It has emerged that water level remains dangerously
low in the Akosombo dam, a situation which could force a shutdown and worsen
Ghana’s erratic power supply. Despite a flood-causing rainy season, the
operating water level as of Tuesday was 4 feet above the minimum water level,
and engineers are worried any drop below the figure will lead to a
shutdown. Chief
Executive Officer of the Volta River Authority Isaac Kirk Kofi
confirmed to Joy News and said measures
have been taken by government to ensure the dam is not shut. He however
describes the current situation as terrible. The worrisome level of water in
the dam has been a trend at least for the past two years as the dam struggles
to meet the minimum operating water level pegged at 240 feet. The Minister of
Energy Emmanuel Kofi Buah has had cause to call for prayers to save the
situation. The Akosombo Hydro Generating Station, the largest hydro
installation in the country, generates 1020 Megawatts of power. Each of the
installation’s six turbines generates 170MW of electricity. Ghana gets 55
percent of its power from hydro and 44.4 percent from thermal. A fall in
contribution from hydro only portends another wave of energy rationing. The
news of a shutdown comes as excitement builds ahead of the arrival of Ghana’s
gas. The Ghana Gas company says the cheap substance is expected to arrive by
September. Government also believes a recent agreement with the United States
for the release of over 450 million dollars under the Millennium Challenge
Compact 2 will help address the challenges in the energy sector.
Source: Myjoy
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