Blue Energy Set to Develop Ghana's $400 Million, 155-Megawatt Photovoltaic Plant

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Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--What is claimed to be the largest photovoltaic solar plant in Africa and the fourth largest in the world is going to be developed by Blue Energy (Alderley Edge, United Kingdom) at Nzema in the West African state of Ghana.

The $400 million plant will have a generation capacity of 155 megawatts (MW), which (when it goes into operation towards the end of 2015) will increase the country's power capacity by 6%. Ghana also has a 2020 renewables target, and Nzema will contribute 20%.

Chris Dean, chief executive officer of Blue Energy, said that Ghana's forward thinking strategy puts the country in a strong position to lead the renewable energy revolution in Sub-Saharan Africa. "Nzema is a case study in how governments can unlock the huge potential for solar energy in Africa. We are delighted that it will make a strong contribution to the national economy, provide much needed generating capacity and help develop the skills of the future," he said.

Ghana's Renewable Energy Act is designed to promote investments and projects by the establishment of a feed-in tariffs (FiT) system. The Nzema project has been awarded a FiT for a period of 20 years.

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News quoted project director Douglas Coleman, from Mere Power Nzema Limited (Ghana), as saying that the project was 'fully cooked' in planning terms. "The project has land, it has planning consent, it has a generating license and it has received a Fit," he said.

The company backing the project is majority owned and funded by members of the Stadium Group, a large European private asset and development with $3.25 billion under management.

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