The Ghana Grid Company has begun processes of meeting procurement requirements in order to carry out a mega power infrastructure project that is aimed at bolstering supply along the country’s eastern corridor which when complete will mark one of the biggest investments in the energy sector to date. The project to be undertaken in phases is expected to commence by 2027 at a cost of $353 million however GRIDCo intends to work gradually starting with the installation of new transformers at the Kpeve Substation.

According to Director of Engineering at GRIDCo, Nicholina Yembilah, Ministry of Energy has given the green light to “initiate procurement processes” while the state-owned electricity transmission company conduct a feasibility study as well as an environmental and social impact assessment for the project. She was interacting with members of the parliamentary select-committee on energy who had paid a working visit to GRIDCo on Thursday.

“So we have done the cost estimate. We’ve forwarded same to the Ministry of Energy and they wrote back to us telling us to initiate the procurement processes. The project costs about $353 million and we foresee undertaking it in phases. But before the Government of Ghana can see to any loan for this project, we have to do what we call a feasibility study, and then environmental and social impact assessment”, she said

The extent of the 161kV transmission project spans across Volta and Oti Regions running all the way to the north of the country passing through key towns including Kpeve, Kadjebi, Salaga and Kpandai in the Northern Region. Salaga and Kpandai to have new substations built out there to carry electricity into homes. Ms Yembilah added that GRIDCo will be working with the Northern Electricity Distribution Company to ensure evacuation of persons who may be caught in the path of the transmission lines to a safer distance. She also noted procurement due diligence could delay full implementation of the project until 2027 as both the feasibility and the environmental and social impact assessments would take a year to conclude.

“We’ve prepared what we call the request for expression of interest to select the consultants. And after that, the consultants will then do the studies. And then based on the studies, banks like probably World Bank, AFDB, AFD, will then work with government and get their loans signed. But because of the size of the projects, we are trying to see what we can do little by little.”

“Like Kpeve substation, for instance, Southern Network Services Director is here, he’s already asking us to install the transformer that is at that substation sitting there now. And so going forward, we’ll be doing things like that, looking towards the bigger projects starting somewhere probably in 2027. Because to do the feasibility study and the environmental and social impact assessment, we’ll need about a year,” she emphasized

Ghana is part of beneficiary countries in the World Bank and African Development Bank’s “mission 300” programme which aims to deliver electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030. As processes have kick started in earnest, the engineer appealed to the parliamentarians to put in a word for the expedited financial clearance necessary for the project as stipulated by the Public Financial Management Act.