The President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo has commissioned a 13-megawatt solar power plant in Kaleo in the Nadowli-Kaleo District of the Upper West Region.

The plant is the second of the two solar power projects being carried out in the region; the first being the Lawra 6.5-megawatt solar power plant.

The project, implemented by the Volta River Authority (VRA), was constructed by a Spanish firm, Elecnor S.A and funded by the German Government’s Development Bank, KfW.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony to put the facility to use, President Akufo-Addo said the completion of the project is in fulfilment of his promise to the people, and that generation of solar power is an indication of government’s commitment to increasing electrification coverage and renewable energy utilization.

“You’ll recall that in February 2020, before the conduct of the 2020 general elections, I was here in Kaleo to cut the sod for the commencement of this project which was the first phase of what will eventually be a 28-megawatt plant here at Kaleo.

“As pledged, this project has been duly completed reiterating government’s commitment to diversify further the country’s entire generation portfolio and increasing the nation’s renewable energy generation reach,” he stated.

He emphasized that the use of solar power together with other energy-efficient and environment-friendly interventions well demonstrates government’s contribution to the Glasgow Conference of the Parties (COP26) pact

President Akufo-Addo expressed optimism that industries and other facilities which could be established in the Upper West Region due to the unavailability of reliable and affordable electricity could not be established in the region.

He stated that “renewable energy is an answer to poverty eradication, improved livelihoods and a catalyst for socio-economic development.”

He added that the project would increase the geographical spread of electricity access, improve the resilience of power systems, stabilize voltage levels and reliability in electricity supply and ultimately reduce carbon emissions in the region and the nation at large.

He indicated that the solar power plant would not only preserve the environment but also ease the recurrent financial burden in the delivery of electricity to the Ghanaian populace.

On 23rdof November 2016, The government had secured a loan of €22.8 million from Kreditanstalt Fur Wieferaufbau (KfW) for the construction of a 12 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic power plant at Kaleo and Lawra in the Upper West Region.

This forms part of government’s generation master plan to achieve the 10 per cent renewable energy target in the electricity generation mix.

Project Cost and Funding

The project was funded by Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (K{W), the German Development Bank, with a loan amount of €22,816,666.67 for both the Lawra and Kaleo Projects. The cost of the Kaleo Project is estimated at C12.39 million VRA provided counterpart funding of the equivalent of €8.12 million.

The counterpart funding was for the acquisition of land, permits and licences, preparation of Environmental and Social Impact Studies, Feasibility Studies, Grid Impact Studies, and the payment of local taxes and import duties.

Project Benefits

The Kaleo Solar Plant has the following benefits:

-Increase Ghana and VRA’S Generation capacity by 13 MW Diversify VRA’S Generation Portfolio by adding more Renewable Energy Generation

-Improve the quality of power supply in the Upper West Region

-Reduce the national carbon emissions by displacing energy that gas-fired thermal plants would otherwise generate (estimated at 3,400 tons of CO2)

Source: Upperwestmedia.net