In Kaleo, Nadowli Kaleo District, Upper West Region, President Nana Akufo-Addo has opened a €16 million, 15 megawatt (MW) phase II solar power project. The Volta River Authority (VRA) is providing GH¢30 million in counterpart funding.

The goal of the investment is to raise the caliber of the local power supply. The first phase of the 13MW project, which the President launched in August 2022, will raise Kaleo’s overall capacity to 28MW and the solar capacity of the area to 34.5MW. Elecnor SA of Spain carried out the project, and Tractebel Engineering of Germany provided consulting services.

The project, which is supported by the German Development Bank-KfW, intends to enhance the Volta River Authority’s (VRA) capacity for generating electricity by means of renewable energy production. By transferring energy from gas-fired thermal plants, it also aims to lower national carbon emissions and improve the quality of the power supply in the area.

Speaking at the event, the president mentioned that the solar power plant helps to lessen the effects of climate change in addition to producing electricity.

“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.

Along with providing a dependable power source, he emphasized that the solar power plant will open up new doors for job creation and economic expansion in the surrounding area and beyond.

Herbert Krapa, the deputy minister of energy, stated that the power outages that Ghanaians are currently experiencing will end 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.