Impoundment of Black Volta begins
The Bui Power Authority (BPA) has impounded the Black Volta River to allow the filling of the reservoir with water needed to power the turbines to generate electricity.
Speaking at the Impoundment Ceremony at the dam site, the Chairman of the Council of State, Professor Kofi Awoonor, said the provision of adequate electricity was key to the development of an industrial base in Ghana.
Prof. Awoonor noted that Ghana's total energy supply had to grow significantly to help achieve its development goals.
The Chairman of Council of State added that the high rate of projected electricity consumption had profound economic, financial, social and environmental implications for the country.
He was hopeful that in addition to the provision of electricity for the northern sector, the Bui Project would also provide water and land for irrigation and domestic use.
Prof. Awoonor noted that complementary programmes such as the Black Flies Menace Control and the Livelihood Enhancement programmes, running concurrently with the project, would go a long way to improve the living standards of the people affected by the project.
To him, the element of a 'Better Ghana,' as outlined by President Mills, include a vibrant economy, the ability of the Ghanaian to afford three square meals a day, and the security of life and property.
The Chairman of the Council of State also acknowledged and applauded all who had contributed to making the Bui project see the light of the day.
He appreciated the efforts of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration towards the project, as well as the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration for showing commitment and ensuring the continuity of such a significant project.
He finally urged all living in the area to protect and safeguard the various facilities and equipment that would sustain the project.
At the impoundment ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bui Power Authority, Jabesh Amissah-Arthur, paid tribute to 10 workers who lost their lives in the course of implementing the Bui Project, emphasising that they would forever be remembered.
They included Abdulai Moro, who according to the CEO of BPA, fell into the crushing plant and died tragically on the day before the impoundment ceremony, while Peter Mawunyo also fell and died at the aggregate area earlier this year, and Ernest Owusu, Daniel Abango, Adam Owusu and Evans Aful all drowned between 2008 and 2010.
Also Mr. Wan Pingzhong and three other Ghanaians died from malaria complications and other non-work related diseases.
Mr. Amissah-Arthur outlined the significance of the impoundment of the river, which he said, was the main purpose for which a dam was constructed, and therefore, marked a major milestone in the history of the project.
He said the Bui impoundment would create a reservoir that would cover an area of 444 km2 at full supply level of 183masl, explaining that the water from the reservoir would be channeled through three penstocks, to turn three Francis Turbines with a design discharge of 207m3/s and to produce 133MW each.
The CEO re-assured Ghanaians that the Bui Hydroelectric project would be completed by 2013 as scheduled, disclosing that the hydrologists who had studied the river for many years, had indicated that it would take two years of inflow or two rainfall seasons to be able to store enough water to commence power production.
He explained that to be able to commission the plant in 2013, there was the need to store the water from the rainy seasons of 2011 and 2012, therefore, for this first year of impoundment, it was envisaged that the lake level would not exceed 132 masl.
'This is not adequate to enable power generation,' he concluded.