Kaleo Solar Power Station

The Kaleo Power Station is a 13 MW (17,000 hp) solar power plant in Ghana. The solar farm is owned and was developed by the Volta River Authority, between February 2020 and August 2022. The power off-taker is GRIDCo (Ghana Grid Company), which integrates the electricity into the national grid.[1]

Kaleo Solar Power Station
CountryGhana
LocationKaleo, Nadowli-Kaleo District, Upper West Region
Coordinates10°10′27″N 02°32′01″W
StatusOperational
Construction beganFebruary 2020
Commission dateAugust 2022
Construction costUS$25 million
Owner(s)Volta River Authority
Solar farm
TypeFlat-panel PV
Power generation
Nameplate capacity13 MW (17,000 hp)

Location

The power station is located on 20.4 hectares (50 acres), in the town of Kaleo, in Nadowli-Kaleo District, in the Upper West Region of Ghana.[1] Kaleo is located approximately 27.5 kilometres (17 mi) southeast of the town of Nadowli, the district headquarters.[2] This is about 18.5 kilometres (11 mi) northwest of the city of Wa, the capital of Ghana's Upper West Region.[3] Kaleo is located approximately 714 kilometres (444 mi) northwest of Accra the capital and largest city of Ghana.[4] The geographical coordinates of Kaleo Solar Farm are:10°10'27.0"N, 2°32'01.0"W (Latitude:10.174167; Longitude:-2.533611).[5]

Overview

The power station has a generation capacity of 13 MW in the first phase. The second phase with new generation capacity of 15 MW is expected to start construction in 2022 and reach commercial commissioning in 2023. This will bring generation capacity at Kaleo to a total of 28 MW.[1][6]

The power is evacuated via a 167kV high voltage transmission line to a GRIDCo substation in Wa, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) away, where the electricity is fed into the national grid.[1] This power station, together with Lawra Solar Power Station, with capacity of 4 MW are intended to supply stable renewable power to the city of Wa and the surrounding metropolis.[1][6]

Developers

The power station was developed by Volta River Authority (VRA), who also own and operate the solar farm. At the same time, VRA developed the 4 MW Lawra Solar Power Station, on 6.13 hectares (15.1 acres) in the town of Lawra.[1][6] The town of Lawra, Ghana is located about 71 kilometres (44 mi) northwest of Kaleo, close to the border with Burkina Faso.[7]

Construction and funding

The construction costs for Kaleo Solar Farm (13 MW) and Lawra Solar Farm (4 MW) were reported to be approximately US$25 million (€20.2 million), with loan support from the German Development Bank (KfW).[1] VRA is expected to borrow another €15 million from KfW to add another 15 MW in the second phase at Kaleo.[6][8]

See also

References
  1. Jean Marie Takouleu (25 August 2022). "Ghana: Kaleo solar PV plant goes into operation". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  2. Google (25 August 2022). "Road Distance Between Kaleo, Ghana And Nadowli, Ghana" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  3. Google (25 August 2022). "Road Distance Between Kaleo, Ghana And Wa, Ghana" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  4. Google (25 August 2022). "Road Distance Between Kaleo, Ghana And Accra, Ghana" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  5. Google (25 August 2022). "Location of Kaleo Solar Power Station, Upper West Region, Ghana" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  6. Theresa Smith (25 August 2022). "Grid-tied solar plant successfully commissioned in Ghana". ESI-Africa.com. Cape Town, South Africa. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  7. Google (25 August 2022). "Road Distance Between Kaleo, Ghana And Lawra, Ghana" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  8. Emmanuel Modey (24 August 2022). "President commissions solar power project in Kaleo". Graphic Online. Accra, Ghana. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
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