KEY POINTS
- Ghana is building Africa’s largest floating solar farm on Lake Volta.
- The solar farm will generate up to 250 MW of clean energy.
- The project will create jobs and reduce Ghana’s carbon emissions by 200,000 tons annually.
Ghana has initiated a project towards developing the largest floating solar power plant in Africa on Lake Volta, which will help the country achieve its renewable energy targets. This project aims to produce hundreds of MWs of power, thus effectively addressing the energy needs of its growing populace and reducing dependency on conventional energy sources.
The Lake Volta-based floating solar farm is an important constituent of Ghana’s energy vision to derive 10 percent of its power from renewable resources by 2030. The construction of the project will be done in several stages, with a planned total capacity of about 250 MW upon completion.
As of now, about 70% of the electricity required in Ghana is generated from hydroelectric power, but with water scarcity becoming an issue because of climate change, there is a need for other sources of power.
The target utility-scale solar plants need a vast expanse of land that is adjacent to one another, which is provided by the area alongside Lake Volta, one of the largest artificial lakes in the world. The surface of the water can comfortably allow the installation of a large number of floating solar panels without encroaching on the land that could otherwise be used to grow crops or build houses.
Why Ghana is investing in floating solar power
This decision by the government is well-timed as the country seeks to open up its options for energy sources. Water-based generation has for quite a long time been the main source of power supply in the country, and currently, it is becoming erratic due to weather conditions. During the long dry seasons, the water levels in significant reservoirs for power generation, such as Lake Volta, decline, thereby decreasing the capacity of the existing hydroelectric power dams.
Besides providing power, the floating solar panels on the Lake Volta are also beneficial in regulating the water levels and minimizing evaporation at the hydroelectric power stations. The blend of solar and hydroelectric power as the two major sources of energy is expected to increase the generation capacity and stability of energy supply to millions of Ghanaians.
The solar panels mounted on large bodies of water have a higher degree of efficiency compared to those on the ground. Since the panels would be mounted on water, the natural cooling system ensures that it does not overheat, thus improving the energy produced. This efficiency gain is important as Ghana transitions towards renewable energy goals while at the same time struggling to meet the increasing electricity demand.
Africa’s largest floating solar farm Is in the process of being built
The proposed floating solar plant at Lake Volta is currently being developed by the Bui Power Authority (BPA), which owns a 400 MW hydroelectric power plant. BPA has clarified that the implementation of the floating solar farm will start with 50 MW and the subsequent development will be 250 MW. This makes it the biggest floating solar plant on the African continent.
BPA stated that the first part of the project will involve installation of the solar arrays on a section of the lake that is adjacent to the Akosombo Dam, which contributes a significant portion of Ghana’s power needs. Once the pilot phase is fully functional, BPA will collect data on the locations and the number of floating panels that should be extracted in a further phase of its expansion.
Energy stability is one of the aims this project is set out to achieve. During the development, BPA would be seen collaborating with local and international partners to ensure that the system is robust and stable despite fluctuations in water height and climatic conditions.
The social and economic effects on the local communities and Ghana at large
The Lake Volta floating plant isn’t just an energy investment; it is also a job-creating scheme. The Bui Power Authority (BPA) assured the public that the construction and operation of the solar farm would create employment opportunities for people in the community. Moreover, the government also believes that the project will help in the establishment of renewable energy skills and training.
The floating plant goes further than merely helping in providing renewable energy. The solar panels will prevent the evaporation of water at Lake Volta by creating a shadow over the water body and conserving water. Hence, in places where water scarcity is on the rise, this added value may well become crucial in the future.
When fully functional, the project’s impacts are expected to lower Ghana’s carbon emissions by approximately 200,000 metric tons annually. This reduction also corresponds with the greenhouse gas emission reduction ambition that Ghana declared under the Paris Agreement.
Thus, by transitioning away from generating electricity through fossil fuels, Ghana aims to lead sustainable development across West Africa.
The future of energy transformation in Ghana
The progress of Ghana’s energy transformation is, however, not without challenges, even with the current development of the Lake Volta floating solar farm. Such an issue is the uncertainty of funding to finance such large-scale renewable energy projects. Nevertheless, the Ghanaian government has been actively pursuing international investment, especially from development banks and private eager investors. They seek to find long-term funding partners to complete the project successfully.
If the project becomes successful, it could be used as a template for other such projects in the West African sub-region. Such a power plant is particularly appealing in areas where water is abundant and there is a scarcity of land to set up conventional solar farms.
Another challenge is ensuring that the power produced from the solar farm is fed into the national grid. Ghana’s current power infrastructure has to be expanded and upgraded to support the adoption of renewable energy. In response to this, BPA, with support from GRIDCo, is looking into upgrading the grid and its transmission capacity to efficiently distribute electricity from sources such as solar and wind.
If the aforementioned challenges can be addressed, Ghana will meet its 2030 renewable energy goals while ensuring that future generations obtain a steady source of electricity from cleaner energy.
Conclusively, Ghana’s floating solar farm at Lake Volta is a crucial development in Ghana’s renewable energy sector. Being the largest project of its kind in Africa, if implemented properly, this sort of floating solar farm can offer employment to inhabitants of the country, cut carbon emissions, and decrease water utilization. It may likewise set the tone for other such projects throughout Africa, a continent that now, more than ever, needs dependable, clean energy.
