Government has indicated that it is negotiating with development partners for funds to connect its facilities including Ministries, Metropolitan, Departments and Agencies to solar power.
This is expected to reduce government’s burdens of having to pay the utility bills of these establishments and also to increase the contributions of renewable energy in the energy mix.
Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo made this known on behalf of President Nana Akufo Addo during the 5th Ghana Renewable Energy Fair in Accra which was under theme “Opportunities for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in a Constrained Energy Sector”.
According to Mr. Osafo Marfo, “we are in the process of connecting the Jubilee House on solar PV following the successful connection of the Ministry of Energy to solar power plant which is reducing the power intake from the national grid and lessening the economic and financial burdens on the utilities.”
The Senior Minister also indicated that government is continuously enhancing the enabling environment by promoting for the private sector to play its role in the renewable energy sector which has led to a greater uptake of solar energy by both domestic and commercial consumers of electricity which includes captive renewable energy projects this year.
“The A and C Mall at East Legon has installed 1 megawatt solar system; the Focus Orthopedic Hospital installed 700 kilowatt hybrid solar system with a megawatt battery hour; Kasapreko completed a 400.4 kilowatt peak solar plant and Barry Challebau just commissioned 504 kilowatt captive solar plant for their own consumption,” he stressed.
Mr. Osafo Marfo also disclosed other government’s initiatives in the power sector to improve the industry and also to ensure that power is generated through other sources and at affordable rate.
“The Ministry of Energy has recently conducted a nationwide study on the biomass resource available in the country in order to promote the use of biomass for generation of heat and power in the country.”
The
Ministry is therefore putting together a comprehensive Action Plan to undertake
this promotion. Shortly, we shall be seeing pilot utility scale biomass – based
power generation plants which would be feeding their electricity into the
national grid,” he reiterated.
For his part, the Chief Executive of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Emmanuel Antwi Darkwa said, his outfit will be embarking on projects to explore Ghana’s renewable energy sector which according to him includes the completion of a stalled 150 megawatt wind power plant in the Keta Municipality. The project, the first of its kind is part of VRA‘s Renewable Development Project started in 2016.
“We look forward to developing Ghana’s first large scale wind power project. It is our anticipation that we will successfully complete the 150 megawatts wind project which has been on the drawing board for a while. These projects are to be located in the Keta and Ada Municipalities in the short to medium term.”
“We also intend to start next year a pilot floating solar project on the Ponk Hydro Electric Dam at Akuse to test the feasibility and adequacy of the operation of this technology in Ghana,” he stressed.
Meanwhile Government has also announced the reintroduction of the National Energy Symposium, which was used in the past to launch the findings and works of Ghanaian Academic and Industrial research in the energy sector after almost ten years of inactivity.
It has also introduced “The High Schools Renewable Energy Challenge” into this year’s Renewable Energy Fair where students from six notably, Ebenezer Senior High School; Presbyterian Senior High School-Osu; Armed Forces Senior High School; Tema Technical Institute; Achimota Senior High School and Manhean Senior High Technical School will be given the opportunity to present renewable energy projects thatn have been developed by themselves and engage players of the industry to take keen interest in their innovations.
Story By: Henry George Martinson/radiogoldlive.com
