Aboadze Thermal Plant ro be expanded

Page 21, Sat May 30, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
Ghana’s current energy production of 2,000 megawatts is expected to be increased by 132 megawatts when the proposed combined cycle thermal plant at Aboadze is finally constructed.
When he took his turn in the meet-the-press series, the Minister of Energy, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, indicated that “the government is on course to fulfilling our manifesto promise of increasing energy generation capacity from the current 2,000 megawatts to 5,000 megawatts in the medium term”.
He said at the inception of the new administration in January 2009, the installed operational power generation capacity was 1,810 MW, comprising 1,020 MW from Akosombo, 160 MW from Kpong, 550 MW from Takoradi Thermal Plant, and 80 MW from Mines Reserve Plant.
It is against this backdrop that a 132-megawatt combined cycle thermal plant is expected to be constructed at Aboadze.
A $196,480,170.00 loan is, therefore, being sought from the Societe Generale (Canada) with insurance guarantee from the Export Development Canada (EDC) to finance the project.
The credit agreement between the government and the Societe Generale (Canada) is expected to be placed before Parliament for consideration and ratification on Tuesday, June 2, 2009.
The Majority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, announced this yesterday when he presented the business statement of Parliament for next week.
Other papers expected to be laid before the House next week include the Public Holders (Declaration) of Assets and Disqualification) Regulation, 2009 (L.I 1957), annual report of the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency, 2003 and the annual report of the Export Development and Investment Fund, 2005.
Also to be placed before the House are the annual report on Presidential Office Staff for the period January to December, 2008 and the performance audit report of the Auditor-General on the management of the Ghana Police Residential Accommodation.
Meanwhile, four sector ministers are expected to appear before the House next week to answer questions that have been filed by a number of Members of Parliament (MPs).
This would be the first time that ministers in the current administration would be appearing before the House to answer questions posed by MPs.
They include the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Ms Sherry Ayittey; the Minister for Transport, Mr Mike Hammah; the Minister of Energy Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, and the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu.
In all, the four ministers are expected to answer 11 questions.