Chinese energy company Solargiga has partnered with Ghana's Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to construct a 40 MW solar PV plant in the country's Savalugu/Nanton Municipality.
Under the auspices of Solargiga's 70%-owned subsidiary DCH-Solargiga of Germany, the company will own 90% of the public private partnership, with SADA in control of the remaining 10%. The project will cost an estimated $117 million, and construction has already begun. Once finished, the 40 MW plant will be connected to Ghana's electricity grid with the intention of accelerating SADA's development of the countrys ecological areas.
"SADA began talks with SCH Energy of Germany in 2011, which culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in August 2012," said Mustapha Ahmed, minister of state in charge of development authorities for Ghana. The MoU established the guidelines for collaboration, but development stalled until Solargigas involvement at the end of 2013.
The joint venture will enlist the labour of local people, creating more than 600 jobs, the minister said, adding that the University for Development Studies (UDS) will also work closely with SADA and Solargiga during the plants initial stages, eventually establishing a new faculty of Alternative Energy and Environmental Protection for transfer of knowledge and skills.
DCH Solargiga CEO Zhang Gang said that the company has worked closely with Ghanaian president John Dramani Mahama to help bring solar projects to the northern regions of the country, including a number of off-grid solar installations at rural schools, hospitals and homes.
Ghana has been relatively progressive with its PV aims in recent months, driven largely by foreign companies striking deals with local organizations and firms keen on developing the nation's renewable energy footprint. There are currently a handful of utility scale PV projects under construction in the country, including a 155 MW park owned by the U.K.'s Mere Power.
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