Bui Power Authority was established in 2007 through the BPA Act 740 with a mission to support socio-economic development through the utilization of natural resources for energy generation in a safe, reliable and cost-efficient manner.
BPA was given a Ministerial mandate in 2017 to develop renewable energy plants by the Ministry of Energy and in 2020 amended its enabling Act to develop its renewable energy and other clean energy alternatives in the country. The Bui Power Authority (Amendment) Act 2020, Act 1046, gave the Authority the legal rights to execute renewable energy projects on behalf of the State; undertake its own renewable energy activities; and also, undertake clean energy alternatives in the country.
The Authority identified the untapped potential of solar resources in the country and set out to pursue the development and expansion of solar PV resources as part of the Government of Ghana’s effort to increase the contribution of renewable energy in the energy mix by 10% by 2030.
The Bui Switchyard was expanded accordingly to accommodate and evacuate 250MWp of solar power for the creation of a hydro-solar PV hybrid (HSH) system within the Bui enclave. The HSH facility is aimed at augmenting and preserving the Bui reservoir by the generation of solar power when complete. This will be Ghana’s first hybrid plant utilizing both solar and hydro resources to generate and supply power to the national grid.
In October 2019, construction commenced on the first phase of the 250MW project with the development of a Solar PV Facility, a Control Room, and Transmission System. The initial 50MWp was commissioned in November 2020 and has been connected Ghana’s National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS).
Furthermore, BPA has developed a 1MW Floating Solar Plant, which has since been expanded to generate 5MW of Solar Power as of 2023. Situated on the Bui Reservoir, this pioneering plant marks the first of its kind in the sub-region. Power generated from this facility is transmitted via the Bui Switchyard to the NITS.
To ensure that the national grid system is not interrupted by the fluctuations from the solar farms, a state-of-the-art 30MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) has been installed to provide backup power and mitigate the intermittencies associated with solar generation. This advanced technology, commonly utilized in renewable energy systems, ensures a stable power frequency to the grid during the hybridization process, further enhancing the system’s reliability.
In its endeavor to capitalize on the abundant solar radiation resources in Northern Ghana, BPA has engaged in discussions with GRIDCo, the national grid managers, regarding the placement of solar plants in the region. The aim is to facilitate the integration of the plants ranging from 10MWp to 100MWp, into the NITS.
One such site secured for development is located in Yendi, where a 50MW Solar project is set to commence. BPA has identified five additional sites for similar projects, in Bawku, Tumu, Sawla, Buipe, and Zebilla.
Bui Power Authority’s renewable energy projects are in line with its mission of supporting socio-economic development through the utilization of natural resources for energy generation in a safe, reliable and cost-efficient manner. Benefits of the projects include:
- Contribution towards the Government’s effort to increase the contribution of renewable energy in the energy mix by 10% by 2030. As part of the National Determined Contribution (NDC) towards the United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
- Job creation for both skilled and unskilled Ghanaian workers. Employment opportunities have also been extended to the Project Affected Persons within the Bui Generating Station and other projected affected persons at our different sites.
- Augment the preservation of the Bui reservoir by creating a hydro-solar PV hybrid system.
- Providing clean energy thus impacting climate change positively.
- Provide electricity to many more households which will contribute to ensuring the availability of stable and cost-effective power.
Phase 1 which comprised of 50MWp of land based solar within the BPA enclave was completed in 2021. An additional 150MWp (phases 2 and 3) is under construction within the enclave.
The following are the detailed projects being undertaken under phases 2 and 3 of the 250MWp Hydro-Solar-Hybrid project:
- Solar PV Plant: This will be a 100MWp solar PV plant that will be located within the Bui enclave.
- Transmission Line: A new 225kV transmission line will be constructed to evacuate the power from the Solar PV Plant to the national grid.
- Switchyard: A new 225kV switchyard will be constructed to connect the Solar PV Plant to the transmission line.
- Other ancillary works: This includes civil works, electrical works, and environmental works.
This project forms part of BPA’s 250MWp Solar Project and aims to increase the portion of variable renewable energy in Ghana’s Energy mix to improve the reliability of the power supply in the sector.