Accra, Ghana – April 3, 2025 – In a landmark move for renewable energy in West Africa, Ghana has officially launched the region’s largest floating solar project, a 5-megawatt installation on the Black Volta River.
This ambitious initiative, unveiled this week, underscores Ghana’s commitment to expanding its renewable energy capacity and reducing its carbon footprint as part of a broader national goal to increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix from the current 1% to 10% by 2030.
Spearheaded by the Bui Power Authority (BPA), the project not only represents a technological milestone but also signals Ghana’s leadership in the regional shift toward sustainable energy solutions.
The floating solar photovoltaic (PV) system, situated on the Bui Reservoir in the Bono region, is a hybrid plant that integrates solar and hydroelectric resources to supply power to Ghana’s national grid.
Engineered entirely by Ghanaian experts from the BPA, the 5-megawatt facility is the first phase of a larger plan to scale the project up to 65 megawatts, with long-term aspirations of reaching 250 megawatts.
This innovative approach utilizes photovoltaic modules mounted on water infrastructure, offering a dual benefit: it generates clean energy while conserving valuable land resources that would otherwise be required for traditional solar farms.
Peter Acheampong, Deputy Director of Renewable Energy at the Bui Power Authority, hailed the project’s completion as a triumph for Ghana’s renewable energy agenda. “We have completed the 5-megawatt project, and it is already generating power,” Acheampong announced during the unveiling ceremony in Accra.
He emphasized that the BPA’s expansion efforts are guided by Ghana’s Renewable Energy Master Plan, which aligns with the country’s National Energy Plan to achieve 10% renewable energy penetration by the end of the decade.
The floating solar technology offers additional environmental advantages. By reducing water evaporation from the reservoir, it supports the Bui Generating Station’s 404-megawatt hydroelectric dam, particularly during dry seasons when water levels typically drop.
Furthermore, the panels create a shaded environment beneath them, fostering fish spawning and supporting aquatic ecosystems—a benefit that engineers have highlighted as an unexpected ecological bonus.
Ghana’s energy landscape has historically been dominated by hydropower, with the Akosombo Dam serving as a cornerstone of its electricity generation since the 1960s.
However, as energy demand has surged—reaching 17,500 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in 2022 according to the Energy Commission—reliance on fossil fuels like oil (33.6%) and natural gas (28.2%) has grown.
Biomass and hydropower contribute 32.4% and 5.7%, respectively, while solar and wind power accounted for just 0.1% of the energy mix in 2022. This heavy dependence on non-renewable sources has prompted the government to prioritize diversification and sustainability.
The floating solar project builds on earlier renewable energy successes in Ghana. In 2020, the BPA commissioned a 50-megawatt land-based solar farm, followed by smaller projects like the 13-megawatt Kaleo Solar Power Plant, the 6.5-megawatt Lawra Solar Plant, and the 2.5-megawatt Navrongo Solar Plant.
These initiatives, combined with the new floating PV system, reflect a strategic push to harness Ghana’s abundant solar potential—estimated at 4.5 to 6 kilowatt-hours per square meter per day—alongside its vast coastline and river systems suitable for wind and mini-hydro projects.
Minister of Energy and Green Transition John Jinapor outlined the government’s vision during the launch event. “To support our expanding economy and drive sustainable development, Ghana is prioritizing solar, wind, and mini-hydro projects as part of our broader energy transition plan,” he stated.
Jinapor also announced plans to establish the Renewable Energy and Green Transition Fund, which will support research into home-grown green technologies, provide solar-powered solutions across various sectors, and alleviate electricity tariff burdens on state institutions.
The floating solar project is poised to deliver significant economic benefits. Daniel Yeboah, a National Service Person at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, told Gas Outlook that the initiative could attract investors to Ghana’s renewable energy sector, creating jobs ranging from skilled roles like project managers and engineers to unskilled positions such as security personnel.
“These employment opportunities play a significant role in fostering overall economic growth and development,” Yeboah noted. He added that stable, affordable energy from the project could enhance business operations and potentially enable Ghana to export surplus electricity to neighboring countries, generating additional revenue.
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On the environmental front, the project aligns with Ghana’s commitments under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Once fully operational at 250 megawatts, the hydro-solar hybrid system is expected to cut power sector emissions by approximately 235,000 tons per year, according to estimates from the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which provided technical assistance for the project’s early phases.
By avoiding deforestation and land clearance—common challenges with terrestrial solar farms—the floating PV system also preserves biodiversity and maintains ecological balance.
However, the project has not been without controversy. Critics have raised concerns about its environmental and social impacts, including the displacement of over 1,000 people from eight communities near the Bui Reservoir.
The dam’s construction flooded fertile farmland and a fifth of a bordering national park, while downstream fishermen have reported worsening conditions since its completion.
These trade-offs highlight the complex balance between development and sustainability that Ghana must navigate as it pursues its renewable energy goals.
Ghana’s floating solar project sets a precedent for West Africa, a region where energy access remains a challenge—over half a billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa lack electricity, according to the World Bank.
With an electrification rate of 88.8% in 2022, Ghana ranks among the continent’s top performers, trailing only a handful of nations like Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya. The government aims to achieve universal access by 2030, and projects like this one are critical to that mission.
The initiative has drawn international support, including technical assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and NREL, which collaborated with the BPA to operationalize the first 50 megawatts of PV at the Bui site in 2021.
Scheduled expansions will include a 20-megawatt-hour battery storage system to manage solar variability and ensure grid reliability—a model that could inspire similar hybrid plants across Africa.
Experts see Ghana’s efforts as a potential catalyst for regional renewable energy development. Gad Ashiagbor, Executive Director of AfricaNEV, described the project as “very significant for Ghana from a renewable energy perspective,” noting its potential to demonstrate the viability of floating solar technology in addressing land-use constraints and water scarcity—issues that plague many African nations.
As Ghana scales up its floating solar capacity, the BPA has identified six northern locations—Bawku, Yendi, Tumu, Sawla, Buipe, and Zebilla—for future solar projects.
Meanwhile, private sector involvement is growing, exemplified by Helios Solar Energy’s 16.82-megawatt rooftop PV plant in Tema, commissioned in 2024 with $17 million in funding from the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
These developments signal a robust pipeline of renewable energy investments that could position Ghana as a leader in Africa’s green transition.
For a nation once powered solely by diesel and hydropower, this milestone marks a bold leap toward energy independence and climate resilience, offering a blueprint for West Africa and beyond.
