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President Kufuor cuts sod for construction of another Power
Plant
Kpone, April 18, Ghanadot/GNA-- President
John Agyekum Kufuor, on Friday cut sod for the official
commencement of work on the 560 megawatts Sunon Asogli Power
Plant Project at Kpone near Tema.
The first phase of the project when completed by the end of
the year, would utilize natural gas from the West African
Gas Pipe Line from Nigeria to produce 200 megawatts
electricity.
The project which is being undertaken by Shenzhen Energy
Group Limited from China was initiated by Togbe Afede XIV,
Agbogbomefia of Ho Asogli State.
President Kufuor, who was accompanied the Vice President,
Alhaji Aliu Mahama, said the completion of the project
together with the Bui Dam would permanently solve the
country’s power problem.
He expressed government’s readiness to support any private
investment in any sector of the economy to help promote
accelerated growth.
The President said about 1000 Ghanaians were expected to be
employed for the construction, urging such people to take
advantage of the opportunity to acquire the expertise of the
Chinese engineers.
“Even though salary is good, do not concentrate solely on it
rather use the opportunity to learn the Chinese techniques”,
he stated.
President Kufuor called on the Chinese to adhere to the
labour laws of Ghana to ensure a good working relationship
between them and their employees.
Mr Gao Zi Min, Board Chairman of Shenzhen Energy Group
Limited, said apart from helping Ghana to solve its energy
problem, China was ready to impart its skills and knowledge
to Ghanaians.
He promised that the Group would ensure good quality work as
well as completion of work on schedule.
Mr Min stated that the second phase of 360 MW project, which
was expected to be put to commercial operation in 2009 would
be developed soon.
He added that the project was the first oversea project of
his outfit observing that it was strategically significant
to Ghana and China.
Togbe Afede XIV said during the peak of the country’s power
problems, he negotiated with the Chinese company to
construct the power plant to augment power supply from the
Akosombo Hydro plant.
The Agbogbomefia thanked the Kpone Traditional Council for
allocating the 48 acre land for the project.
The paramount Chief of Kpone Traditional Area, Nii Tetteh
Otu the II, lauded the sitting of the project in his area
and urged officials of the Environmental Protection Agency
to ensure that the expatriates conformed to rules and
regulations to avoid the degradation and pollution of the
environment.
Nii Otu, who is also president of the Greater Accra Regional
House of Chiefs, noted that often expatriates promise to
operate in accordance with the laws but they fail to comply
with them creating environmental problems.
He cautioned against discharging effluent into the Gao
Lagoon to render it inactive like the Chemu and Korle
Lagoons since the project site was closer to the water body.
GNA
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