President Kufuor invites Germans to support energy sector

President John Agyekum Kufuor has invited Germany to support Ghana to build a more economical, durable and efficient system of energy generation and transmission in the country to drive economic development. There could not be any talk about development without efficient and reliable energy supply, he said, adding that it was for this reason that the country was ready to collaborate with and benefit from the European nation's expertise in the sector. President Kufuor was speaking when he granted audience to a high-powered German delegation, which is in Accra as a follow-up on recent discussions between him and Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa, to explore the possibilities of assisting to strengthen the energy sector. Led by Mr Georg Boomgarden, Secretary of State in the Federal Foreign Office, the team is made up of energy experts and captains of the industry. They had earlier held consultations with the Energy Ministry, identified areas of interest, particularly those relating to renewable energy. This comes close on the heels of the country's just-ended power crisis, which took a heavy toll on the national economy. The Government was spending an average of 30 million dollars every month on fuel to run the emergency power plants it imported to help to save the dire situation caused by the drastic fall in the water level of the Akosombo hydroelectric dam, the main source of the country's energy generation. President Kufuor noted that the Germans had developed the technology for solar, wind and tidal waves energy and asked them to help the country to build a power mix that would enable it to end its over reliance on hydro as well as the high fuel bills on emergency plants. Mr Boomgarden said they were in for serious business and that the outcome of their discussions would form the basis of their decisions. "This is the beginning of greater co-operation. We are here to talk about real things and not theories. We are going to talk about all sectors of energy, hydro-power, solar-power and thermal-power." He said his country was determined to assist Ghana to have a good energy generation mix that would be cheaper and economical to attract more investors. Mr Boomgarden lauded the Government for its policy on private sector development and the issuing of state bonds on the international bond market. Mr Kofi Adda, Ghana Energy Minister, said the country could learn a lot from the Germans to improve the sector.