Just look at this! Ghana has built the largest floating solar PV plant in Africa.
According to the Bui Power Authority (BPA), " It is the first of its kind in the West African sub-region."
The plant is located in Bui (gladly in my home region and I’m proud of this success).
The floating PV plant is a 5 megawatts peak (MWp) system. Compared to other power plants like the over 1,000 MW Akosombo hydro plant, it may be seen as small. But in terms of Ghana's solar PV installations, this is a significant achievement.
Interestingly, there is an existing 50 MWp ground mount solar PV plant built in the same area making a total of 55 MWp solar system.
Since solar power is intermittent and varies with the amount of sunlight available at any time of the day, a 30 MWh battery energy storage system (commonly known as BESS) has been added to support the stability of the grid during any fluctuations.
Again, according to the authority, there are plans to build an additional 10 MWp floating PV system. This will bring it to a total of 15 MWp floating PV.
In summary, the Bui Power Authority site has:
✅ 404 MW hydro plant
✅ 50 MWp ground mount solar PV
✅ 5 MWp floating solar PV
✅ 30 MWh BESS
Considering that most of Ghana's electricity generation comes from hydro and thermal sources, this is a great accomplishment in promoting and leading Africa's clean energy integration.
Show Ghana some love!
Video Source: Mwihaki Chege
#ghana #floatingpv #renewables