- Volta River Authority (VRA) solely financed the construction of the Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plant
- The official transfer of ownership of the 10-unit power plants from the AMERI Group to the Ghanaian government marks a milestone in the country's energy infrastructure development
- Akufo-Addo's commendation of VRA for leveraging the expertise of Ghanaian engineers showcases the nation's capacity to undertake complex engineering projects independently
add three highlights President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has confirmed that the Volta River Authority (VRA) took on the financial responsibility for erecting the Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plant (K1TPP) in Anwomaso, Ashanti Region, formerly known as the AMERI power plants.
During the commissioning ceremony of the thermal power plants on Wednesday, April 17, President Akufo-Addo disclosed that the African and Middle East Resources Investment (AMERI) Group had officially transferred ownership of the 10-unit power plants to the Ghanaian government under a five-year “built, own, operate, and transfer” arrangement.
The decision to relocate these power plants to their current location was driven by VRA’s initiative to alleviate the recurrent power shortages in the Ashanti Region.
President Akufo-Addo emphasized, “VRA provided all the funds for the construction of this station, including land acquisition, permits and licenses, preparation of environmental and social impact studies, civil works, electric mechanical works, and commissioning of the plant.”
He also lauded VRA for showcasing the capabilities of Ghanaian engineers from a publicly-owned institution in tackling engineering challenges to advance national development.
In addition to praising the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), and Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC) for their contributions, President Akufo-Addo highlighted the positive impact of VRA’s decision on reducing production costs associated with transmitting power from the southern to the northern and middle belts of the country.
However, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has alleged that the government incurred approximately US$35 million in expenses for relocating the power plants to Anwomaso.
