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The Akosombo Dam, also known as the Volta Dam, is a hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in southeastern Ghana in the Akosombo gorge and part of the Volta River Authority. [1] The construction of the dam flooded part of the Volta River Basin and led to the subsequent creation of Lake Volta .
The Akosombo Dam produces 912 MW of electricity for the country, as well as for export to Togo, Benin, and other nearby countries to earn foreign exchange. [1] Lake Volta is also important for transportation, providing a waterway for both ferries and cargo watercraft. Since the huge lake lies in a tropical area, the water remains warm year ...
The project is located about 24 kilometres (15 mi) downstream of Akosombo Dam, and is about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the city of Accra. [3] Because the reservoir upstream of the dam is relatively small, the plant operates as a "run-of-the-river" project, with river flow controlled at Akosombo.
In addition, the extension of the national grid to the Northern Region was commissioned in 1989. The extension links northern Ghana to the power generated from the Akosombo Dam. [7] The Akosombo Dam was built on the Volta river in 1965 and is spilling water through six floodgates because of the all-time high water level in the Akosombo Dam.
The VRA was established by the Volta River Development Act, Act 46 of the Republic of Ghana on 26 April 1961. [2]The main purpose of the VRA is to generate and supply electricity for Ghana's needs.
The dam's power plant generates electricity for the Volta River Authority, and the reservoir also provides water transport routes. It is a resource for irrigation and fish farming. The depth of the river is about 45 feet (14 m) below Lake Volta. The Volta River is crossed by the Adome Bridge just below the Akosombo Dam.
As Bokari said, “The scale of this project being so massive means this dam will take a while to build, which does buy India some time to craft a strategy.” And China is getting weaker with time.
In 1961, Kaiser Aluminum & the Ghana Government invested in the Akosombo Hydroelectric Project to provide energy for its aluminum smelters. The company had negotiated favorable terms for power purchase with the government. The agreement was re-negotiated in 1985, by the Rawlings government, to reflect the increased value of electrical energy. [1]