ghana

Significant increases of utility tariffs in Nigeria and Ghana are improving the business case for solar by providing money to utilities and bringing competition to the power market, according to energy developers.

A glut of solar-based products failing across Nigeria has been caused by a lack of clarity around ownership and alleged cases of corruption, according to member of the World Energy Council (WEC).

Midway across southern Ghana, near the historic port fishing town of Winneba, lies East and West Africa’s largest solar PV plant. Ghana suffers a severe energy deficit with only around 70% of the population having access to electricity, so it was welcome news that the project was connected to the grid at the end of last week. PV Tech visited the new project, built by China-based power firm BXC Ghana, just ahead of the Solar and Off-grid Renewables West Africa 2016 conference in Accra, Ghana.

Ghana has recently added to its solar plant portfolio with a new 20MW plant developed by Chinese technology firm Beijing Xiaocheng Company (BXC).

Accra-based developer Strategic Power Solutions (SPS) has launched a new PV module manufacturing plant for US$50 million in Kpone, a commercial hub just outside the country’s capital.