- Dr Shafic Suleman urged industrialists to capitalise on excess electricity at the Tumu Gridco substation to set up factories.
- Ongoing efforts to replace faulty reclosers and interconnect transformers aim to improve power stability in Tumu and surrounding areas.
- Tumu’s substation delivers over 60 MW of power, while the region consumes only 6 MW, presenting significant untapped potential for industrial growth.
Dr Shafic Suleman, Executive Secretary of the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC), urged industrialists to establish industries in Tumu and encouraged them to use the excess electricity at the Gridco substation.
During his visit to the Upper West Region, Dr Suleman toured the Tumu Gridco substation to assess its role in Ghana’s electricity network and its link to Burkina Faso through Leo. He emphasised that Tumu benefits from surplus electricity, which remains underutilised.
“Tumu holds an advantage with this available capacity,” Dr. Suleman told the Ghana News Agency (GNA). “Investors and the business community should set up factories here and use the power.”
Dr Suleman confirmed that ongoing efforts to replace faulty reclosers and interconnect two transformers would improve power stability in Tumu and surrounding communities. “Once we complete these upgrades, industries will enjoy a more reliable supply,” he added.
At the Gridco substation, Mr. Stephen Babiniaching Bawisi, the operator on duty, explained that the station delivers over 60 megawatts (MW) of power. However, daily consumption across Tumu, Gwollu, Funsi, and parts of Leo in Burkina Faso only reaches 5 MW. KEDAN Ltd., a maise processing factory, occasionally adds another 1 MW, pushing total demand to 6 MW.
Mr Bawisi noted that the Ghana Cotton Company in Tumu previously consumed 5 MW when operational. He linked the current power outages in Tumu to faulty reclosers on the Tumu-Wellembelle-Nabulo transmission line. “NEDCo assured us they will replace the reclosers soon, stabilising power in Tumu and surrounding areas,” he stated.
The substation operates two 30 MW transformers, which need interconnection to guarantee continuous power during maintenance. Despite the availability of surplus power, over 30 communities in Sissala East, Sissala West, and Wa East still lack electricity.
Dr Suleman’s appeal for industrial investment aims to capitalise on the surplus electricity and drive economic growth in the Sissala enclave. The PURC seeks to attract more investors by offering a stable electricity supply to support the region’s industrial development.