The Kpong Dam, also known as the Akuse Dam, is a

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

power generating dam on the lower

Volta River The Volta River (, , ) is the main Drainage system (geomorphology), river system in the West African country of Ghana. It flows south into Ghana from the Bobo-Dioulasso Department, Bobo-Dioulasso highlands of Burkina Faso. The three main part ...

near Akuse in

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

. It is owned and operated by

Volta River Authority The Volta River Authority (VRA) is the main generator and supplier of electricity in Ghana. They are also responsible for the maintenance of the hydro power supply plant. Establishment The VRA was established by the Volta River Development Act, ...

. It was constructed between 1977 and 1982. Its power station has a capacity of with all four units running, though the total nameplate capacity is . The project supplements power production from

Akosombo Dam The Akosombo Dam, also known as the Volta Dam, is a Hydroelectricity, hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in southeastern Ghana in the Akosombo gorge and part of the Volta River Authority. The construction of the dam flooded part of the Volta Riv ...

, for the melting of

aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

VALCO Valco was a US manufacturer of guitar amplifiers from the 1940s through 1968. Apart from its original products, Valco also commercialised electric and acoustic guitars and basses through its subsidiary companies. History Valco was formed ...

Tema Tema is a city on the Bight of Benin and Atlantic coast of Ghana. It is located east of the capital city; Accra, in the region of Greater Accra, and is the capital of the Tema Metropolitan District. As of 2013, Tema is the eleventh most p ...

. The project is located about downstream of Akosombo Dam, and is about from the city of

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

. Because the reservoir upstream of the dam is relatively small, the plant operates as a "

run-of-the-river Run-of-river hydroelectricity (ROR) or run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation plant whereby little or no water storage is provided. Run-of-the-river power plants may have no water storage at all or a limited amou ...

" project, with river flow controlled at Akosombo. The design head of water at the plant is ; the low head required the use of unusually large turbines for their power rating, with a

Francis Francis may refer to: People and characters *Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025) *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Francis (surname) * Francis, a character played by YouTuber Boogie2 ...

runner diameter of . The powerhouse is long, wide and . The main dam is made of earth with rockfill facing and is high and long. Dikes on the banks are long. The

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure tha ...

has a design capacity of and has 15 radial gates, each wide by high, with a total length of . The civil contractor for the project was

Impregilo Webuild S.p.A. (previously Salini Impregilo S.p.A.; ) is an Italian industrial group specialising in construction and civil engineering. The company was formally founded in 2014 as the result of the merger by incorporation of Salini into Impregi ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Other components of the project include a 161 kV switchyard and

transmission lines In electrical engineering, a transmission line is a specialized cable or other structure designed to conduct electromagnetic waves in a contained manner. The term applies when the conductors are long enough that the wave nature of the transmis ...

, four villages constructed to house people displaced by the project, and road construction. In addition to power generation, the project provides irrigation water for agriculture, and municipal water supply.

Bilharzia Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, bilharzia, and Katayama fever is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. It affects both humans and animals. It affects the urinary tract or the intestines ...

is a health hazard in the region which has increased since the construction of the dam.

References

{{Reflist Dams in Ghana Dams on the Volta River Hydroelectric power stations in Ghana Dams completed in 1982 Volta River Authority Run-of-the-river power stations Energy infrastructure completed in 1982 Rock-filled dams 1982 establishments in Ghana

See also

References