Bui Dam In Danger

Ghana has had a long standing good neighbourliness with Cote d�Ivoire (Ivory Coast) which is her Western neighbour. This relationship which was consolidated during the Laurent Gbagbo era, seem to be in danger following the advent of President Allasane Quattara. After accusing Ghana of aiding the smuggling of cocoa beans from Cote d�Ivoire to Ghana during that country�s civil strife and raising a diplomatic row over Ghana�s maritime borders at the Cape Three Points in the Western Region, authorities in Ivory Coast are at it again. This time they are complaining about the citing of the Bui Hydro-electric Dam Project by the Ghanaian Government. They are accusing Ghana of constructing the Bui Hydro-electric Dam Project without consulting the country�s western neighbor in violation of international agreements governing the construction of such cross border projects. A section of the first turbine units of the Bui Dam Project with energy production capacity of 133 megawatts was recently released into our national grid by the Bui Power Authority (BPA) upon inauguration by President John Dramani Mahama with the expectation that the other remaining turbine upon completion later in the year, with be able to add another 271 megawatts of energy. Snippets of information picked up the paper at the weekend indicated that in a diplomatic letter to Ghana�s Embassy in Abidjan dated June 17, 2013, the Ivorian Authorities are complaining that the construction of the Bui Hydro-electric Dam project poses environmental and social implications to them. Sources say a note verbale (diplomatic letter) signed by Kalou Emmanuel, Chief of Staff of the Office of a Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cote d�Ivoire, is the source of the complaint. Ivory Coast is accusing Ghana of constructing the dam without consultation with the Ivorian authorities, in violation of international agreements governing the construction of such cross-border projects. The letter further contends that previous requests made to the Government of Ghana for bilateral talks on the matter had been scoffed at. Accordingly, they are asking for a meeting on the matter to consider measures to be implemented to mitigate any adverse consequences to Cote D�Ivoire emanating from the construction of the Bui Hydro-electric Dam. The initial contract to build the dam at Bui was signed under the Presidency of John Kufour, with the Chinese engineering and procurement organization, Sinohydro in April 2007. The project, which was initially estimated at $622 million, is now expected to be completed the total of $790 million as a result of shortfalls recorded through economic upheavals and high cost of materials over the years. Act 740 of 2007 established the Bui Power Authority to be responsible for the implementation of the Bui Hydroelectric Project. It was funded with a $263.5 million concessional loan from the Government of the People�s Republic of China and a buyer�s credit of $298.5 million from the Chinese Export and Import Bank, with Ghana providing $60 million. So far, 700 million out of the total cost of 800 million dollars has been spent on the project. Although the plant will supply 404 megawatts of power by the third quarter, the project will fully completed in 2014.