The Volta River Authority in Ghana has proposed the construction of a 700MW coal power plant in Ghana. The project is expected to begin by April 2017. Shenzhen Energy Group Co. Ltd. (SEC), a Chinese based power company will cooperate with the VRA to execute the coal plant project.
Ben A. Sackey, Manager, Environment and Social Impact-VRA, says the project’s kick off will depend on getting an Environmental Protection Agency permit, and is working closely with the EPA to ensure that all the stringent environment requirements are met.
The coal plant is to be sited in the coastal town of Aboano in the Ekumfi district of the Central Region.
The China-Africa Development Fund (CADFund) has offered to provide about US$1.5bn long-term loan for the construction of two 350MW coal-fired plants to meet future power demand in Ghana.
Given that the power demand is expected to rise in the country, the plant will be further expanded in the future by either 4×350MW or 2×600MW supercritical coal-fired generating units. The project will include the construction of a coal port solely dedicated to taking delivery of imported coal.
Pre-feasibility study and design of the plant has successfully been carried out and has since served a scoping notice to allow individuals, groups and organisations with special interest, concerns and expert knowledge on the environmental impacts to furnish the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), VRA and SEC with it.
Ghana’s electricity demand is said to have grown by 10% per annum and is expected to hit 7,000MW by 2030.
The current gas supply from the West Africa Gas Pipeline which is about 450Mscf per day is unable to meet the gas demand in the country. Coal power advancement technology has made it possible to generate clean power from coal.
