The Volta River Authority (VRA) on Tuesday held an Open Day and photo exhibition at the Aboadze Power Thermal Plant Station.
The exhibition chronologically portrayed the initial stages of the construction of the Akosombo Dam, Tema Thermal Complex, Aboadze Power Thermal Plant and Kpong Hydro Generation Project.
It also showcased the construction of plant buildings, cooling towers, heat recovery steam generators, terminal gas turbines and station chemical laboratory as well as other corporate social responsibility projects such as public stand pipes, schools and libraries.
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Emelia Arthur, who cut the tape to officially open the photo exhibition, commended the VRA for the pivotal role it had played in meeting the energy needs of the country and the sub-region.
She said the power produced by the VRA over the years had propelled the economy onto greater heights and urged the staff to be steadfast and work assiduously to achieve the mission and vision of the Authority.
In a speech read for him, the chief executive officer of the VRA, Mr.Kweku Andoh Awotwi, said the establishment of the VRA set the
foundation for newly independent Ghana’s economy and industrial policy.
He noted that it was as a result of the establishment of the VRA that, Ghana is now the leader in West Africa in terms of electricity
production and supply.
Mr Awotwi said the VRA supplied power to Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire which had improved the socio-economic wellbeing
of the citizens of those countries.
He said the VRA would position itself to thrive and be more successful in the emerging environment of energy deregulation in the country adding, the formation of the West African Power Pool which aimed to interconnect power systems in the sub-region would improve availability of electricity and accelerate the economy of the
sub-region.
“The VRA will play a pivotal role in the continued socio-economic development of our country and have a huge impact on the wider West
African sub-region. Therefore as employees of VRA, it means we must become more performance-oriented and customer-focused,” he noted.
Dignitaries which graced the occasion included the Paramount Chief of the Shama, Nana Kweku Binah III, Chief of Abuesi, Nana Amakyie II, Regional Commander of Police, DCOP Ransford Moses Ninson.