China to build $1 billion solar power plant in Ghana

China is to help build a 400-megawatt solar power plant in Ghana aimed at easing the energy crisis.

According to the Charge d'Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Accra, Zhou Youbin, the Chinese Hanergy Group will be at the forefront of the $1-billion project.

“China, as a traditional friend and an important development partner over the years, has spared no efforts in supporting the development and construction of Ghana,” Youbin said at a natural resource conference.

According to Xinhua, Zhou listed numerous projects the Chinese government had undertaken in Ghana such as the western corridor gas infrastructure development project, construction of the 400- megawatts Bui Dam, and the Kpong Water Supply Expansion Project.

“In 2014, statistics about China-Ghana cooperation is inspiring. Ghana's export to China and Chinese Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows to Ghana has both surpassed one billion dollars, making China the biggest investor of Ghana in the past year,” he said.

“The most important thing is to balance the interests of the stakeholders, mainly the government, mining communities and the investors. Policies to ensure the healthy and sustainable development of the mining sector should be designed as soon as possible,” Zhou added.