Ghana: VRA to embark on US$410m expansion projects

Ghana’s largest power generation company, Volta River Authority (VRA), is planning to expand its generation capacity within the next five years.

The expansion, expected to cost the Authority some US$410 million, is intended to increase power supply and reliability in the West African nation.

According to VRA, it would undertake a comprehensive Rehabilitation, Modernisation and Life Extension Project (RMLEP) of the Takoradi Thermal Power Plant (T1) at the Aboadze enclave which has been in operation for 25 years (since 1997).

The company noted in a document that a consultant was engaged to undertake a technical assessment study of the T1 power plant and advise on improvements, not only about the physical conditions of the plant’s equipment but also about the efficient and reliable operational performance of the power plant.

“The recommendation was to undertake retrofitting of some equipment to extend the economic life of the plant by a further 10 years,” the company said in the 2022-2027 Multi-Year Tariff Review proposal submitted to PURC for consideration.

“This Life Extension project would cost USD 60 million and is expected to commence in 2022 till the end of 2023,” VRA explained.

Additionally, the VRA also intends to convert the existing 220MW simple cycle KTPS power plant into a 315MW combined cycle power plant.

This project would improve the efficiency of the power plant, increase generation output and reduce the cost of power generation from the power plant.

According to VRA, the project is currently at a developmental stage and is expected to be completed by 2025.

The estimated cost of the project is US$ 250 million.

The state power producer also wants to obtain a ‘No Objection’ from the Government

through the Ministry of Energy to rehabilitate the 132MW T3 Power plant which is currently out of service into a 132MW combined cycle power plant.

The estimated cost of the project is US$100 million and the rehabilitation work is expected to commence by the end of 2022.