“I wish to reassure you all that my government will continue to work towards
“Keeping the Lights on”, in spite of the global dynamics of energy pricing,
because the alternative is not an option. We are not going back to dumsor, we
leave that to President Mahama.”
These were the words of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo, on Tuesday, 13th June 2023, when he commissioned the 161 kilovolt
GRIDCo, ECG Bulk Power Supply Point, constructed under the Project for the
Reinforcement of Power Supply to Accra Central.
Addressing the gathering, President Akufo-Addo noted that in the 21st century,
any country that aspires to industrialize, as part of its economic agenda, and
assure its people of a decent quality of life, must necessarily ensure that its
citizens have access to stable, efficient, affordable power supply.
“Our daily lives, from simple things such as charging our mobile phones, and
keeping our electrical appliances working, operating our offices and
businesses are run by electric power. Electricity is no longer a luxury but rather a
a necessity in this day and age, and we must commit ourselves to work hard to
ensure that we achieve universal coverage in this country in order to spur on
rapid rates of economic growth,” he said.
The President noted that the power needs of Accra’s Central Business District
have important implications for our economy, with projected electricity demand
rate of residents and commercial establishments, operating within Accra Central
and its environs, standing at ten percent (10%) per annum.
In addition, power demand in Greater Accra is projected to reach about one
thousand megavolt-ampere (1,000 MVA), with an average annual growth rate of
some eight percent (8%).
“It is evident that the execution of the Accra Central BSP project is consistent
with the country’s power needs and development, with a GDP growth rate of up
to fifteen percent (15%) around the time of project preparation,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo continued, “The project we are commissioning today is a
one hundred and sixty-one kilo-Volt Bulk Supply Point, which delivers on
government’s commitment to “Keep the Lights On”. It also guarantees stable,
reliable and regular supply of electricity for the busy and bustling Accra Central
Business District and surrounding areas.”
The Accra Central Bulk Power Supply Project, indeed, the project could not have become a reality without the generous grant from the Japanese Government and
its external agency, the Japanese International Development Agency (JICA), and
without Japanese technology and technical assistance.
On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, the President extended deep
appreciation to the Japanese Government and the Japanese Consultants, a Joint
The venture of Yachiyo Engineering Co., Ltd. and West Japan Engineering
Consultants Inc; the main Contractor, a Japanese Joint Venture of Mitsubishi
Corporation, Hitachi Plant Construction, Ltd., and Yurtec Corporation, for the
efforts and continuous support and contribution to Ghana’s development and
growth.
“This project is an excellent illustration of the strong cooperation that links the
The Republic of Ghana and the Kingdom of Japan, which we cherish very much. My
gratitude also goes to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for providing
access to part of the compound of its Primary Substation E, which facilitated the
construction of this Accra Central BSP. I also wish to thank all traditional leaders,
as well as the Ghana Railway Development Authority, for access to the
transmission line right-of-way,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo further expressed gratitude to the leadership of the
Presbyterian Church of Ghana and families in this area, “who ceded part of their
lands to pave way for the building of the transmission tower that provides a
critical connection point from the BSP for onward connection to the power supply.”
About Accra Central Bulk Supply Point
This Bulk Supply Point is a gas-insulated sub-station, which is GRIDCo’s first sub-station with such technology. This is an innovation in technology applied in areas
where spaces are significantly limited, thus large capacity switchgear and
transformers, which are compact, can be installed.
The benefits of this Accra Central Bulk Supply Point, amongst many others, are
to reduce transmission and distribution losses, ensure high reliability of electricity
supply, and ensure a high level of personnel safety.
With the operationalization of the Accra Central BSP, power voltages have become stable (protecting valuable equipment), power supply reliability has
improved, and, with this, efficiency has been restored, reducing system losses as
required by the regulator, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).
