Ghana’s response to shrinking river flows offers a practical adaptation model for every African state whose electricity depends on rain-fed dams.
The 404 MW Bui hydroelectric dam on the Black Volta cannot run year-round: its modest reservoir would empty within three to four months of continuous operation, and inflows depend on rivers rising in Mali and Burkina Faso that increasingly run dry. In 2020 and early 2021 the reservoir fell to its minimum operating level. The Bui Power Authority’s answer is hybridisation — a 250 MW solar programme whose first 50 MW phase came online in late 2020, plus a 1 MW floating solar array on the reservoir itself, the first of its kind in the sub-region, which also curbs evaporation. The project supports Ghana’s goal of 10 per cent renewables in its generation mix by 2030 and its commitments under the UN climate framework.
Summary based on reporting by Dominic Hlordzi for the Climate Change Reporting Project (WAJA / Mano River Union CSO Platform).
Read the original at https://mrucsoplatform.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ghana-solar-power-plant.pdf