Ghana commits to renewable energy with 8 planned solar plants
Ghana, Accra: The government of Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to renewable energy and sustainable development goal seven (SDG7).
Image source: ESI Africa
Ghana, Accra: The government of Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to renewable energy and sustainable development goal seven (SDG7).
For that purpose, Bui Power Authority (BPA) is planning to construct eight solar plants in the northern part of the country.
According to BPA, the earmarked sites for the project expected to begin in the first quarter of next year include Yendi, Northern, Buipe and Sawla, Savannah, Zebilla, and Bolgatanga, Upper East and Tumu, Upper West.
These spots are close to substations of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) in the northern part of the country, where the potential solar plants capacity is between 10 MWp to 100 MWp. This could successfully be tied into the National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS).
The BPA Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, disclosed the figures when he outlined efforts to increase the country’s renewable power generation in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Party (COP26), in Glasgow, Scotland.
The capacity of each plant, according to Dzamesi, was dependent on the size and specifications of investors who have been engaged under an arrangement in which they would fund the construction and be paid later for the state to own the plants.
He said BPA had struck a collaboration with universities, including the University of Renewable Energy in Sunyani in the Bono Region, so that new graduates would be involved in various projects.
Currently BPA’s renewable energy projects include a 404 MW Hydroelectric Power Plant, a 250 MWp land-based solar, 1 MWp of 5 MWp floating solar, 45 kW Tsatsadu Micro Hydro plant. BPA’s future prospects also include developing the western rivers of Ghana and increasing their floating solar generation capacity.
“If we want to do real energy, every location in Ghana where there is GRIDCo substation, there is the possibility of putting a solar plant. This is our target. Also, for all rivers in the country where we can generate power, we should be able to target them. BPA should be running no less than 700 MWp of solar by 2024,” Dzamesi said.
Source: ESI Africa
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