The Akosombo Hydroelectric Project (Akosombo HEP), usually referred to as the Akosombo Dam, is a hydroelectric dam in southeastern Ghana in the Akosombo gorge on the Volta River. The construction of the dam flooded the Volta River Basin, and the subsequent creation of Lake Volta. Lake Volta is the world's largest man-made lake, covering about 3.6% of Ghana's land area (Fobil 2003).
The primary purpose of the Akosombo HEP was to provide electricit...
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The Akosombo Hydroelectric Project (Akosombo HEP), usually referred to as the Akosombo Dam, is a hydroelectric dam in southeastern Ghana in the Akosombo gorge on the Volta River. The construction of the dam flooded the Volta River Basin, and the subsequent creation of Lake Volta. Lake Volta is the world's largest man-made lake, covering about 3.6% of Ghana's land area (Fobil 2003).
The primary purpose of the Akosombo HEP was to provide electricity for the Aluminum Industry (Zakhary 1997). The Akosombo HEP was called "the largest single investment in the economic development plans of Ghana" (GHP 2007). Its original electrical output was 912 MWe, which was upgraded to 1020 MWe in a retrofit project that was completed in 2006.
The flooding to create the Lake Volta reservoir, displaced many people and had a significant impact on the environment (Gyau-Boakye 2001).
In the beginning of 2007, there were concerns over the electricity supply from the dam due to lower water levels in the Lake...
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