The Chief of Wassa Old Subri, Nana Twumasi Ampaakwaw II, has been deeply concerned
since 2022 about the encroachment of trees near the transmission lines in his community.
“Every day while leaving our farms, we feared that we would come back home to no lights
because a tree had fallen on the lines,” he said. These trees have been progressively growing,
posing a threat to the community's power supply. This power is not only vital for functioning
health care facilities but is also essential for sustaining businesses and schools in the area.
In response to these pressing concerns, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has undertaken
significant measures over the last three months to enhance transmission reliability.
Collaborating with private entities, ECG has initiated efforts to clear overgrown vegetation along
the transmission lines. Earlier this year, ECG partnered with Genser Energy, a prominent
Ghanaian energy company operating in the Western Region, known for providing affordable and
reliable power to various sectors, including mining giants like Gold Fields and Golden Star.
An assessment conducted earlier this year identified numerous trees and plantations under the
transmission lines within the allowable distance These vegetation clusters posed a significant risk
of disrupting power supply to fifty-eight communities reliant on electricity transmitted through
these lines.
To ensure community participation and support, Genser Energy engaged over 200 stakeholders,
including traditional leaders, local assembly members, and Project Affected Persons (PAPs). The
maintenance work not only created local employment opportunities but also provided
compensation to farmers whose trees needed removal. Genser Energy's Community Relations
team worked closely with local leaders and residents to ensure that the project not only enhanced
power reliability but also contributed to the welfare of the community.
Justice Kofi Yeboah, a PAP from Accra Town, expressed his gratitude towards ECG and thanked
Genser Energy for providing employment opportunities and improving community safety. He
also expressed his satisfaction with the project, indicating that the clearing works will help the
entire community and his family. “The clearing helps us all, if my son comes to my cocoa farm, I
am now rest assured that the lines will not interfere with the cocoa trees and harm his life,” he
stated.
Under the supervision of Genser Energy's Construction Superintendent, Stephen Ayisi, teams
selectively trimmed branches and removed high-risk trees posing a threat to the transmission
lines. Local recruits from the affected communities were actively involved in these operations.
Since the clearing the communities have enjoyed an improvement in power supply to the
communities. There has been a 50% reduction in power surges that caused power cuts in these
communities between January and March this year, due to the cleared vegetation along these
lines,
Samuel Acheampong, Mmratehene of Koduakrom stated during a public engagement with
Koduakrom PAPs that, “the only work we do here is farming and petty trading. If this project has
employed our youth to gain skills beyond what we do, then I am happy Genser has made that
possible.”
The removal of high-risk trees will not only enhance the reliability of electricity supply to
essential facilities but also contribute to the overall stability of Ghana's national grid. Beyond
local gains, protecting the lines enhances overall stability of Ghana's national grid.
