Energy Minister Peter Amewu has announced that Karpowership will be relocated from Tema to Takoradi by March, 2019.
This is dovetailed with government’s plans to ensure full utilization of gas resources from the Western enclave of the country. It is also to ensure constant gas supply to the facility to enable it produce uninterrupted power.
Experts in the Energy sector have urged the Energy Minister to explore other areas of the Energy sector rather than waste his efforts on the Ameri deal that saw his predecessor booted out of office.
An Energy Expert, Kojo Opoku has argued that the area of concern should be the relocation of the Karpower project to the Takoradi enclave.
“Now we are all aware that we are no longer in dumsor,…we do not have that urgency in trying to secure power. Now in terms of the ENI project, where Karpower is suppose to relocate to the Takoradi area, that is a priority because as far as Karpower is still using Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO)in the Tema area, we are losing as a country. ENI is supposed to produce gas for the energy sector, but now we don’t have any infrastructure in the Takoradi area to be used by gas. So moving the Karpower to the Takoradi area is a priority.”
However, speaking to the media after a tour of some power plants in the Western Region, Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu, said the relocation is part of plans to get cheaper fuel for the plant to ensure constant power supply.
Ghana risks losing some 40 million dollars monthly should the relocation of the Karpower Plant to the Aboadze Power Enclave in the Western Region be delayed further.
The Karpowership, which is expected to increase to 470 megawatts from 225 for 20 years, is currently running below its capacity due to fuel cost.
The 470-megawatt capacity Karpowership, which is berthed and operating from Tema, was to augment the country’s energy supply.
The new vessel, named Osman Khan, replaced a 225 megawatts barge which was delivered in November 2015.
