Former Power Minister and NDC MP for Pru East, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, clarified that the relocation of the Ameri power plant isn't aimed at boosting power generation but serves strategic purposes. He highlighted that the move aids in grid stabilization and helps reduce transmission losses for GRIDCo.

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Speaking on News File on April 20, he explained that back in 2014, the NDC government had intended to establish power generation facilities in the middle belt but faced fuel supply challenges.“A gas pipeline had gotten to Prestea but there wasn’t a gas pipeline to Kumasi and therefore a physical relocation at that time would not have made sense without fuel.

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Fortunately, unfortunately, the people of Ghana decided that we should leave the scene so there was a truncation of the process. Other than that, generation in the middle corridor would have happened earlier,” he said.He noted that if not for this interruption, power generation in the middle corridor would have commenced earlier. Explaining the advantages, he emphasized that having generation in the middle corridor is beneficial.

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Additionally, he highlighted GRIDCo's indebtedness to the Volta River Authority (VRA) due to transmission losses surpassing approved limits by the PURC. Dr. Donkor emphasized that when generation is closer to the market, transmission losses are minimized.“It also helps stabilize the grid. You see, there is a certain balance that the grid must have.

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If there is a situation where until now we have the Eastern and Western corridors in terms of generation and even then there is a delicate balance, you cannot over-generate from one corridor with nothing coming from the other. The grid will trip.”“The initial inter-connected transmission system, there is a certain balance needed. So having generation in the central corridor will help that,” he said.

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The NDC has largely raised concerns about the amount spent in relocating the plant, as well as the renaming of the plant despite the NPP's initial opposition its acquisition while in opposition.

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