3 Small hydro dams to be built on Ankobra River
Three small hydro dams are to be constructed on the Ankobra River in the Western Region at the cost of $164 million.
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A Ghanaian company, Small Hydro Company Limited (SHDCL), is expected to start the construction of the dams in the first quarter of 2017 after the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) is completed.
The company will build the dams using the Run of River Technology to generate the power to support the country’s power installations.
The Chief Executive Officer of the SHDCL, Mr Kwadwo Poku, who briefed the Daily Graphic about the project, said the company had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as off-takers for 42MW of hydropower.
Feasibility studies
“We have completed our prefeasibility studies and identified three sites on the Ankobra River for the proposed hydro dams and these are Maham, Tarkwa-Breman and Nsuaem, all in the Western Region,”
He explained that the company had acquired a provisional Independent Power Producer (IPP) licence from the Energy Commission and initiated approval processes with the Water Resources Commission.
Lead player
Mr Poku said the SHDCL was striving to be a leading player in the energy industry in Ghana by applying innovative technologies to discover valuable renewable energy resources and deliver the highest quality power to the market place.
“Our vision is to be recognised as a pacesetter in identifying various energy potential on streams and rivers across Ghana,” he said.
Challenges
According to him, illegal mining was the biggest challenge to the development of dams on rivers in the country.
“Illegal minners are destroying the water bodies by diverting the rivers during low tides introducing chemicals into the river,” he said.