Import quality renewable energy products to avoid e-waste in Ghana – Deputy Minister
Importers of renewable energy products into Ghana have been advised to bring in high quality products to avoid littering Ghana with e-waste.
The Deputy Minister of Environment, Bernice Heloo, speaking at the opening of the second Renewable Energy Conference in Ghana Tuesday August 9, 2016, said the conference is an opportunity to challenge Ghanaians to a healthy debate to attain the government’s target of achieving 10 per cent of renewable energy in the national energy mix.
She indicated that the government is involved in two major projects – municipal wastes projects to convert waste into electricity and a national biogas project for widespread deployment of biogas digestors in the country.
These projects, she suggested, would enable the Ministry to seize the opportunity to cleanup the environment and generate economic activities.
She noted that the Ministry would support legislation and regulations that would compel public institutions and housing projects to convert liquid waste into energy.
She therefore advised that organisations working on renewable energy projects in the country should bring in quality products.
Ms. Heloo also called on the Energy Commission to facilitate the performance of its clearinghouse to avoid shoddy and substandard products coming into Ghana, so that they avoid the coming into the country of e-waste.
Making a presentation on behalf of the Minister of Finance, Seth Terkper, Deputy Finance Minister, Mona Quartey, said the government is aware of the important role of renewable energy in accelerating and catalyzing the country’s socio-economic development and the achievement of universal access ahead of the UN target for sustainable energy for all initiative.
She pointed out that the Renewable Energy Act 832 provides the legal basis as well as the necessary physical and regulatory framework for development, management and utilization of renewable energy in Ghana.
“Furthermore, renewable energy is a sustainable option to ensure electricity access in off-grid communities,” she said.
Ms. Quartey announced the approval of a $230 million Scaling up Renewable Energy Investment Plan (SREIP), a Climate Investment Fund for Ghana.
“Renewable energy has the potential to augment generation capacity and once we have adequate reserve margin, intermittent technologies like solar and wind can help stabilize the power situation.
Due to sound sector policy initiatives, the renewable energy sector has made some modest gains in recent times,” she said.
She went on to describe the $30 million, 20 megawatts solar plant established at Oyandze near Winneba in the Central Region, as the largest utility solar plant now in operation in the West Africa sub-region.
According to the deputy minister, a 3Si state of the art solar panel manufacturing plant with annual production capacity of 30 megawatts is also in operation.
“The 2.5 megawatts VRA solar farm has been in operation for the past three years,” she added.
She also announced that the Ministry of Power in collaboration with the Energy Commission, Finance Ministry, GridCo, NedCo and the Electricity Company of Ghana with support from the GiZ, has successfully conducted the pilot 20 megawatts solar PV tender.
“The rationale,” she said, “is to accelerate the increase of renewable energy generation capacity to achieve price reduction in electricity tariffs.”
She noted also that the recommended bidders will be invited for negotiations shortly, adding that the templates and lessons from the first tender offer will be used to guide future power procurement in Ghana.
Ms. Quartey also indicated that a similar tendering process is currently underway for the procurement of a 50 megawatts solar farm by the Bui Power Authority, indicating that the government is pursuing projects to provide mini grids in island communities, noting that the government has also made significant progress in wind and biogas projects.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi
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