GE partners Government to develop 1000 mw thermal plant

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General Electric (GE) GroupGeneral Electric (GE) Group of the United States is to partner government to develop a 1,000 Mega Watt (MW) thermal plant over the next five years. The project is christened ?Ghana 1000MW Project?.

By this project, GE plans to develop a Power Park in collaboration with partners and investors as well as develop local capabilities and service providers in Plant Operation and Maintenance.

The collaboration comes on the heels of the Government?s proposed target to generate a total of 5000 Megawatts by 2016.

Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister for Energy and Petroleum signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GE applauded the officials for its efforts to partner government in solving the power generating problem and also setting in motion activities towards the realization of a 1,000 mw thermal plant in the country.
He stated that the government is committed to achieving increased power outputs through strategic collaboration with private sector investors.

Mr. Buah explained that the government is putting in place the necessary structures and creating the enabling environment to attract the needed Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to ensure that the country had a constant supply of power for economic growth.

?Over the past four years, we have made tremendous strides in our vision to provide electricity to all people.

?Government this year inaugurated and put into operation a 132 mw thermal plant at Aboadze, the first unit of Bui (133 MW) and a  2MW  solar plant near Navrongo.

?We have also commenced a project to install a stream component to the Takoradi International Company (TICO) plant at Aboadze which will add 110 mw to the installed capacity of the plant in 2015, and also the Volta River Authority?s Kpone Thermal Power Project which will add another 220 MW in the last quarter of 2014.

?Various negotiations and discussions are also ongoing with other independent power producers and these are just a few of the projects and initiatives in the short,? he said.

President/ CEO of GE Africa, Jay Ireland, said: ?GE is pleased to partner with the  government in achieving its energy targets which we believe will ultimately enhance the economic development and competitiveness of the Ghanaian economy.?

He explained that GE?s proposed plan for Ghana mirrors its activities in other African countries. The company has signed MoUs with the Governments of Nigeria, also to support the development of power, transportation, healthcare and capacity building.

GE plans to ultimately generate at least 1.5 gigawatts of new power generation in the next five years across West and Central Africa.

CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Daniel Yohannes said: ?One of MCC?s key objectives is to foster private sector investment by addressing power sector challenges such as creating a reliable fuel supply, implementing cost reflective tariffs, and generating a robust framework to support independent power producers like GE.

?We congratulate GE for moving the Ghanaian market in a direction we support and look forward to continuing our close and fruitful working relationship.?

By Ekow Essabra-Mensah

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