Page 9 - AfrElec Week 23 2022

AfrElec INVESTMENT AfrElec

US completes $316mn investment

in Ghana’s energy infrastructure

GHANA THE United States has completed its nearly (MCC) is an independent U.S. government
six-year $316mn investment in Ghana’s energy agency working to reduce global poverty
infrastructure, supporting more reliable power through economic growth. Created in 2004, it
for hundreds of thousands of homes, schools, provides time-limited grants and assistance to
hospitals and offices in the West African country countries that meet rigorous standards for good
with the inauguration of the Kasoa Bulk Supply governance, fighting corruption, and respecting
Point (BSP). democratic rights.
Ghana’s Vice President, Dr Mahamudu The $316 million MCC Ghana Power Com-
Bawumia, and the US Deputy Chief of Mis- pact invested in new power infrastructure and
sions at the US Embassy, Nicole Chulik, on reforms to provide more reliable, affordable
June 1 officially opened the BSP, a $50mn power electricity to Ghanaians. It also supported pro-
substation, as part of the Millenium Challenge grams designed to improve energy efficiency
Account (MCC), completing the US govern- and expand opportunities for women in the
ment’s investment. power sector. Ghana’s Millennium Development
“With the inauguration of the Kasoa Bulk Authority (MiDA) implemented the partnership
Supply Point here today, we mark the successful with the government.
completion of the MCC Ghana Power Com- The compact successfully improved the
pact. This was a nearly six-year, $316mn com- country’s power sector through the construc-
mitment by the American people to improve tion of four power substations: the Pokuase BSP,
Ghana’s energy infrastructure and support long- the Kasoa BSP, the University of Ghana Medical
term economic growth,” Nicole Chulik said in a Center Primary Substation at Legon, and the
statement. Ellen Moran Primary Substation at Kanda.
The Kasoa BSP will reduce outages in the These new power substations directly
power system, help stabilise voltages, and serve the 37 Military hospitals, Greater Accra
improve the quality and reliability of power sup- Regional Hospital, University of Ghana Medical
plied to the Awutu Senya East Municipality in Center, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medi-
the Central Region of Ghana. It is now the sec- cal Research, the National Mosque, and over
ond largest-capacity BSP in Ghana. 800,000 utility customers. Compact projects
The 435-megavolt ampere (MVA) gas-insu- upgraded the power system in 10 markets in
lated power substation will serve 250,000 ECG Accra and Tamale.
customers and will also reduce technical losses Under the compact, ECG has also developed
in the power transmission and distribution sys- two new information technology systems: the
tem, contributing to the financial viability of the Geographic Information System (GIS) and Mul-
Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the timeter Management System (MMS), to mod-
Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) in the long ernise the utility and help reduce commercial
term. losses.™
The Millennium Challenge Corporation

Week 23 09•June•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P9