President Nana Akufo-Addo has expressed gratitude to Ghanaians for their forbearance amid the ongoing power crisis.

Speaking on Wednesday, 17 April 2024 at the commissioning of the first phase of the Anwomaso 1 Thermal Power Plant in Kumasi, President Akufo-Addo said: “I do acknowledge, Minister for Energy, ladies and gentlemen, and nananom, the challenges that the people of Ashanti and, indeed, other parts of the country, have had to endure in very recent times over the supply of power”.

“And I can only thank you for the patience you have exhibited in the face of these challenges,” the president said.

With a total installed capacity of 150 megawatts, the plant marks a significant milestone in the government's efforts to ensure sustainable electricity supply, particularly in the Ashanti Region.

Mr Akufo-Addo said: “This power project is the first in Kumasi and, by extension, the Ashanti region. It is very significant as it will improve the delivery of electricity to the middle and northern belts of the country”, adding: “Projects are further confirmation if any were needed, and my government is committed to ensuring that all parts of the country have the necessary infrastructure for development.”

Interdependently, the Anwomaso Gas Pipeline undertaken by Genser Energy has been constructed to feed the plant with natural gas from the Western Region.

The first in Kumasi, and by extension, the Ashanti Region, President Akufo-Addo spoke of the project as “very significant, as it will improve the delivery of electricity to the middle and northern belts of the country and serve as further confirmation, if any was needed, of government’s resolve to ensuring that all parts of the country have the necessary infrastructure for development.”

According to him, the renowned attribute of the Ashanti Region as a hub of small- and medium-scale commercial and industrial businesses will mean that with enhanced electricity supply, these businesses will expand and offer employment opportunities to our youth.

He said that seven years of translating promises and assurances into result-oriented projects, including energy supply, has required the delivery of affordable and reliable electricity to drive our nation’s industrialisation agenda, and position Ghana to become a net exporter of electricity in the ECOWAS region.

The president noted that with the country’s national electrification rate of 88.8%  one of the highest on the continent, the goal is to have full electricity access by the end of this year and ensure that the areas of power generation, transmission and distribution, receives significant investments towards the provision of reliable and competitively-priced electricity to ensure economic growth.

While acknowledging the challenges that the people of Ashanti Region, and, indeed, of other parts of this country, have had to endure in very recent times over the supply of power, President Akufo-Addo was grateful for the patience of Nananom and the citizenry through the said difficult times and commended the Asantehene, who, graciously, intervened with the authorities of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to release a portion of their land for the construction of this power station and gas pipeline infrastructure, as well as, the chiefs and people of Anwomaso, and, indeed, all stakeholders who contributed in diverse ways to make this project a reality.

The President also commended the Volta River Authority (VRA) for bringing the generating units and their associated equipment to Kumasi and successfully relocating and re-installing the gas turbine units, the related switchyard, balance of plant equipment, control room, cables and all other aspects of the power plant on their own.

“They have demonstrated that Ghanaian engineers, from a publicly-owned institution, can rise up to the task of finding engineering solutions to build our nation.”

Congratulating GRIDCO, ECG and GNPC for the respective roles they have played in bringing this project to fruition, the president found it even more gratifying to note that “the gas transmission infrastructure for this power station was constructed from Prestea to Anwomaso through a collaboration between the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) and Genser Energy Ghana Limited, a dynamic Ghanaian-owned energy company.”

 He concluded with an appeal to the investor community to take advantage of the improved electricity supply and put up viable commercial structures that would utilise the resources within the middle and northern belts to  ramp up government’s industrialisation agenda, thereby accelerating the growth and development of the country.