Mark Awuah Baah is the CEO of GRIDCo
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), Ing. Mark Baah, has announced the development of a major cross-border electricity transmission project aimed at enhancing power trade between West African nations.
The project involves the construction of a 330kV double-circuit transmission line spanning approximately 243 kilometres, connecting Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
Speaking at the Ghana–Côte d’Ivoire Interconnection Reinforcement Project event, hosted in Accra by the West Africa Power Pool on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, Ing. Baah emphasised that the current capacity of regional interconnections would soon become a bottleneck as the West African regional electricity market continues to expand.
“The study of the regional master plan showed that with the implementation of the regional electricity market, which is expected to strengthen electricity trade between countries in the West African sub-region, the capacity of the existing interconnection will constitute a bottleneck for trade,” he stated.
The project, originally initiated in 2011 by the West African Power Pool (WAPP) Secretariat, CI Energies, and GRIDCo, faced delays and was temporarily put on hold.
According to Ing. Baah, the transmission line will cover approximately half its length in Ghana and the other half in Côte d’Ivoire.
The estimated cost of the project is €154.4 million, which includes provisions for environmental and social impact management, construction, supervision, and overall project management.
“This project will strengthen energy exchanges between the two countries and, indeed, across the region. It is both technically and financially viable, with a controlled impact on the environment,” he added.
To ensure efficient and timely execution, an institutional framework has been proposed.
This includes the formation of an interstate committee of energy ministers, a technical steering committee, and dedicated project implementation units in both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
Ghana is expected to finalise processes with its Ivorian counterparts on Friday, June 27, 2025, to fast-track the implementation of the project and contribute to building Africa’s energy future.
SP/MA
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