Country Ghana Commission date 2016 Expected Type Flat-panel PV | Status UD Owner(s) Blue Energy Plc. Construction began 2016 | |
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Location Aiwiaso Village
Nzema East District
Western Region, Ghana | ||
Nzema Solar Power Station is a 155 megawatts (208,000 hp) solar power plant, under construction in Ghana. When completed as expected in October 2016, the power station will be the largest solar power installation on the African continent.
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Location
The power station is located in Aiwiaso Village, Nzema East District, in the Western Region of Ghana, approximately 235 kilometres (146 mi), by road north of the port city of Takoradi. This location lies approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi), by road, east of the international border with Ivory Coast.
Overview
The power station will use a total of 630,000 solar photo voltaic (PV) modules which, when struck by sunlight, will generate direct current (DC) electricity. Using inverters, the DC will be converted to alternating current (AC), which will be fed in the national electricity grid, to power an estimated 100,000 homes. When completed, it will raise Ghana's national electricity generating capacity by 6%.
Developers
The developer/owner of the power plant is Blue Energy Plc., a United Kingdom-based renewable energy developer. The company, has received regulatory approval from the Energy Commission and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, the two electricity regulators in Ghana. A generation licence and a guaranteed feed-in tariff of US$0.20 per kWh for the plant’s 20-year operational life have been secured. A power purchase agreement with the national electrical supplier ECG, has also been scured. Mere Power Nzema Limited, a special vehicle subsidiary of Blue Energy Plc., has been formed to develop, build, operate and own the power station. It has leased leased 183 hectares (450 acres), near the village of Aiwiaso in Western Ghana, for a period of 50 years, where to build the power station.
Costs, funding and timeline
Nzema is budgeted to cost approximately US$400 million. Blue Energy plans to source that capital from International financial institutions, multilateral lenders, equity partners and own capital. With a guaranteed purchase price of US$0.20 per kWh, the power plant is expected to break even in about 11 years. Construction is expected to be complete in October 2016.