The Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) has inaugurated the Takoradi 2 power plant in Ghana, a move aimed to develop the electricity sector in the African country
Once complete, the plant’s output will increase power production by 50 per cent to 340 MW and account for 15 per cent of Ghana’s generation capacity, providing electricity to more than a million people.
Takoradi 2 is TAQA’s second expansion project in Africa following the US$1.6bn expansion of the company’s Jorf Lasfar power plant in Morocco.
At the inauguration ceremony, Ghanaian president John Dramani Mahama said in the inaugural ceremony, “The Takoradi 2 expansion project reflects our energy for growth programme aimed at increasing investments in the energy sector to build capacity for the future. The role of independent power producers has become vital and the partnership of TAQA and Volta River Authority (VRA) has demonstrated that Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP) work in Ghana. The plant’s excellent record of over 95 per cent availability since the year 2000 is not only a demonstration of the successful implementation of the PPP framework but also the significant development of technology capacity of Ghana.”
The expansion project supported the Ghanaian government’s efforts to also promote the use of indigenous natural gas supplies.
TAQA acquired 90 per cent share in the Takoradi 2 plant in 2007. VRA, main generator of electricity in Ghana, holds the remaining 10 per cent of the plant’s share. TAQA is operator of the facility.
The expansion is scheduled for commissioning in Q4 of 2014.
