Ghanaians benefit from US-funded Power Africa Programme for clean and affordable energy

At a time when the world is looking to provide and increase access to environmentally friendly sources of power, Ghanaians are benefitting from a US government funded programme for clean and affordable energy.

In a press release copied to Ghana Business News, the US Embassy in Accra says the government through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded the Power Africa West Africa Energy Program (WAEP) and recently held a lessons-learned event in Accra, Ghana, reviewing the last five years of work. 

The release indicated that since 2019, WAEP has expanded supply and access to clean, affordable, and reliable grid-connected electricity in 23 countries in West Africa.

“In Ghana, WAEP partnered with the Ministry of Energy to develop a data-driven inventory management system (IMS).  The system supports the ministry and decision makers, to access accurate, real-time data on the availability and distribution of energy equipment such as wires, poles, meters, and transformers. Through IMS, there have been more than 400,000 new electricity connections in Ghana,” it said.

It added further that WAEP assisted the Bui Power Authority (BPA) through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s assistance to conduct and review grid impact and stability studies to operationalize the first 50-megawatt (MW) phase of its 250 MW solar-hydro hybrid project. 

“This represents West Africa’s first hydro-solar hybrid project and has doubled Ghana’s grid-connected solar energy.  The project is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 47,000 tons per year,” the release said.

The release notes that the programme also supported the Ghana Energy Commission to train and certify wiring professionals by offering short-term certificate scholarship programmes to those working in rural, low-income regions in northern Ghana. 

In that programme, it said 44 wiring technicians, including 10 women, graduated, and they represent an 80 percent increase in the number of certified women wiring technicians in Ghana. 

“The increase in the number of wiring technicians has reduced the cost of wiring, discouraging residents from using illegal electricity connections and improving electricity safety,” it said.

Highlighting the achievements of WAEP in Ghana during the learning event, USAID/Ghana Deputy Mission Director, Grace Lang said: “I would also like to congratulate the Northern Electricity Development Company (NEDCo) and WAEP on their successful collaboration to improve revenue generation for the energy sector.  This successful pilot project has enabled NEDCo to reduce collection losses by 57 percent in the Yendi district relative to their 2021 baseline.”

“The impact of these interventions is a testament to what we can achieve through collective effort and strategic partnerships.” she added.

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