Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey, former Chief Executive Officer of the Volta River Authority (VRA) says it will be unreasonable to think of exporting power to other countries.
He was reacting to President John Dramani Mahama’s assertion that “with the rate of work currently ongoing at the Takoradi 2 Thermal Power Project (T2) in Aboadze, Ghana will soon be a net exporter of power if it achieves its target of 5,000 megawatts of power by 2016.”
Speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo morning show of Thursday April 11, 2013, Dr. Wereko-Brobbey emphasized that Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President, did not ‘go for money to construct the Akosombo Dam for power to be exported’
“We should not export power like the way we export cocoa and timber; it is not reasonable to do that. Why export power when we are to use it to increase our economy. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah didn’t go for money to construct a dam, produce energy so that we export it. We are to use it to rather produce things for export. We should never think or talk about exporting power…”
Dr. Wereko-Brobbey reiterated the fact that when electric power is exported, it yields no dividend for the country; however “when we use the power to produce for instance chocolate out of cocoa and export, ‘that is when we can get value for money’
However, in a quick rebuttal and speaking on the same platform, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Communication said electric power can be exported to ‘balance the huge trade deficit the country is currently facing’.
According to him, when all the projects are completed, Ghana will have enough power that will satisfy every consumer in the country and even get surplus for export.
“When all these projects are completed, Ghana will have enough power with a surplus that can be exported. We can sell to balance the trade deficit we have. When we keep it in this country, what are we going to use it for? If we have produced enough to suit our domestic consumption and we have the comparative advantage to export some for money, you say no; we should not export power like cocoa. I don’t think this is how we should go…
I think we can even diversify our economy to the extent that other areas can be included to balance our trade deficit. If we can produce a lot in our energy sector, and we have it in abundance, I think we should export it to balance our trade deficit” he indicated.