Bui to discharge initial power in last qtr

The Bui Power Authority is hopeful of generating its first power in the last quarter of 2012, barring any adverse or unforeseen circumstances, its Chief Executive Officer, Jabesh Amissah-Arthur, has disclosed.

He told B&FT in an interview that the Bui Hydroelectrical Project (BHP) is scheduled to be fully completed in mid-2013. The Bui power project is a 400-megawatt hydroelectric facility that has been under construction since 2007.

The project is a collaboration between the government and Sino Hydro, a Chinese construction company. It will be the third major dam in the country after the Akosombo and Kpong hydroelectric dams.

Amissah-Arthur, speaking at a training programme for the company’s technicians at Akuse, explained that the major electro-mechanical components for the project have started arriving in the country.

He indicated that the first of such components which are the turbine runner and set-up transformer for the first unit of the Bui Project arrived at Tema Harbour last December.

“The turbine-runner is a key part of any hydroelectric plant because it extracts or converts the force of the water into mechanical power, which is then in turn converted into electrical energy afterwards.

“The set-up transformer is the component that will increase the voltage of the power generated to the higher level that is required to feed the power produced into the National Interconnected Transmission System.

“Other major components and equipment for the other two units of the project are expected to follow in the coming months,” he said.

He indicated that the equipment to be installed will be operated by a team of Ghanaian engineers and technicians.

“However, in order to operate them effectively and be able to maintain them properly, the Bui Power Authority has engaged the services of the VRA Training School in Akuse for the training of personnel.

“The programme is very important since it should equip the technicians with all the necessary information and skills for the proper operation and maintenance of the equipment.

“It is a huge investment and we want to ensure that the people who will operate the equipment at the Bui plant are very capable,” he added.