The Ghanaian Times | Utility Services

US Ambassador To Ghana Calls On Energy Minister

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Accra, March 19, GNA - The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Gene A. Cretz, on Tuesday called on Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, to discuss the second compact of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) among other things. Mr Buah said the country was ready for increased collaboration with the US in the area of energy stating that Ghana was putting everything in place for the second compact of the MCC which is to be invested in the energy sector. He ... Read More

Power Crisis To End In June; Consumers To Pay More - VRA

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The Volta River Authority (VRA) says the current power crisis is expected to end in the middle of the year but says the sure-fire solution to blackouts in Ghana is an ?immediate tariff adjustment?. Officials of the authority made the proposal during a presentation to a Parliamentary Select Committee on Energy. Thursday?s meeting, which involved Gridco and the ECG, was behind closed doors and was to inform the MPs on the state of Ghana?s energy crisis. The country is undergoing a severe ... Read More

Ghana's Energy Minister Urges WAPCo To Meet The April 30 Deadline

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister for Energy, has urged West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) to ensure it adheres to the schedule date of resumption of operations of the gas pipeline. According to him, the ever growing significance of gas supply to the region and the importance, which Ghana government attached to the project, made it imperative on WAPCo to do all it could to meet the target date. The Minister made the call at a meeting with officials of WAPCo on Tuesday in Accra. ... Read More

Review All Frequencies - Minister Asks NCA

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The Minister of Communications, Dr. Edward Omane- Boamah has asked the National Communications Authority, (NCA) to urgently review all frequencies in order to retrieve underutilized ones. That, according to him, would create an opportunity for service providers who are ready to enrich Ghana?s democracy by educating and informing the populace through the airwaves to do so. It would also offer employment for the youth and upcoming journalists as well to complement the ruling National ... Read More

'Tarzan' Vows To Challenge Increases In Petroleum Prices

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Charles Wereko-Brobby, an energy expert and former Chief Executive of the Volta River Authority, has vowed to challenge any increase in petroleum prices in court unless government produces figures to back up its claim that it has been subsidizing fuel prices. He insisted that government has never subsidized fuel and is therefore not justified in raising prices on the basis it can no longer offset costs. Speaking on Adom FM?s Dwaso Nsem morning show on Tuesday, February 12, Dr Wereko-Brobby ... Read More

Energy Minister Designate Committed To Achieving 100% Power Distribution

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Government will aggressively pursue its energy programme to achieve a 100 per cent accessibility of electricity in every part of the country by 2016, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, Minister-designate for Energy and Petroleum has said. He said the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) still required about 500,000 meters, placing emphasis on the use of smart meters to curb consumers from tempering with the meters. Mr Buah noted that the energy for all programme was feasible and that the Ministry ... Read More

PURC Directs GWCL Not To Ration Water During Repair Works At Weija Water Works

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has directed the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) not to ration water during the repair works on the four of the 12 filters at the Weija Treatment Plant located at the Ga South Municipality in the Greater Accra Region. The filters remove impurities from water by means of fine physical barriers through a chemical process. Following the detection of structural defects on the filters about a fortnight ago, GWCL decided to ration water in ... Read More

Govt Releases $30,000,000 To Tema Oil Refinery

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The Tema District Council of Labour has disclosed that the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR)has confirmed to the Council that Government has released an amount of $30,000,000 to the industry. This is ?being used to implement the plant stabilization and profitability enhancement programme to quickly turn their situation around? according to Management. In a statement copied to the Ghanaian Times and signed by the Chairman Mr. Wilson Agana and the Secretary Mr. Ebenezer Taylor in response to the ... Read More

TOR To Receive $37.7 Million To Revamp Plant

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Government has assured the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) that it will receive an amount of $37.7 million by the end of the first quarter of the year, to complete its plant stabilization and profitability enhancement programme. The move forms part of efforts by the government to fix the challenges at the facility. This has therefore led to a resolution by the Tema District Council of Labour to rescind its decision to embark on a massive demonstration in the industrial city in solidarity with ... Read More

Ensure Gas Starts Flowing By February 2013 - Energy Ministers

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Energy Ministers of West Africa have asked operators of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) to ensure that gas starts flowing by February ending next year. The ultimatum was given by the ministers at a crunch meeting in Accra on Friday. The communiqué issued at the end of a Marathon meeting, that the disruption of the gas supply was having adverse economic and social impacts on the economies of the three beneficiary countries, namely, Ghana, Benin and Togo. The Communigue signed by Dr. ... Read More

VRA Holds Stakeholders' Forum

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Volta River Authority (VRA) yesterday held a second local content stakeholders forum in Accra. The forum is designed to provide the guide posts in VRA?s effort at promoting local content development in the power utilities. Held under the theme; ?Promoting Local Content Development in the Power Utilities and Related Industries in Ghana ? Achievements and sustainable initiatives?, it is also expected to set out a number of actions constituting elements of a policy for promoting local ... Read More

ECG Working To Trim Down Company's Losses

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Limited is implementing a Distribution System Loss Reduction Project intended to trim the company?s distribution system losses from the current 20 per cent to 10 per cent. The five-year project, apart from managing system losses, is expected to improve energy efficiency in the power sector. Dr Nicholas Smart-Yeboah, Director of Customer Services at the ECG, said this on Wednesday in Accra at the opening session of a three-day West ... Read More

Utility Services Providers Assure Of Stable Power Supply

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Utility service providers on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to provide efficient and reliable power supply before during and after the December 7 elections. The service providers namely, the Volta River Authority the Ghana Grid Company Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana, made this known at a dialogue unity the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) in Accra in preparation towards the forth coming elections The service providers said they had put in place adequate ... Read More

Don't Leave Gadgets On Standby When Leaving Home - ECG Cautions Consumers

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Consumers of electricity have been cautioned against leaving their gadgets on or on standby when leaving their houses for work else they risk recording high energy consumption charges or faulty gadgets due to the inconsistency in power outages. Mr. Ishmael Tetteh Oku who is a Revenue Protection Coordinator at the Electricity Company of Ghana Head Office made this known when he led the Power Queens Club of the ECG to the New Times Corporation to sensitize members on the ideal ways of using ... Read More

The Tema Cenit Thermal Power Plant To Add To Energy Grid

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Tema Cenit Thermal Power Plant (TCTPP) owned by CENIT Energy a subsidiary of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) is set to add 126 megawatts of electricity to the National Grid in the second week of October. This was after the TCTPP had test run the facility and carried out functional checks to ensure that the facility was ready to begin commercial operations. The 126 megawatts is expected to mitigate the power crisis by reducing the extremity of the load ? shedding ... Read More

ECG To Sign Performance Contract With Customers

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Electricity Company of Ghana, (ECG) will soon sign a performance contract with its customers. The contract to be known as the Customer Charter would ensure that customers pay their bills promptly whilst the ECG also delivers high quality service to its customers. Failure to comply with the spirit of the contract gives both parties the platform to seek legal redress. Alhaji Daudi Jangu, the Greater Accra Regional Manager of ECG disclosed this in Accra on Wednesday when he ... Read More

ECG Sensitizes Consumers On Use Of Pre-Paid Meters

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Accra West Region of the Electricity Company of Ghana(ECG) has embarked on a campaign to educate consumers under its jurisdiction on effective ways of using pre-paid meters and also elicit complains and concerns they face in using the new power measurement device for redress. The exercise, which would be done quarterly, is also meant to educate consumers on the processes they had to follow in acquiring pre-paid meters in order not to be cheated by ?pre-paid meter contractors.? As ... Read More

Nigeria To Restore Full Supply Of Gas To Ghana

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Volta River Authority (VRA) says it is holding discussions with the Nigerian authorities to restore full supply of gas to Ghana to enable the VRA to do full production of electricity. At a news conference in Accra yesterday to update the current power supply over the weeks, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Kweku .A. Awotwi said his outfit is equally disturbed about the situation and said they are working assiduously to return to normalcy of full production. Over the past ... Read More

Accra West ECG Holds Awards Ceremony

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Accra West Region of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on Tuesday held an awards ceremony to recognize customers of the company. Consumers including Japan Motors, Francopat Limited, Mantrac Ghana Limited, Fanmilk, Duraplast, Blue Skies and Qualiplast were presented with plaques for paying their bills promptly at the awards dubbed ?Customer Appreciation Week.? Regional General Manager of the Accra West Region of the Electricity Company of Ghana, Alhaji Daudi A. Jangu said the ... Read More

Veep Inaugurates $8.5m Buipe Power Sub-Station

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Vice-President John Mahama has inaugurated an $8.5 million power transmission sub-station at Buipe in the Central Gonja district of the Northern Region. The 161/34.5kv facility will supply reliable bulk power to the Savannah-Diamond Cement Company Limited (SAVACEM) factory, and for other commercial and agro-processing purposes. Jointly financed by the government, Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCO) and the SAVACEM under a public-private partnership, the project replaces the existing ... Read More

GII Calls For Law To Regulate Water Sector

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has called for a strong legislation regime in the country?s water sector. It said this had became necessary because the sector as of now, was fraught with corruption. GII said that in view of the current weak legislation regime, ?corruption has become too much in the water sector?, and added that stronger laws were required to deal with the situation, noting that the country did not have a specific law on water. Results of its National Water Supply ... Read More

GWCL Will Not Lay Off Workers Seconded To Aqua Vitens

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

THE Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) says it will not lay off any of its workers seconded to Aqua Vitens Rand Limited (AVRL). The managing Director of the company, Mr. Kweku Botwe who disclosed this to the ?Times? in Accra on Friday said under the management contract between GWCL and AVRL it was clearly captured that the staff or human resource to AVRL operations will be from GWCL. The assurance came on the heels of apprehension among some workers of AVRL questioning their fate ... Read More

$38million IDA Fund For Oil, Gas Capacity Development

Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Ministry of Energy has embarked on 38 million dollar International Development Association funded Capacity Building Project to improve public management, regulatory capacities and local technical expertise in the oil and gas sectors. Following the discovery of oil and gas and subsequent commercial production of oil at the Jubilee fields in December last year, the government developed a CBP which was approved by the World Bank in December last year and subsequently by Cabinet and ... Read More

PURC Withholds Tariff Increases For 2nd Quarter

Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has decided to withhold tariff increases country for the second of quarter 2011. Mr. Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman at the Technical Committee of PURC who announced this press conference in Accra yesterday, said the move was due to poor services on the part of utility service providers. He said the committee was therefore dialoging with the service providers to identify problems hampering their inability to provide quality services and how ... Read More

Disconnect Illegal Wiring From Markets - Brown-Gaisie

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Hagar Naa Ayeley Ammah The acting Chief Fire Officer, Albert Brown Gaisie, has called on the Electricity Company of Ghana to, as a matter of urgency, disconnect all illegal wirings in the various markets. At an inspection tour of the Makola market in Accra, Mr. Gaisie said electrical appliances and faulty wires were the main causes of fire outbreaks in the markets, which did not normally, have fire hydrants. ?It is the right of the Fire service to protect you against fire, therefore ... Read More