The Bui Power Authority (BPA) has developed about 200 megawatts-peak (MWp) of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity within its operational area since 2020, as part of efforts to expand Ghana’s renewable energy generation and diversify the country’s energy mix.
Beyond this, the Authority has delivered a 50MWp solar plant at Galgu in the Yendi Municipality of the Northern Region. The Yendi plant is BPA’s first solar project developed outside its operational area.
Senior External Relations Officer of the Authority, Mawuli Fui Kwadzovia, disclosed this on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, October 28, while outlining BPA’s investments in solar energy and its progress in building renewable energy infrastructure.
Expanded mandate
Mr Kwadzovia explained that the solar programme followed an amendment of the Authority’s enabling Act by Parliament, which broadened BPA’s mandate beyond hydropower to include the development of green and clean energy resources. Since 2020, the Authority has been rolling out solar developments under that expanded mandate.
Phased development within the operational area
The first phase, commissioned in 2021, comprised a 50MWp solar plant together with a 1MWp floating solar installation on the Black Volta. The floating system was a pilot to test whether power could be generated and evacuated efficiently from panels mounted on the water, and it proved viable.
In 2023, the Authority added 4MWp of floating solar, bringing the floating installation on the Black Volta to 5MWp. A further 50MWp was developed between 2023 and 2025, and additional capacity added this year has taken BPA’s total solar capacity within its operational area to about 200MWp.
The Authority says the newest capacity will soon be commissioned into the national grid, strengthening Ghana’s generation capacity and supporting the transition to cleaner energy sources.
Yendi: first project outside the operational area
The 50MWp Galgu plant in the Yendi Municipality cost about US$50 million. It was executed under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction plus Financing (EPC+F) arrangement with Ghanaian company First Sky Limited, which financed the project and undertook its planning, installation and construction.
According to Mr Kwadzovia, the investment will be recovered through payments linked to the electricity the plant generates, with the financing expected to be repaid over a period of five to seven years.
He noted that although solar projects require substantial upfront investment, they offer long-term operating cost advantages over thermal plants because they do not depend on continuous fuel purchases. Renewable sources such as solar and hydropower, he said, are more cost-efficient to run over time and more environmentally friendly.
The Yendi plant is expected to improve electricity supply in the Yendi Municipality and communities along the Eastern Corridor, while extending BPA’s renewable energy footprint beyond its traditional operational area.
BPA solar capacity at a glance
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