Government to Scale Up Renewable Energy Investment for Island and Lakeside Communities

The government of Ghana has announced plans to significantly increase investment in renewable energy infrastructure for island and lake communities across the country, with an ambitious target of electrifying an additional 150 off-grid locations.

This announcement follows the successful commissioning of mini-grid electrification projects in three island communities within the Ada East District: Azizakpe, Alorkem, and Aflive. These vital projects, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), have brought electricity to these previously unserved communities for the very first time.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, emphasized that this initiative represents a crucial step forward in enhancing economic activities and improving the quality of life for residents in traditionally hard-to-reach areas.

He underscored that this drive to provide electricity aligns directly with the government’s broader energy policy agenda for inclusive development.

“Very soon, we shall launch a bold program, a new programme that seeks to bring on board over 250,000 people living across 150 island and lake communities, enabling them to also have access to electricity,” Minister Jinapor announced.

“This commissioning is just the beginning. We intend to pursue an ambitious and aggressive program with the ultimate objective of connecting 150 island and lake communities to the national grid through sustainable and renewable energy solutions, ensuring they too can benefit from access to electricity,” he added.

The Minister for Energy and Green Transition further indicated that this significant initiative will not only expand the footprint of renewable energy across Ghana but also accelerate the nation’s progress towards achieving energy equity and inclusion for all citizens, including those in remote areas often underserved by traditional infrastructure.

“This initiative will certainly expand the reach of renewable energy to even more underserved areas, accelerating our efforts towards energy equity and inclusion and achieving our primary objective of hitting 99.8% access to electricity in line with our policy of light for life program,” John Jinapor affirmed.

The newly commissioned mini-grids in the Ada East District are already expected to stimulate productivity, provide crucial support for small businesses, and significantly improve the overall living standards within the beneficiary communities. This model is now set to be replicated and expanded to benefit numerous other island and lakeside communities across Ghana, potentially including some within the Ashanti Region.