Ghana is set to construct two solar power plants in Kaleo and Lawra all in the Upper West Region. President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the project to commence.
The solar project is part of the government commitment to diversify the country’s energy generation portfolio, thereby, help increase the renewable energy component of Ghana’s energy mix, and also contribute to fight against the effects of climate change.
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Diversifying the country’s energy
The project will see construction of a 13MW solar plant in Kaleo and a 4MW peak project in Lawra. The plants will collectively reduce 7,400 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year upon completion.
German Government’s Development Bank, KfW, is funding the 17MW solar project at a cost of US $25m and will be operated and maintained by Ghanaians living in Kaleo and Lawra. The plants will be the first of its kind in the Upper West Region who will have its fair share of power generation assets in the country
“The plants will also reduce the amount of energy that would have, hitherto, been transmitted from the hydro and thermal plants located in the south, and, thereby, help reduce transmission losses on our national grid. It will also create employment for our youth during the construction and operation stages of the project,” said Akufo-Addo.
Ghana is looking to diversify its power resources, as its current reliance on hydropower makes it particularly vulnerable to droughts. As part of the renewable energy targets, the government has set the following objectives for renewable energy:150-300 MW of small and medium hydro, two million solar lanterns, 30,000 solar home systems, 20-26 MW of utility-scale biomass and waste energy capacity, 150-250 MW of utility-scale wind and 50-150 MW of utility-scale solar capacity
