Our field trip took us to the AKOSOMBO HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER DAM

AKOSOMBO HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER DAM

The Authority's first hydroelectric station is the Akosombo Generation station. Studies into the potential for damming the Volta River for electricity generation was started in 1915. The first stage of the construction began in 1961 when the Volta River project was established and work started on the Akosombo dam and Power Station. Four units with total installed capacity of 588MW were completed in 1965 marking an important step for industrialization and economic growth of the newly independent state of Ghana. The plant was formally commissioned by Ghana 's first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, in January1966. In 1967, Volta Aluminum Company (VALCO) became the main purchaser of power generation from Akosombo apart from ECG and the mines. In 1972, the second stage of the project was completed with the addition of two generating units with installed capacity of 324MW to the Akosombo Generating Station bringing the total number of units to six and total generating capacity to 912MW at that time. During the Akosombo GS Retrofit Project, which took place between October 1999 and March 2005, each generating Unit was uprated to a maximum output of 170 MW. Total Plant capacity is therefore 1020MW. In December 1972, the transmission system was completed to link Togo/Benin's power system to Ghana 's enabling power to be transmitted to these countries. Production Process - Akosombo Hydro Plant Electricity is generated anytime there is a relative motion between conductors (commonly called wire) and a magnet. An electric generator is therefore a machine designed with conductors and magnet, requiring an external prime mover to create the needed relative motion. A common prime mover is a turbine, which is normally coupled to the rotating part of the generator.