US, Ghana firms in US $52-million power purchase deal

Ghana's Volta River Authority and CMS Energy Corp, a Michigan based power company in the United States, have signed a US $52 million power purchase deal, Ghana's state radio reported. It said the agreement on Wednesday would accelerate, by more than two years, the building and commissioning of a 110-mw unit for the Takoradi expansion project. The two companies have set up a joint venture with a third firm, the Takoradi International Company, to build, own and operate a 330-MW expansion of the Takoradi thermal plant, the radio said. Ghana to save 107 billion cedis through energy efficiency Ghana can save up to 107 billion cedis (US $14.9 million) and reduce carbon emissions by 230,000 mt by the year 2010 if energy conservation measures are strictly adhered to, the Ghana News Agency reported. It said a survey by five energy-related institutions also found that 18 billion cedis (US $6.9 million) could be saved on the consumption of air conditioners with a reduction of carbon emission of 38,000 mt. Speaking at the launch in Accra on 18 August of 'Energy Wise', a brochure published by the Energy Foundation to guide consumers on efficient practices, Minister of Mines and Energy Fred Ohene Kena said the saving epresented a 10-percent cut in energy onsumption. He said 13.8 billion cedis (US $5.3 million) could be saved on lighting and carbon emission reduced by 24,000 mt through policy and legal regulations. Other measures will be to support the Energy Foundation and the Ghana Standards Board to come up with minimum energy efficiency standards and labels for domestic energy-consuming appliances and industrial electric motors, GNA reported.