President inaugurates €16m Kaleo phase II solar plant

By Rafiq Nungor ADAM

President Nana Akufo-Addo has inaugurated a €16million 15-megawatt (MW) phase II solar power project, with GH¢30million in counterpart funding by the Volta River Authority (VRA), in Kaleo, Nadowli Kaleo District of the Upper West Region.

The investment aims to improve the quality of power supply in the region. In August 2022, the President inaugurated phase I – a 13MW project, increasing Kaleo’s total capacity to 28MW and the region’s solar capacity to 34.5MW. The project was executed by Elecnor SA from Spain, with Tractebel Engineering from Germany serving as the consultant.

Funded by the German Development Bank-KfW, the project aims to increase the Volta River Authority’s (VRA) generation capacity through renewable energy generation. It also seeks to enhance the quality of power supply in the region and reduce national carbon emissions by displacing energy from gas-fired thermal plants.

Speaking during the ceremony, the President noted that the solar power plant is not only about providing electricity, but also about helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.

“The inauguration of this solar power plant is not just about providing electricity; it represents also a fundamental shift to reach sustainable development. Renewable energy sources such as solar power not only reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, but also help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change,” he said.

He also emphasised that the solar power plant will not only offer a reliable power supply, but also create new opportunities for economic growth and job creation in the region and beyond.

Deputy Minister of Energy, Herbert Krapa, revealed that the current power outages Ghanaians are facing will be a thing of the past in a few days.

“His Excellency the President has expressly led arrangements, financial and operational, to ensure that the current power outages Ghanaians are feeling in the country, will in few days, be a thing of the past. The President has ensured, leading all of us in the power sector, that we are putting arrangements in place to procure additional fuel to run all our thermal plants and power production plants at full capacity,” he minister said.

On his part, the Board Chairperson of VRA, Kofi Tutu Agyare, highlighted the benefits that the Kaleo community and the region will derive from the solar plant.

He said: “Your Excellency, aside from affirming our commitment to ensuring the provision of clean, reliable and sustainable power, the completion and inauguration of this plant today have enormous benefits for the Kaleo community and, by extension, the northern parts of the country. Among others, the plant will provide the platform for enhancing the skills of technical and engineering students in Northern Ghana by providing practical studies in solar power”.

The Upper West Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, observed that the solar project serves as more than just a source of energy; it stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration for future generations.

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