Grace Ashiru
Nana Akufo-Addo, The President of the Republic of Ghana, announced on Tuesday the commissioning of a new 13 MW solar power project in the Upper West Region of the West African country.
Akufo-Addo says that the Volta River Authority’s 13 MW Solar Power Project was first thought of in February 2020. It is the first step toward a 28 MW solar power plant in Kaleo, Ghana, built in two phases.
During the ceremony to mark the event, Akufo-Addo also announced that the construction of another solar power plant, this time with a capacity of 15 MWs, had already commenced with the assistance of money received from the German Development Bank (KFW). Completing this supplementary facility is anticipated to occur within one year.
The project is part of the Ghanaian government’s plan to diversify the country’s energy sources and make more energy come from renewable sources.
Speaking at the ceremony in Kaleo, the president indicated that the Kaleo Solar Plant, along with ongoing interventions in the area of energy efficiency, Ghana is getting closer to meeting its Nationally Determined Contributions, which were presented at COP26 in Glasgow, UK. Some of the things that are helping Ghana get there faster are the use of natural gas for thermal generation, the adoption of cleaner cooking solutions, and the decarbonization of oil production.
“The Akufo-Addo-led government has invested heavily in the electricity transmission network, which will let us move more renewable energy through the national grid and help bring electricity to everywhere in Ghana,” the president said.
According to him, this is why the Kaleo plant will deliver all of its current and future power to the GRIDCo substation in the neighboring town of Wa, which is home to more than 200,000 people.
“During the hottest part of the day, the Kaleo and Lawra plants can handle the entire load at Wa and its surrounding areas. According to Akufo-Addo, “This has the potential to make Wa the greenest city in Ghana.”
Except for the Bui Hydropower plant, practically all of Ghana’s commercial production of electricity and its generation assets are located in the central and southern areas of the country at present.
The president hopes that future developments, like the Kaleo plant, would help bring future power sources closer to the northern part of the country, offering new opportunities for regional growth. The temperature is highest in the north of Ghana, which makes it an ideal location for expanding solar energy production and use.
