West Africa’s largest floating solar pv plant launched in Ghana

Ghana has launched 5 megawatts of West Africa’s largest floating solar photovoltaic plant to date.

Bui Power Authority (BPA) completed the project on the Bui reservoir. The project is part of a hybrid plant that uses solar and hydro resources to generate and supply power to the national grid.

According to a BPA statement, the floating solar power plant is innovative in using photovoltaic modules on water infrastructure, in order to conserve land and increase the module’s efficiency.

“Additionally, the water is also conserved due to reduction in evaporation of water from the water body. The plant can be installed on a pond, lake, reservoir, or on any other water body.

“The 5MW Floating Solar plant is also part of the successful implementation of the Bui Hydro-Solar Hybrid (HSH) system, a significant milestone for Ghana within the West African sub-region,” the BPA said.

This innovative system, in addition to the already existing 50 MWp land-based solar farm is said to be the largest farm so far in Ghana. “The combined generation from 404 MW hydro plant and 55MWp solar plants, further advances the region’s renewable energy capabilities.”

The completion of the project will help Ghana deliver on the promise of its National Energy Plan to increase the penetration of renewable energy in the energy mix by 10% by 2030.

In addition, the project will help Ghana move away from fossil fuels and toward its objective of producing 10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

The country plans to deploy around 150 GW of solar PV capacity by 2060 to achieve its net zero emissions target, representing US$550 billion in investment opportunities for companies and other nations.

However, a report by German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle noted that the project has raised environmental concerns. Experts are worried about the dam’s environmental effects, claiming that it has worsened conditions for fishermen living downstream and flooded a fifth of the nearby national park, forcing more than a thousand people from eight communities to relocate.

Ghana’s energy transition plan

Ati Ackah, an energy project officer at the Institute of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Solutions, said that harnessing a higher solar potential will decrease the high reliance on fossil fuels, which causes emissions and energy insecurity in a country since it will have to depend on someone for power. He said the project demonstrated Ghana’s commitment to support clean energy, specifically Sustainable Development Goal 7 of the United Nations.

Ackah further said that water’s cooling properties help PV cells produce electricity with a consistent temperature coefficient and high efficiency.

“The efficiency of floating photovoltaics rises as a result of the water beneath the panel surface acting as some insulation against outside heat. Floating PV has a higher efficiency of 15% than normal PV.

“The floating PV reduces water evaporation, which helps the hydropower reservoir in power generation. It produces power through absorption from the sunlight and reflection of light from the water beneath through albedo effect,” Ackah added.

Gad Ashiagbor, Executive Director of AfricaNEV, said this is very significant for Ghana from a renewable energy perspective. However he said that with Ghana’s energy demand of 600 MW plus, the project is merely a drop in the ocean.

“Ghana currently has a very high energy access rate of over 80%. Solar PV systems are ideal for communities that are difficult to connect to the grid due to accessibility issues. Solar systems are also a very important option for those looking for affordable alternatives to the sometimes erratic power supply of the electric grid.

“Implementation of an effective net-metering regime will accelerate household adoption of solar PV systems. Corporate and industrial consumers of electricity can use solar PV systems to both reduce their energy costs while increasing electricity availability.”

Economic benefits

Daniel Yeboah, National Service Person at Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), told Gas Outlook that successfully implementing the Bui Floating Solar System would attract potential investors to Ghana’s renewable energy development.

He believes the project will generate a wide range of job opportunities in both skilled and unskilled sectors, including roles for project managers, installers, drivers, administrative assistants, business developers, and security personnel.

“These employment opportunities play a significant role in fostering overall economic growth and development.

He further said the project will help to provide stable and affordable energy, which will support the smooth flow of businesses and economic activities and enhance the country’s general economic growth.

“If Ghana’s renewable energy capacity continues to grow, there may be opportunities to export surplus electricity to neighbouring countries, which would generate extra revenue for the country. The energy generated by the Bui Floating Solar System contributes to the national grid’s revenue stream, providing an additional source of income.”

Ackah said the project is economically viable because, compared to an equivalent solar capacity on land, it will produce an efficient energy output because of its cooling nature. He said deploying a hybrid solar system is one of the key technologies to solve intermittent solar issues.

“It can improve power stability and reliability by stabilising the reservoir water level. Performance on water is challenging compared to on land, he added.