Confirmed: Bui shuts down

The Bui Power Authority (BPA) on Tuesday finally stopped generating power following its announced cut in generation capacity.

The authority earlier complained about the dwindling level of water in the dam compelling it to limit the generation capacity to an average of about 1.44 million kilowatt-hours per day.

This means the ongoing power crisis and load shedding exercise will become intense with this latest development.

According to the Chief Executive of the Volta River Authority, Ing. Kirk Koffi, this is not due to the inefficiency of the handlers of the dam, but simply because the water level has gone below the minimum level.

“Bui has been built, the water level is low; Bui as we speak today is not running, the water level is low just like Akosombo; it’s just gone below the minimum level,’’ he noted.

Mr. Koffi however, revealed that a number of ongoing projects are expected to increase the country’s power generation capacity by close of 2014.

“As we speak today we are putting up a 220 megawatts thermal facility in Tema, called the Kpone Thermal Plant. By December the first unit will come online and in January the second unit must come online…’’ he added.

The Deputy Minister of Energy and Petroleum, John Jinapor also confirmed the lasted development at the Bui dam.

”As I speak to you the Bui Dam which has a capacity of about 400 megawatts is not working because of low level of water,” he said.

By: Evans Effah/citifmonline.com/Ghana