Blue Energy plans 155-MW PV plant in Ghana

Dec 4, 2012 - British renewables investor Blue Energy said today it intended to build a 155-MW solar power plant in Ghana worth USD 400 million (EUR 305.6m).

The Nzema project, touted as Africa's biggest solar farm, will be constructed on a 183-hectare (452 acres) site near the village of Aiwiaso in Western Ghana. It is expected to be launched in October 2015. The project has already secured planning permission and permission to connect to the 161-kV West African Power Pool transmission line, linking Ghana to Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.

Blue Energy is majority owned by the Stadium Group, one of Europe's largest private asset and development companies. It plans to start the installation of over 630,000 PV modules by end-2013, with electricity generation expected to start early the following year. The company said it would raise debt or equity finance from international financial institutions and global equity and infrastructure funds to support the solar plant development.

The developer says the project will create 500 jobs over the two-year construction period and 200 permanent job positions after it commences operations.

The project will boost Ghana's current solar power capacity by 6% and will help the country meet part of its goal to generate 10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.764)

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