• Power up

    Power up

    Ghana’s government plans to install 200 000 solar-power systems to provide electricity to households, as well as commercial and to government facilities in urban and rural communities.

    This roll-out forms part of the country’s commitment to increasing its use of renewable energy, while also expanding access to electricity across the country, according to ESI Africa.

    ‘The country is endowed with abundant solar resources that can be harnessed to increase the contribution of renewable energy in the country’s power generation mix,’ says Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo. He adds that the government will also set up 55 mini-grids – with an average capacity of 100 kW – and provide 2 million solar lanterns to replace kerosene lamps currently used in rural and non-electrified communities.

    It is hoped that these initiatives will increase the generation of utility-scale PV from the current 22.5 MW to 250 MW by 2030.

    20 March 2018
    Image: Gallo/Getty Images