The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) of The Gambia undertook a five-day regulatory and benchmark visit to Ghana's Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) between November 11 and 15, 2024. The purpose of the visit by the seven-member delegation was to familiarize themselves with the best practices employed by the PURC in its regulatory activities, particularly in managing Ghana’s regulated electricity and water utilities.
CEPUR-GIMPA
The team spent the first two days with the Commission’s Centre of Excellence for Public Utility Regulation (CEPUR), located on the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) premises. The Executive Secretary of the PURC, Dr. Ishmael Ackah, welcomed the delegation to the CEPUR and gave a brief overview of the Commission and its operations. He stressed the Commission’s commitment to sharing expertise and best practices with its neighbours, supporting regional development, and strengthening utility regulation in West Africa.
The Executive Secretary explained to the delegation how the Commission has employed technology in its operations through the introduction of the PURC tariff reckoner, the electricity consumption estimator (PECE), and the installation of sim cards in selected substations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to detect low voltages and other anomalies in the electricity distribution sector.
The Director of Legal Services at the PURC, Mrs. Nancy Atiemo, took the delegation through the various tariff regimes and the journey to the establishment and formation of the independent regulator, PURC in 1997 by an Act of Parliament, Act 538.
Mr. Michael Opam, a former board chair of the PURC and renowned regulatory expert, enlightened the delegation on electricity supply systems, the wholesale electricity market architecture, Ghana’s regulatory reforms, and the role of the board in regulation.
VISIT TO THE ENERGY COMMISSION
The delegation paid a courtesy call to the Energy Commission (EC), at which a detailed presentation was made outlining the operations of the EC, its core functions, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. It was emphasized that the EC is primarily responsible for technical regulation, while the PURC focuses on economic and quality of service regulation. This complementary relationship underscores both organizations' shared objective to ensure the satisfaction of both consumers and utility service providers. The team was further exposed to the various licensing regimes of the EC.
VISIT TO THE SUNON ASOGLI POWER PLANT
The delegation was briefed about the Sunon Asogli Power Plant and the operations of the facility. The point was made that as an Independent Power Producer (IPP) in Ghana, the plant contributes approximately 15% of the nation’s electricity supply, with an installed capacity of 560MW in two phases of 200MW and 360MW for both phases 1 and 2 respectively. The delegation toured the facility and its control centre, to gain an in-depth understanding of its operations.
VISIT TO GRIDCo
The delegation engaged with the management and staff of the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDco). The team was introduced to the company's operations and visited the System Control Centre (SCC). The delegation gained insights into the functioning of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, which plays a critical role in monitoring and managing the national power grid.
VISIT TO AKOSOMBO DAM
The team was given a presentation touching on the dam's history, its operational mechanisms, and the role it plays in supplying electricity to Ghana and the neighbouring countries. The visit concluded with a guided tour of the facility, offering the delegation a first-hand experience of the dam's operations.
The study tour gave the PURA delegation valuable insights into Ghana’s energy infrastructure and regulatory framework and helped foster a greater appreciation of the synergies between technical and economic regulation in the energy sector.