The Volta River Authority (VRA) plans to digitise most of its operations from next year to improve efficiency and profitability.

It said the power generation space was now very competitive with a lot of independent power producers however, the authority believed that leveraging on technology by introducing programmes such as the internet and artificial intelligence would enable it to lead its competitors.

The Chief Executive Officer of VRA, Mr Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, stated this in a speech read on his behalf during the end of year thanksgiving service organised by the Tema branch of VRA.

Staff members at the ceremony prayed for the nation’s leaders, the happiness of the people, the grace to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and further the development of VRA.

Mr Antwi-Darkwa said the Authority, next year, aimed to increase generation capacity to both the export and local markets to increase revenue, adding that it was going to be driven by technology.

He said in line with their sustainable development goals and climate change agenda (COP 26 objectives) next year, they would turn Akosombo into a smart city by deploying electric buses to convey staff and members of the public around the community.
 

That, he said fitted perfectly into a grand plan to build a data centre in Akosombo as part of their quest to grow their business. The CEO said this would be based on a successful outcome the smart city project and would be replicated in other cities they operated in.
 

The authority among other corporate social responsibility projects, this year, impacted 16,000 school children from 30 schools by providing nutrition support and other supplies.
 

VRA in 2021 supplied 53 per cent of total power output (12,000 gigawat hours) in the country while IPPs did 47 per cent.

The authority hopes to increase this to 56 per cent in 2022 depending on how the dispatch arrangement goes.

In a sermon Rev. Stanley Glover, a priest of the Anglican Church and a staff of VRA, urged Ghanaians to pray unceasingly for God’s favour to overcome the pandemic.

He encouraged staff members to continue to strive for excellence in all they do to achieve more progress.