More Dumsor: Akosombo dam to shut down 3 more turbines

The engineering department at the Akosombo Dam has hinted to Citi Business News, it has put in a request for the shutdown of three turbines of the dam. This follows the consistent drop in the water levels in the dam. 

According to the dam’s manager, Ebo Amoah, the chief executive of the facility is waiting for authorisation from government to shut down the turbines. 

The dam is currently running on 5 out of the 6 turbines and is producing 636 megawatts of electricity. 

There are fears the facility will break down if these emergency decisions are not taken.

Speaking in an interview with Citi Business News, Ebo Amoah said the situation has gotten out of hand due to lack of rain in the northern part of the country.

“The water level is dropping because it’s not raining in the north. It means when the levels go down, you cannot run all the machines at a certain point. We are looking at 240ft as the minimum level so at 240ft you need to take certain decisions, bringing some of the machines down.”

“We are not rising, we are dropping but very slowly. Once it’s dropping, we are likely to reduce power generation. Every year when the water level is going low, we shut down some generators.

“We’ve delayed in bringing the generators down. This is because one needs authorization to do that so the powers that be should give that command so we go ahead and shut it down,” he added.

President John Mahama during a visit to the facility in February 2015 directed the Power Ministry to, as a matter of urgency, fast track the procurement of power barges to complement Ghana’s power sector as the Akosombo contemplates shutting down one of its turbines.

He explained that the government has been forced take such decision because of the falling water levels in the dam adding that “It is obvious that the lake level is low as a result of two years of less than average rainfall. It means that we are just 5 feet above the minimum operating level and so Akosombo is only running only four units.”