The Electricity Company of Ghana has injected vast sums of money into technology to enhance its engineering and operational activities to improve service delivery.

The ECG Managing Director, Kwame Agyemang Budu, explained that with support from the government, his outfit has installed a VIT Feeder Automation scheme, the SCADA coverage of Primary Substations, and introduced drones to monitor its networks. 

He announced this when speaking at the commissioning of a customer service centre in Abor in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region. 

The establishment of the service centre is geared towards bridging the gap between customers and the power distribution company. 

This Abor service centre with a customer waiting area, Cashier point, Customer Relations Executive (CRE) Point, Faults Reporting Point, Parking lot for customers, and ancillary facilities would serve a customer population of 18,075. 

Mr Kwame Agyemang Budu detailed projects being undertaken to enhance service delivery.

"With assistance from the government of Ghana, we are installing a VIT Feeder Automation Scheme, a system which automatically identifies and sectionalises specific problem areas on our networks in a coordinated manner for prompt and automatic rectification, without having to cut off the power supply to wide areas", he said.
 
"The SCADA Coverage of Primary Substations is another initiative which enables us to monitor and operate our Bulk Supply Points remotely (BSPs) and Primary Substations to promptly correct anomalies, without human interventions.

"The introduction of Drones in our operations is another remarkable step in improving efficiency in our operations by proactively monitoring our networks for proper vegetation control and checking the work of third party contractors who have been assigned the responsibility to ensure non-interference of vegetation; in our system."

He asserted that the above initiatives would help in reducing the frequency and duration of outages.

Mr Budu added that work on an express 33kV Feeder between Kpando and Hohoe is ongoing to ensure the reliability of power supply to the Oti and Volta regions.

He indicated that funds are mobilising funds to complete customer service centres New Ayoma, Dambai, Anloga, Kpetoe, and Golokwati in the Volta and Oti Regions.

He, therefore, urged customers and stakeholders to eschew vandalising and stealing ECG installations.

"Unfortunately, quite recently, there was a report of vandalisation of ECG transformer near Denu in the Keta South Municipality here in the Volta Region, which rendered Denu and other adjoining communities like Hatsukofe and Atsapui, among others, in total darkness".

"I encourage all to be watchful and protect ECG installations which is a national asset, to ensure the reliability of power supply for our mutual benefit", he urged.

He further indicated that "to those of you who are engaging in any form of illegal connection, the National Taskforce and the law will catch up with you, so please stop before you are disgraced, for we will name and shame."

The Volta Region ECG General Manager, Emmanuel Lumor, underscored his outfit's commitment to customer satisfaction, adding that 400 transformers have been installed to the existing 2,445 to augment the power supply in the Volta and Oti Regions.
 
He also indicated that extension and system improvement projects have been undertaken to ensure reliable power supply to some areas under the Akatsi District.

The projects include LV network expansion at Agorweme and Xeti, LV network expansion and upgrade at Gefia, LV system improvement and extension at Afife Detideke, and the Akatsi GCB area.

"We have also adopted strategies like an intensification of vegetation control activities and the inspection of transformers serving our customers to ensure we have a robust distribution network to provide safe, reliable and quality electricity services."

"Following the completion and commissioning of some of these projects, we have noticed significant improvements in power supply throughout the Region. Most of our stakeholders have testified privately and publicly to the vast improvement in the stability and reliability of electricity supply over the past several months", he said.