From Yaaba Yamikeh, Tarkwa
The Gold Fields Ghana Foundation has donated nine electricity transformers to selected host communities in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Prestea-Huni Valley municipalities to improve power supply, enhance service reliability and strengthen critical infrastructure.
The transformers are expected to address electricity supply challenges, including inadequate distribution capacity and frequent power interruptions, while meeting the growing energy demands of households, businesses and community facilities in Samahu, Abekoase, Benso and Awudua, as well as the Tarkwa and Aboso Stadium (TnA Stadium).
The Managing Director of Gold Fields Ghana, Mr Elliot Twum, handed over the transformers to district managers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the two municipalities and officials of the TnA Stadium at a ceremony in Tarkwa on Tuesday.
On-going commitments
In his remarks, Mr Twum said the intervention formed part of the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to supporting essential community infrastructure and improving the quality of life of residents in its host communities.
He said the donation also aligned with the Foundation’s broader community development agenda, under which it had invested more than US$113.20 million in initiatives covering education, healthcare, water and sanitation, enterprise development and infrastructure.
Mr Twum said Awudua received one 315 kVA transformer, rated at 33/0.433 kV, 50Hz, Dyn11, with copper windings, while Abekoase received two 100 kVA transformers of similar specifications.
Samahu also benefited from two transformers, with capacities of 315 kVA and 250 kVA, both rated at 33/0.433 kV, 50Hz, Dyn11, and fitted with copper windings.
The TnA Stadium received one 500 kVA transformer, rated at 11 kV/415 V, three-phase, ONAN oil-cooled, with an off-load tap changer (0, +2.5%, +5%), while Benso received three 100 kVA transformers, rated at 33/0.433 kV, 50Hz, Dyn11, with copper windings and pole-mounted (PMT) fittings.
Valued at GH¢1,098,583.20, the donation is expected to improve electricity distribution and reliability, enhance household welfare, support local businesses and stimulate economic activities.
Reliable power
Mr Twum added that the intervention would provide a more reliable power supply for the TnA Stadium, supporting its operational requirements and sporting activities.
He reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to sustainable and balanced community development through collaboration with relevant stakeholders to address infrastructure needs, promote local economic growth and improve residents’ well-being.
The Member of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsuaem and a member of the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Mr Issah Salifu Taylor, described the donation as another practical demonstration of the Foundation’s corporate social responsibility and its vision of making a positive impact on lives.
He identified unreliable electricity supply resulting from inadequate transformer capacity as a major challenge in the constituency, noting that residents had frequently complained about its adverse effects on their socioeconomic activities.
Mr Taylor expressed optimism that the donation would improve the situation and urged residents to collectively protect the transformers for their own benefit and the development of the constituency.
He also cautioned residents against illegal electricity connections, which he said negatively affected ECG’s operations.
For his part, the MP for Prestea-Huni Valley and a member of the Board of Trustees, Mr Wisdom Cudjoe, expressed concern that most of the 30 transformers donated to his constituency in 2025 by the government, his office, Sankofa, Gold Fields and other well-meaning individuals had broken down within the past three months.
He attributed the situation to the unauthorised handling and tampering of transformers by unqualified electricians.
Faulty equipment
The Tarkwa District Manager of ECG and chairperson for the occasion, Engineer Benjamin Odame Thompson, said tampering with transformers was an offence and advised residents to report faulty equipment to ECG officials for the necessary repairs.
He reminded residents that ECG, as the distributor of electricity generated by the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and independent power producers (IPPs), depended on revenue from electricity bills to meet its financial obligations.
He therefore urged residents, particularly those in the beneficiary communities, to continue paying their electricity bills promptly, stressing that the donation of the transformers by the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation should not be seen as a reason to default on payments.
