President Akufo-Addo is expected to cut the sod for the commencement of a 17-megawatt peak solar plant to be located in Kaleo and Lawra in the Upper West Region today.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the government is committed to increasing the contribution of solar power in the country’s energy mix.
Despite the abundance of sunshine, with many parts of the country enjoying high levels of solar irradiation all year round, he said, “solar energy only contributes one percent to the energy mix, as opposed to 59 percent from fossil fuels, and 40 percent from hydro.
The government of Ghana has outlined some solar energy programmes for implementation by 2030, including the attainment of utility-scale solar electricity from about 22.5 megawatts to 250 megawatts.
Under the Solar Energy program, 200,000 solar systems for households, commercial and government facilities in urban and selected non-electrified rural communities would be installed, while 55 mini-grid electrification systems, with an average capacity of 100 kilowatts would be established.
The systems would be based on solar cell technology, which would be hybridized with other generation options to serve islands and off-grid communities and the government is expected to distribute two million solar lanterns to replace kerosene lanterns, currently being used by rural non-electrified households.
Source: Kofi Atakora
