$150 Million solar project for Sankana to cover over 8,000 households
A 100 Megawatts (MW) solar photovoltic power generation project is to be constructed at Sankana in the Upper West Region to provide electricity to over 8,000 households in the area. The $150 million project is to be executed by Home Energy Africa Limited, a Ghanaian renewable energy solutions provider. It is expected to be completed in 2017 and would create jobs for over 200 people within the area.
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In this regard, the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has provided technical assistance of $704,815 grant to the contractors.
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Ambassador Robert P. Jackson, and the President of Home Energy Africa Limited, Mr Sena Kwadzo Ayenu, signed the grant agreement for the USTDA and Home Energy Africa respectively.
Impact
Ambassador Jackson observed that one of Ghana’s paramount constraints to economic growth was the unreliable and inadequate supply of electric power.
“It is a challenge we see throughout sub-Saharan Africa where two out of three people lack access to electricity,” he stated, and added that the situation hindered business operations and prosperity.
The ambassador explained that “it is the reason why we have made access to power one of the two priorities for our bilateral relationship”.
“Presently, Ghana has 2,450 megawatts of installed generation capacity. The Government of Ghana aspires to double that capacity to 5,000 megawatts this year, including 10 per cent from renewable sources,” Ambassador Jackson said.
Collaboration
He said through programmes such as Power Africa, the Partnership for Growth and the Millennium Challenge Corporation, “we are collaborating with the government, the private sector and others to make Ghana’s future brighter”.
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Ambassador Jackson indicated that Home Africa Energy would work with GreenMax Capital Advisors, a US firm, to finalise the legal and financial details necessary to bring the project to fruition.
He said the hallmark of the USTDA assistance was establishing links between US companies and Ghanaian project sponsors to bring private sector solutions to development challenges.
Ambassador Jackson said while governments must support development, it was important to remember that the private sector and the people also had a responsibility and a role to play.
USTDA support
He announced that to date, the USTDA had provided close to $21.5 million for Power Africa transactions and supported the development of nearly 670 megawatts of new power generation in Africa.
According to the ambassador, “emerging markets need sustainable infrastructure; USTDA funds project planning and partnership-building activities to support that development”.
He further stated that “here in Ghana, the agency has funded studies to improve electricity access and modernise distribution frameworks”.
Gratitude
Mr Ayenu was excited that the grant would support his company to complete the project, “in order to fill the gap in power supply, meet Ghana’s goals for clean and sustainable energy”.
He expressed gratitude to the USTDA for the funds and gave an assurance that the project would be completed on schedule.
Making a difference
Mr Ayenu explained that Sankana was selected because apart from the area having the highest level of sunshine in the country, it was also the intention of the company to make a difference in the lives of the people in that part of the country.
He said his company would sell the power that would be generated from the project to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), since it had the biggest base of customers.