The Volta River Authority (VRA) has unveiled an ambitious plan to transform the Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam into a large-scale battery reserve to support Ghana’s transition to renewable energy.
The project, currently at the feasibility stage, aims to make the dam more viable in the global shift away from traditional hydro power toward thermal and renewable energy systems.
Speaking to Parliament’s Energy Committee at Akosombo on Saturday, September 27, VRA’s acting Chief Executive Officer, Ing. Edward Ekow Obeng-Kenzo, explained that the system would store renewable energy for later use.
“What we’re also doing with our hydro resources, because it depends on nature, we don’t want to deplete the hydro. So as we are transitioning to renewables, and because renewables are interruptible power, when you run the renewables during the daytime, in the evenings, they are off. So what we want to use at Akosombo is as a battery, because when you use a normal battery for the renewables, the cost goes very, very high,” he said.
Detailing the concept, he added: “During the daytime when the solars are running, we’ll preserve the water in Akosombo and in the evening we’ll bring Akosombo on board. So it acts as a battery and saves the country. And when we’re able to do that once, we can do it for the whole West Africa, because we have a huge water resource.”
He noted that the project would also help stabilize electricity prices across the subregion.
Ing. Obeng-Kenzo assured the committee that Ghana’s key hydro facilities are safe and reliable, thanks to regular retrofitting and international safety reviews. “For now, per the work that we’ve done, we’ve extended the life of the dam for almost 40 years. That’s what we anticipate we’ve done and then Akuse too the same but Akuse the works are still also ongoing,” he said, stressing that both Akosombo and Akuse dams are well-positioned to support Ghana’s future energy needs.
