Aksa and Perkins power touch down at Kotoka Airport’s plush new Terminal 3
Four power-packed generator sets, with Perkins at their core, are helping keep passengers moving around the clock at Ghana’s $274 million ultra-modern passenger hub.
Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in Ghana’s capital, Accra, is the country’s sole international airport and home to domestic and regional operator Africa World Airlines.
The airport began life as a military base for Britain’s Royal Air Force during the Second World War and was restructured to receive passengers back in 1958.
Decades of ambitious growth culminated in a recent project to construct a modern new passenger terminal, capable of competing with the sky-high standards of other leading airports.
Construction on the $274 million Terminal 3 began in 2016 and it opened to passengers at the end of 2018. Equipped with world-class facilities, including three modern business lounges, commercial and retail areas, and six boarding bridges, the hub has capacity to handle up to 1,250 passengers an hour – and five million passengers a year.
On top of the world
For any world-class airport seeking to deliver world-class service, a dependable power supply is fundamental to success. The airport’s owners were fully onboard with this requirement and sought the support of a prominent local generator set supplier to provide high-quality emergency back-up.
They selected the Aksa brand, a Turkish company which today is one of the leading global generator set producers with 18 offices around the world. Aksa Ghana office started its activities in 2014 and the Ghanaian division began with just two staff and has quickly expanded to a team of 17 skilled employees serving electric power customers across key sectors including construction, mining, finance, oil and gas.
The customer specified a power solution that would guarantee the consistent and uninterrupted operation of all its critical systems, including IT, baggage, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and security whenever the mains supply was grounded.
Aksa puts its trust in Perkins
Aksa proposed four back-up units for the customer, each powered by incredibly capable and durable Perkins engines. Aksa selected Perkins based on its prominence as a trusted power brand in Ghana, its reputation for reliability, and the fast access the company provides to service support and spare parts.
With huge volumes of power potentially needing to be drawn from the generator sets, Aksa designed two units powered by Perkins 61 litre powerhouse 4016-61TRG3 engines and two units driven by the 46 litre Perkins® 4012-46TWG2A.
Each 4016-61TRG3 delivers up to 2500 kVA of unfailing standby power, while each 4012-46TWG2A adds an extra 1600 kVA of support. The installation is expected to be called into action for approximately 600 hours a year.
With Perkins power onboard, Kotoka’s Terminal 3 can operate with confidence knowing that whatever level of disturbance occurs on Accra’s power grid, the facility will keep functioning, its customers will stay satisfied, and its reputation will continue to soar.