By Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo
President Akufo-Addo says the Kaleo Solar project is not just about providing electricity; it represents a fundamental shift towards sustainable development.
The President, who made the observation at the commissioning of the second phase of the Kaleo Solar Power Plant, also paid tribute to the chiefs and people of Nadowli Kaleo for their sacrifices in playing host to the project.
The President indicated that the Kaleo Solar Plant forms part of government roadmap towards the provision of clean and sustainable energy by leveraging the country’s natural resource base and doffed his hat for all those who supported the project in one way or another.
He said: “I must, at the outset, applaud the collective energies and sacrifices of the Chiefs and people of the Nadowli-Kaleo traditional area, upon whose land these important national facilities have been constructed. I also extend my sincere appreciation to the German Government for providing funding, through Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the German Development Bank, with a fifteen-million-euro facility to support the Government of Ghana in executing this project.” Government, through the Volta River Authority (VRA), also provided counterpart funding in the equivalent of eight-point-one-two million euros (€8.12 million) for the project.
The President touched on the significance of mitigating the adverse effects of climate change through renewable energy. “Renewable energy sources, such as solar power, not only reduce our reliance on fossil fuels but also help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. By investing in renewable energy infrastructure, we are securing a reliable source of electricity and creating new opportunities for economic growth and job creation,” he observed.
The Board Chairman of the Volta River Authority, Kofi Tutu Agyare, was elated to witness the confirmation of VRA’s commitment to increase the renewable energy footprints, particularly at the time Ghana strives to achieve decarbonisation, energy access, energy security, and energy efficiency, and commented on VRA’s collaboration with other sister institutions to help government to achieve its goal of installing some 150 gigawatts of solar generation by 2060.
He announced that the VRA, as part of its corporate social responsibility, has rehabilitated the Kaleo D/A Primary School by providing them with sanitary infrastructure, a library, a refurbished canteen, coupled with a general facelift of the school’s environment.
Mr Agyare stated that during the construction phase of the Kaleo Solar Power Project, 125 people were employed, saying 95% of them were from Kaleo and adjoining communities.
He assured the people of Kaleo that VRA, as a socially responsible organisation, will continue to extend a hand of support to them in relation to the sustainable development of their community. Mr Agyare expressed appreciation to the chiefs and people of Kaleo Traditional Area for their support in connection with the project.
The Paramount Chief of Pulima Kuoru Osman Nankpa, who deputised for the President of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs, Naa Dekomwine Domalae, thanked President Akufo-Addo for the progress made in the energy sector. The inauguration of the 15 Megawatt Kaleo Phase “2” Solar Power Plant brings the total capacity of the Kaleo Plant to 28 Megawatt peak.
