GRIDCo Grabs �51m Loan

Parliament has approved two separate credit facilities totaling �51,553,816.1 for Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) to undertake various projects that would enhance power supply in the country. The first is the COFACE Buyer Credit Agreement between GRIDCo and Societe-Generale with Government of Ghana as guarantor for an amount �48,148,370.02 to finance Tumu-Han-Wa Transmission Project. The second one, which is a similar agreement involving the aforementioned partners, is for an amount of �34,054,465.08 to finance the Substations Reliability Enhancing Project (SREP). Both credit facilities have a grace period of two years, repayment and maturity periods of 10 and 12 years respectively and interest rate of 6 months (Euribor 1.75 percent per annum). Supporting the motion for the approval of the loan facilities, Minority Spokesperson on Mines and Energy, Joseph Kofi Adda, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Navrongo Central, noted that although so much money had been given to the electricity companies, there was still no improvement in power supply system in the country. The minority spokesperson on energy, who is also a former Minister for Energy, called for proper monitoring and evaluation of projects being undertaken by the power companies to ensure that they live up to expectation. Indicating that he had confidence in GRIDCo, Mr. Adda was hopeful the loan facility will help the company to transmit uninterrupted power to Ghanaians. For the Tumu-Han-Wa Transmission Project, GRIDCo is expected to construct 130 kilometres of 161 kilovolts transmission line between Wa and Tumu, 29 kilometres of 161 kilovolts transmission line between Bolgatanga and Navrongo, extension of works at Bolgatanga and Sawla 161 kilovolts substations and 161/34.5 kilovolts substations at Wa and Tumu. Under the SREP, GRIDCo is expected to replace obsolete protection, control and metering systems and also provide modern test equipment. The company will also replace obsolete substation equipment such as battery banks and rectifiers, circuit breakers and disconnect switches. Furthermore, it will replace aged air-conditioning systems at the substations, re-configure substations and provide dedicated circuit breakers on each transformer at Cape Coast, Winneba and Akwatia.