Ghana’s Akosombo Dam Faces Collapse

Akosombo Dam , Ghana
THE water level at the Akosombo Hydro Dam could result in a shutdown that could worsen Ghana’s erratic power supply.

Chief Executive Officer of the Volta River Authority, Isaac Kirk Kofi, said while government had taken measures to ensure the dam was not shut, he said the situation remained dire.

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 previously called for divine intervention 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, 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 Atuabo Gas Plant. The cheap substance is expected to arrive by September, the Ghana Gas Company has said.

Government also believes a recent agreement with the United States for the release of over $450m under the Millennium Challenge Compact 2 will help address the challenges in the energy sector.

African Eye News

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