The Government of Ghana has announced plans to implement a project to power the country’s airports with solar energy. Ghanaian Minister of Aviation Joseph Kofi Adda, revealed the report and said that the government has sought Indian expertise for the solarisation project.
“A team from Cochin International Airport came to Ghana and assessed the country’s airports to determine the cost of the project and the amount of an Exim Bank of India financing facility of about US $10m that would be used to convert all the country’s airports to solar power,” said Joseph Kofi Adda.
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Solarisation project
Kotoka International Airport in Ghana is likely to be the first to benefit from the solarisation project for the country’s airports. The authorities intend to build a solar power plant with a capacity of 6 MWp.
Kotoka is Ghana’s largest airport, serving the capital Accra, with a capacity of more than one million passengers a year. The Ghanaian Ministry of Aviation estimates that solar power could cut airport electricity bills by up to 30%. Green energy will also reduce the carbon footprint of Ghana’s airports.
Ghana has one of Africa’s highest rates of access to electricity. Ghana’s rich array of renewable energy resources can address energy insecurity and help to expand energy access. These resources include, biomass, solar and wind energy, along with hydropower potential.
In 2014 this was estimated at 72%, with over 87% in urban areas and nearly 50% in rural areas. The country also exports power to its neighbours, Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso. The Ghanaian power industry is unbundled, comprising generation utilities, transmission and distribution companies, and independent power producers.
