President Mahama inaugurates first solar power plant

President John Mahama will on Thursday inaugurate the country's first solar power plant to be integrated into the national grid in Navrongo in the Upper East Region.

The two mega watts power plant is in fulfilment of government's renewable energy programme. In his State of the Nation Address in February this year, President Mahama announced, "we are progressing steadily in the area of renewable energy".

Distribution of solar powered lamps as promised in the State of the Nation address has started. Government has also deployed some 10,000 units of solar home systems to off-grid homes in deprived communities and some national security and basic schools.

A 315KW solar plant has also been completed by government for the Noguchi Memorial Institute at Legon with support from JICA. The solar power is expected to augment the energy requirements of the Institute.

Thursday's inauguration of the 2MW solar power plant is however the first large scale power plant constructed by the VRA, to be fed into the national grid. It will be a major boost to government's renewal energy plan as it prepares to also focus on wind, biomass and waste to energy.

Government has a target of 5000MW of generated capacity by 2016, and President Mahama, in the wake of the energy challenges that have confronted the country, has worked in the last four months to ensure a stabilisation and gradual normalisation of the situation.