Government, in collaboration with the Hungary Government, on Monday unveiled a 70 million-dollar General Electric (GE) turbines built in Hungary for the first stage of the 400-megawatt bridge power project in Tema.
The Bridge Power is being developed by the Early Power Limited Consortium, made up of Sage, a Ghanaian energy firm, Endeavor Energy, a leading independent power development and generation company focused on Africa, and General Power, the world energy leader.
Mr Robert Ahomka-Lindsay, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, said the bridge power would be the biggest power plant in the country after the Bui Dam, providing a significant portion of the country generating capacity with more than 400 megawatt of efficient and combined cycle power.
He said the project would enhance the country’s energy security fuelled by Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), natural gas or diesel and would be responsible for importing its own fuel.
He explained that the first phase of the project would use five GE TM2500 gas turbines and one purpose-built GE steam turbine in a combined cycle gas turbine configuration that would collectively generate 202 megawatt of power.
The Deputy Minister said the phase two of the project would add over 200 megawatt through four GE LM6000 gas turbines and one purpose-built GE steam in a combined cycle gas turbine.
He said Hungary supported the bridge power project with financing through the Hungarian Export and Import Bank and would provide an additional investment of multi-million dollars worth of equipment as part of the phase two of the project.
Mr Ahomka-Lindsay said the project would include infrastructure to import, store and transport LPG, adding that the fuel import infrastructure would be handed over to the Tema Oil Refinery and open to multiple users, which would significantly increase the country’s LPG import capacity.
He said the project would create jobs for the citizenry, provide the needed electricity and have an immediate positive impact on the running of schools, factories, offices, and other local businesses.
Mr Andras Szabo, the Ambassador of Hungary to Ghana, said Hungary’s role in the bridge power project was part of the Central European Nation’s commitment to trade and development with Ghana to advance its goals for industrialisation, leading to the creation of jobs.
He said recognising the great potential of mutual benefits in 2016, Hungary re-opened its embassy in Ghana after a 30-year absence, adding that a priority task of the embassy was to stimulate the exchange of information and to deepen cooperation between the two countries in energy and infrastructure among other things.
Mr Yofi Grant, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, said the initiative formed part of government’s agenda of “Ghana Beyond Aid”, through constructive partnership.
He said the country had made a remarkable achievement through innovation and creativity and there was the need to add value to the raw products to be competitive in the world market.
Source: peacefmonline.com