The System Control Centre has hosted some professionals undertaking specialist training at the GIMPA Centre for Excellence in Public Utility Regulation (CEPUR).
Head of the Delegation, Mr. Michael Opam, explained that the group’s training is focused on the “Concepts, Issues and Architecture of Regional Electricity Markets (REMS)”. Thus, the interest in GRIDCo is because it is the entity leading in the implementation of the Ghana Wholesale Electricity Market (GWEM).
Director, Corporate Strategy Ing. Mark Baah received the group, and later delivered a presentation to provide a deeper understanding of Ghana’s energy value chain and GRIDCo’s role. Ing. Baah, who is also the Advisor to the Chief Executive on the implementation of GWEM, provided additional insight into how the Market is expected to operate. He informed the group that the Market Rules have been developed, pending approval.
The group proceeded to the System Control Centre (SCC) for a tour, with Ing. Wofa Kwarteng, Manager, Dispatch Operations, who explained how energy is generated, transmitted and distributed. Ing. Kwarteng also touched on dispatching activities and how the software-based system known, as the ‘Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition’ (SCADA), monitors the National Grid in real-time, while being able to alert the SCC Dispatchers on incidents that happen in the National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS).
Members of the GIMPA-CEPUR delegation were interested in the availability of excess capacity and when the capacity Market will commence. Ing. Kwarteng explained that the operations of the Capacity Market are expected to commence in 2025, which would create competition among Market Participants, ultimately resulting in fairly priced power for the average Ghanaian.
The GIMPA-CEPUR delegation comprised staff from some Power Institutions such as, VRA, PURC, and the Energy Commission.
