<<Print>>

Mere Power Nzema Limited (MPNL) in partnership with Mere Power UK and Blue Energy both UK-based renewable energy firms is to build a 155MW Photovoltaic Solar Plant at Asiamah in the Western Region. The $350 million project, which will be Africa�s largest, is expected to commence in September 2014 and start generating power by mid-2015 to complement the national energy need for development. Captain Paul Fordjoe, Director of MPNL disclosed this on Friday in Accra at a day�s workshop for media professionals organised by Stratcomm Africa A PR consultancy firm. Captain Fordjoe said the �NPNL is an independent power producer and that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) had reached an agreement with the organisation to purchase the power to be generated for distribution to consumers. He said the organisation was in consultation with the Ghana Government for support in case ECG failed to honour any financial obligations. He said the project was located at Asiamah where land had been already acquired , compensations paid to the landlords and registered with the Land Registry. Captain Fordjoe said all documentation works with state institutions like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ghana Energy Commission had been completed. Dr Douglas Coleman, MPNL Project Director said the project unlike many other solar power plants in progress, would run on 630,000 photovoltaic panels deemed to be most suitable to Ghana�s particular climatic constraints. He said the project when completed would be among the top six in the world adding that 90 per cent of materials would be imported and initially offer 200 job opportunities to people, of which 23 would be expatriates. He however said of the total number about 60 would be skilled labour, while training would be given to Ghanaians as the project progressed. Dr Coleman said siting the project at Asiamah was appropriate because of its closeness to the Takoradi Habour, and also to the power lines of the national grid. He explained that although there was an abundant sun shine in northern Ghana, the cost of transporting the construction equipment from Takoradi by road and the cost of energy loss during transmission to industry areas would be very high.