A delegation from ENI Ghana has paid a working visit to GRIDCo. In stating their purpose for the visit, the delegation disclosed that, ENI wanted to understand GRIDCo’s operations and to understand how the Company manages the different challenging situations to deliver stable power. ‘ENI needs to understand how GRIDCo manages the system in the situation of gas inadequacies’, they added. The delegation also introduced ENI Ghana’s new Commercial and Business Development Manager, Mr. Marco Tolla, to Management.

Ing. Vincent Boachie, Director, Procurement, who was acting for the Chief Executive, welcomed the delegation and moderated a presentation on GRIDCo’s Operations, which was delivered by Ing. Frank Otchere, Director, System Operations. Responding to questions, Ing. Otchere explained how GRIDCo uses the generation mix; hydro, thermal and renewables; to meet electricity demand.

Ing. Vincent Boachie, Director, Procurement, who was acting for the Chief Executive, welcomed the delegation and moderated a presentation on GRIDCo’s Operations,

which was delivered by Ing. Frank Otchere, Director, System Operations. Responding to questions, Ing. Otchere explained how GRIDCo uses the generation mix; hydro, thermal and renewables; to meet electricity demand.The meeting held discussions on the current capacity of ENI Ghana’s gas processing plants and the need to increase the capacity of the processing equipment in future. Mr. Tolla explained that his company has plans of expansion in the long-term. The Commercial and Business Development Manager explained that ENI Ghana has some gas fields they will process in future. He also highlighted gas exploration opportunities available to ENI Ghana.

The delegation visited the GRIDCo Control Room, where Ing. Otchere further explained how the generating plants, transmission network and the distribution system work. He highlighted how the various Units – Planning, Scheduling and Dispatching – in the Control Room, guided by the Grid Code, synchronise to support reliable power delivery.

Ing. Otchere also underscored the special role GRIDCo plays as the System Operator. “GRIDCo must ensure that the power system is up and running all the time. Thus, no generating plant can do anything, be it maintenance work or any other work, without clearance from GRIDCo’s Control Room. In the same vein, internal maintenance works also need clearance from the Control Room”, he said.

Other members of the ENI Ghana delegation were Mr. Atta Acheampong, Gas Manager, and Nana Amma Baah-Duodu, Gas Commercial Analyst.

Eni S.p.A., formerly legally known as Ente nazionale idrocarburi (National Hydrocarbons Board), is an Italian multinational energy company, which is headquartered in Rome. Eni has been in Ghana since 2009, operating the Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) project, with a gross production of approximately 80,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. It also operates the offshore exploration license Cape Three Points Block 4 and was awarded the offshore license WB03.