Ghana has begun construction of the first 100MW facility under a 1.5-gigawatt utility-scale solar programme designed to cut power costs for manufacturers, with the government assembling guaranteed buyers for electricity before developers break ground — a de-risking model with implications for industrial energy policy across the continent.
Dr Augustus Goosie Tanoh, Senior Presidential Advisor and Coordinator of the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat, announced the construction start at Ghana Investment and Trade Week in Accra on 7 July.
A joint development agreement underpinning the programme was signed on 10 April, with construction of the first 100MW facility commencing in August 2024.
The central mechanism is demand aggregation. Rather than asking developers to build and then find buyers, Ghana’s government is consolidating electricity demand from industrial parks, inland ports, and logistics hubs into guaranteed offtake arrangements before investment decisions are made. For renewable energy developers — who typically face revenue uncertainty as a primary barrier to financing — the approach offers a committed market from the outset.
Tanoh framed the programme in explicitly industrial terms: lower power costs would improve the competitiveness of Ghanaian manufacturers, reduce production expenses, attract inward investment, and support employment by making locally produced goods more competitive both domestically and for export. The initiative also addresses what he described as Ghana’s long-standing pattern of exporting raw materials and importing finished goods — a structural challenge shared by many African economies.
The 1.5GW solar programme, backed by battery energy storage, sits within a broader energy transition agenda.
Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, Minister for Energy and Green Transition, has set a target of 1,000MW of solar capacity for Ghana and is already running a 200MW competitive solar tender. Solar-plus-storage is intended to improve grid reliability against growing industrial demand.
The ministry is also finalising a $3.4 billion strategic plan covering 2026 to 2030. That plan spans the renewable energy value chain, electric mobility, and the development of three green economic zones in Ghana’s Central, Volta, and Savannah regions — a geographic spread that signals intent to distribute industrial development beyond the capital.
Beyond power generation, the programme is designed to support electric mobility, affordable housing, and agro-industrial parks. Ghana Investment and Trade Week, at which the programme was presented to investors, was held in partnership with the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry, with support from the trade bureau of China’s Ministry of Commerce, India’s Engineering Export Promotion Council, and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).
For policymakers and investors across West Africa, the offtake aggregation model offers a replicable template for reducing the risk profile of renewable energy projects serving industrial users — a segment where reliable, affordable power remains a persistent constraint on manufacturing competitiveness.
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