President commissions 150MW plant to stabilize power supply in Ashanti Region
By Daniel NONOR, Accra
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned the first phase of the 150-megawatt Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plant (K1TPP), signaling another bold step towards the realization of the country’s industrialization agenda.
The African and Middle Eastern Resource Investment (AMERI) Company has officially handed over the 10-unit power plants—under a five-year “built, own, operate, and transfer” arrangement—to the government of Ghana after completing the duration.
The VRA decided to relocate the thermal power plants to their current location as part of efforts to mitigate the erratic power supply in the Ashanti Region.
The plant, formerly the AMERI Power Plant, was moved from its Aboadze base in the Western Region and relocated to Anwomaso in the Ashanti region.
It is expected to optimize electricity generation and improve supply reliability to meet electricity demand growth in the middle belt of Ghana.
Speaking at the commissioning, the President revealed that the Volta River Authority provided all the funds for the entire project. He emphasized that the project represented a significant step forward in the country’s quest to provide stable electricity, particularly for the inhabitants of the Ashanti region.
The President reiterated the government’s commitment to delivering affordable and reliable electricity to drive the nation’s industrialization agenda and position the country to become a net exporter of electricity in the ECOWAS region.
He noted that the country’s current electrification rate of 88.8% remains one of the highest on the continent, and the government’s goal is to attain full electricity access by the end of 2024.
“In the areas of power generation, transmission, and distribution, my government has made and continues to make significant investments towards the provision of reliable and competitively priced electricity to ensure economic growth.
This is part of our commitment to realizing the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” he stated.
Acknowledging the challenges citizens have faced due to intermittent disruptions in electricity supply, the President thanked them for their patience.
He commended the management of the Volta River Authority and all other stakeholders for bringing the generating unit and associated equipment to Kumasi.
“Indeed, they have demonstrated that Ghanaian engineers from a publicly owned institution can rise up to the task of finding engineering solutions to build our nation,” he added.
The President tasked the Ashanti Regional minister to ensure the efficiency and safety of the power station and invited domestic and foreign investors to invest in viable commercial structures that would utilize the resources between the middle and northern belts of the country to accelerate growth and development.
The African and Middle Eastern Resouce Investment (AMERI) Company has officially handed over the 10-unit power plants—under a five-year “built, own, operate, and transfer” arrangement—to the government of Ghana after completing the duration.
