The Deputy Minister in a pose with officials of World Bank and residents
Government has adopted the use of renewable energy based mini grid systems for the electrification of island and lake side communities in order to improve their standard of living as part of its policy to achieve universal energy access by the year 2030.
Deputy Minister of Energy in-charge of Power, William Owuraku, disclosed this during the inauguration ceremony of a Mini grid project at Pediatorkope, an island community near Ada, which was piloted by the Ghana Energy Development Access Project (GEDAP) with the support of the World Bank.
The five pilot solar PV and Wind powered Mini grids that have been constructed are to provide a 24-hour uninterrupted electricity supply to about 3,500 people in the remote five island communities with a generating capacity of 200kw.
The Deputy Minister, who addressed the chiefs and people of Pediatorkope, indicated that following the success of the pilot systems, government under the Ghana Energy Development Access Project (GEDAP) has secured funding from the Swiss government (through SECO) to install three additional Mini grid systems at Alive, Alokpem and Azizakpe island communities which are all in this district.
He stressed that ‘Under the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program (SREP), 55 more islands are earmarked to be connected with the Mini Grid systems’.
He therefore reiterated the desire of government to secure additional funding to provide additional Mini grid systems to the remaining island and lakeside communities as part of government’s efforts to achieve universal access by 2030 and also improve the quality of life of our rural folks in order to help stem the rural – urban migration.
On her part, the Vice President of the World Bank’s Sustainable Development Network, Ms. Laura Turk, expressed her satisfaction with the project so far and reiterated the World Bank’s commitment to supporting Ghana to achieve a universal energy access by the year 2030.
Chief of Pediatorkope thanked the government of Ghana and the World Bank on behalf of his people for improving the conditions of his people.
He indicated that the quality of healthcare and education has increased as a result of the provision of electricity in their community.
He emphasised that they no longer rely on the inland communities to meet their basic
needs.