Tumu: Dr. Sarfic Suleman, the Executive Secretary of the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC), has urged industrialists to take advantage of the excess electricity available at the Tumu substation to establish industries in the area.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Suleman made this statement during a working visit to the Upper West Region and later to the Ghana Grid Company Limited (Gridco) substation at Tumu to familiarize himself with the operations in the area. He elaborated on the potential of the long-distance electricity transmission network in Ghana and its connectivity to Burkina Faso through Leo.
Dr. Suleman encouraged investors and the business community to consider setting up factories in the Sissala enclave to leverage the excess power supply capacity available to the area. He highlighted that Tumu was currently enjoying a substantial electricity supply without significant consumption demands, presenting an opportunity for industrial growth.
He assured the public that improvements, such as replacing the reclosers and interconnecting the two transformers, would lead to a more stable electricity supply in Tumu and surrounding communities, fostering the development of small-scale industries in the region.
During the visit to Gridco in Tumu, Mr. Stephen Babiniaching Bawisi, the operator on duty, revealed that the Tumu Gridco Station could deliver over 60 Megawatts (MW) of power to Tumu township and surrounding communities. However, the entire area, including Tumu, Gwollu, Funsi, and Leo in Burkina Faso, consumed only 5 MW daily. Occasionally, KEDAN Ltd, a maize processing factory, consumed an additional 1 MW, bringing the total consumption to 6 MW. The Ghana Cotton Company in Tumu, when operational, consumed up to 5 MW on its own.
Mr. Bawisi explained that the Tumu-Wellembelle-Nabulo transmission line reclosers were faulty, resulting in power outages affecting the Tumu township. Fortunately, the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) has committed to replacing the reclosers to stabilize the power supply in the Wellembelle, Nabulo, and Tumu township areas.
He also disclosed that the substation houses two 30 MW transformers, which needed to be interconnected to ensure continuous power supply during maintenance of one transformer. Despite the excess power available, Ghana News Agency confirmed that over 30 communities in Sissala East, Sissala West, and Wa East remain without electricity.