VRA on the verge of digitalization, technology as major business enablers

Management of the Volta River Authority (VRA) says the Authority is taking proactive steps towards ensuring that its quest to boost efficiency in the coming year is achieved.

Ing Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, Chief Executive (CE) of the Authority in an address read on his behalf by Ing Frank Akligo, Advisor to the CE during the VRA’s end of year service at Akuse in the Eastern Region noted that the VRA is taking proactive steps to ensure that the Authority is digitally and technologically efficient to meet its changing landscape of power generation.

The purpose of the event which has become a significant feature of the VRA’s end of year activities and replicated at all of its locations throughout the country was to express the appreciation of the Authority to the Almighty God for how far he has brought it through the year.

This was also to climax the celebrations of the Volta River Authority’s year-long sixtieth anniversary.

In his statement read at the event, the CE emphasized that digitalization and technology would ensure the VRA’s competitiveness going into the near future.

“From next year, we will fully embrace digitalization which would be the major enabler of our business as we prepare ourselves for the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, etc. We recognize that digitalization will compel us to be more efficient and therefore remain competitive,” noted the Chief Executive.

He added that digitalization would through technology facilitate clean, cost-efficient sources of energy such as solar, biomass and wind with conventional generation sources to deliver energy mix for a more efficient operation and effective monitoring and maintenance of its generation assets.

According to Ing Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, though formidable, the Authority’s plan to incorporate a proactive Sustainability Plan to support its BRAISE strategy has set it firmly on the road to work as a public sector institution with a private-sector mindset.

As part of its community support initiative, the CE said, the VRA, with the use of drone technology, added value to the lives of some 16,000 school children from 30 schools in some of its impacted communities.

While noting that Akosombo has been earmarked for the rolling out of the Authority’s SMART City concept, he noted that the Township, in line with the VRA’s leadership in the climate change agenda, would be made a technology hub with the introduction of electric buses and other high-tech initiatives.

The CE expressed his profound gratitude to all staff for their handwork throughout a year filled with challenges and successes regarding the COVID-19 and successes in its operations and financial performance.

He also urged them to contribute towards enhancing productivity and cost reduction, adding that management would continue to take proactive steps towards mitigating the negative effects of any business processes inimical to the benefit of the Authority.