Osagyefo Barge

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Osagyefo Barge
Country Ghana
Location Effasu
Status Existing; never operated
Power station
Primary fuel Natural gas
Secondary fuel Diesel
Power generation
Installed capacity 125 MW

The Osagyefo Barge is a 125 MW barge-mounted gas turbine electric power generating station located at Effasu in the Western Region of Ghana.

The 77 m long barge is equipped with a pair of single-cycle heavy-duty gas turbine units that have a combined generating capacity of 125 MW.[1] It is designed to burn either natural gas or diesel fuel.[2]

The 125 MW power barge was ordered by the Ghanaian government in 1995 with financial assistance from the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund of Japan.[1] It was intended to generate electricity from natural gas obtained from offshore production fields. The barge was built in Italy, completed in 1999, and delivered to Ghana in October 2002. It was then moored at the Sekondi Naval Base in Sekondi until 2005, when it was moved to Effasu after the completion of dredging necessary to allow it to enter the harbor there.[3][2] The offshore oil and gas fields did not develop as quickly as expected, so the power barge sat idle and its condition deteriorated.[2] There was a proposal to move the barge to Tema, but that proposal was dropped in 2007.[4] During this period, there was little maintenance conducted on the power barge or on the site, resulting in the deterioration of many of the systems.

The power barge project was initially under the management of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation; responsibility was transferred to the Volta River Authority in 2003.[5] In July 2007, the government of Ghana entered a 20-year lease agreement with the company Balkan Energy Ghana to refurbish and operate the power barge, initially using diesel fuel and later using gas to be delivered by the West African Gas Pipeline. Ghana sought additional electricity supplies from the barge to alleviate electricity shortages resulting from reduced water levels at the Akosombo Dam hydroelectric project. The company promised to begin operations within 90 days. Also, plans were announced to increase the barge's generating capacity by 60 MW, bringing it from its current capacity of 125 MW up to 185 MW.[3][6] The unit has never operated and the expansion was not completed.[7] The government of Ghana sued in Ghanaian court, seeking to nullify the contract with Balkan Energy.[7][8] Balkan Energy blamed ProEnergy, a U.S. company with which it had contracted, for Balkan's inability to bring the generating station online when promised.[7] Balkan Energy and ProEnergy sued each other in U.S. courts and the government of Ghana later filed a lawsuit against ProEnergy in U.S. court.[7][9]

The name "Osagyefo" commemorates Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana.[6]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Power barge arrives at Effasu Mangyea mini harbour". modernghana.com. 10 March 2005. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Energy From Osagyefo Barge". modernghana.com. 4 March 2008. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nehemia Owusu Achiaw (4 March 2008). "More Power From Osagyefo Barge Soon". modernghana.com. 
  4. ↑ "Gov`t decision to stay Osagyefo barge at Effasu". modernghana.com. 7 September 2007. 
  5. ↑ "Volta River Authority Takes Over Effasu Power Project". AllAfrica.com. 15 October 2003. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Ghana signs agreement for more electricity". AfricaNews.com. 30 July 2007. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 J. Ato Kobbie (23 May 2012). "‘Osagyefo Barge’, Balkan Energy: Fraudulent Claims & A PPA That Never Was". modernghana.com. 
  8. ↑ Stephen Kwabena Effah (22 March 2012). "Court To Give Ruling On Ghana And Balkan Energy Case". Ghanaian Times. 
  9. ↑ "Government of Ghana v ProEnergy Services, LLC; Case No. 11-2714 (C.A. 8, May. 1, 2012)". The Judicial View. 

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