect the price level and consistency of electricity supply? KWEKU A AWOTWI: Local gas production should not increase the price of gas coming into Ghana. We are currently paying $8 per million British thermal units (BTUs) for the gas that comes from Nigeria. We do not see gas being that expensive here, but we consider $8 a ceiling for Ghanaian gas. Local production would not make the price of electricity more expensive; it may…

Interview

OBG talks to Charles Darku, Former CEO, GRIDCo
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Interview: Charles Darku What sorts of potential obstacles do you see for the future full implementation of the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) project? CHARLES DARKU: The prices of cross-border regulatory arrangements are set on historical provisions. However, these must be harmonised so that each utility does not add up in cost, minimising its competitiveness as it travels across borders. Today, power from Ghana can be sold to Senegal quite easily through the Ivorian network, which is connected…

Analysis

Purchasing power: Striking a balance between rate increases and consumer needs
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The capacity of Ghana’s state-owned power providers to improve and expand infrastructure with the necessary speed has encountered a number of financial restraints. The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) sets the price consumers pay for electricity artificially low, according to the providers. As a result, the three primary firms – the Volta River Authority (VRA), Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) and the Electric Company of Ghana (ECG) – are unable to fund the infrastructure projects…

Analysis

Bright prospects: Solar energy projects are attracting interest and investment
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With plentiful sunshine in Ghana and foreign investors displaying interest in green projects, the government is planning a robust solar portfolio. Indeed, the Ministry of Energy has set the goal of generating 10% of electricity from modern renewable sources by 2020, and a number of projects are currently being undertaken as part of this objective. Commissioned in May 2013, a 2-MW photovoltaic power station in Navrango became the nation’s first solar plant, and was expanded to 2.6 MW in July…