President John Dramani Mahama cut the sod on Monday for the construction of the Tumu-Han-Wa 161 kV electricity Transmission Line which is expected to improve reliable supply of electricity to Northern Ghana.
The project when completed would close the northern loop of Techiman-Tamale-Bolgatanga-Tumu-Wa-Sawla-Techiman transmission line.
It has been awarded to Forclum Energies of France, and is being funded by Societe General/GRIDCo at a total cost of 75 million US dollar.
President Mahama said at the ceremony in Wa that government had so far invested 400 million dollars in expanding power transmission in the country.
This, the President said, had pushed the national electricity coverage from an average of 54 per cent to 72 per cent just within a space of four years.
President Mahama said government was looking forward to generating an additional 5,000 megawatts of power to further push the coverage from 72 per cent to above 90 per cent if given the mandate to serve another term in office in the December polls.
Mr. Charles Darku, Chief Executive of GRIDCo who gave the background of the project, said a 161 kV transmission line had been constructed between Techiman and Wa which was commissioned in 1995, as well as another one between Navrongo and Tumu.
He said there was, however, no 161 kV line between Navrongo and Bolgatanga, adding that the project proposal was therefore to construct a transmission link between Tumu-Han-Wa as well as another line between Bolgatanga and Navrongo to establish the northern loop.
Mr. Darku said the project would improve the reliability of power supply to the Northern parts of Ghana, as well as the system performance.
The scope of work include the construction of 90km, 60km and 29km of 161 kV transmission lines between Wa and Han through the site for the proposed Azumah Mines, and between Han and Tumu as well as Bolgatanga and Navrongo.
Extension works would also be carried out at the Bolgatanga and Sawla substations and the construction of 161/34.5 kV substations at Wa and Tumu.
Mr. Darku said the project would also improve the quality of existing medium voltage supplies to Dapaong and Cinkasse in northern Togo, and Po and Leo in Burkina Faso.
It will further improve the capability of VRA to meet the increasing demand for medium voltage supply to Northern La Cote d'Ivoire, Togo and Burkina Faso, as well as facilitate the export of power on the proposed Bolgatanga-Ouagadougou 225kV interconnection.
Mr. Gilbert Hie, Country Manager of Societe General said it was the company's hope that the financing of the project would, among other things, assist government in meeting its desire to generate the 5,000 megawatts of energy for the country in the years ahead.
He said it was also the desire of SG and SG-SSB to partner government in the socio-economic development of the country and to strengthen the cordial business relationship that existed between them.