Nana Akufo-Addo the president of the Republic of Ghana has commissioned the 6.5MW Lawra solar power plant, located in the Upper West Region of the West African country and whose construction begun in February this year, together with that of the 13 MWp Kaleo solar power plant which is its sister project.
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“Last February we held the word cutting ceremony for the construction of two solar power projects; one in Kaleo and the other in Lawra, both in the Upper West Region. Eight months on, I am happy to commission the first of the power projects which has been completed, and that is the 6.5MW solar power project, here in Lawra,” said President Akufo-Addo.
An overview of the Lawra solar power plant
Constructed by Elecnor, a Spanish company that focuses on infrastructure, renewable energy, and new technology sectors, on a 6.13 hectares piece of land in the northern part of the Lawra township, the facility is provided with ancillary facilities such as a fully-equipped control room and a containerized substation as well as medium voltage switchgear and lines for transmitting power, PV lines, inverters, and transformers.
The Lawra solar power plant is solely expected to supply electricity to some 15,000 households in the region in addition to helping increase the renewable energy component of the country’s energy mix and contribute to the fight against the effects of climate change.
Kaleo solar power plant
13 MWp Kaleo solar power plant which is Lawra solar power plant sister project is currently under construction by Elecnor in collaboration with the Volta River Authority (VRA). VRA is the public body created by the Ghanaian government with the aim of developing, deploying, and sustainably using the resources of the Volta River and other renewable energy sources found in the river basin. Work on the Kaleo solar power plant is expected to be completed by December this year.
The two projects are funded by Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the German development agency, to the tune of US$ 25M.
