Mainstream Renewables' 138MW wind farm in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
Irish renewable company Mainstream Renewable Power (MRP) has signed a deal that will see it provide more than 10pc of Ghana’s energy supply through a large-scale wind farm.
Due for completion in 2016, the project will help the west African country’s push towards renewable energies. The 225MW wind energy plant would alleviate Ghana’s current total energy capacity, which stands at about 2,000MW.
Dublin-headquartered MRP, which has offices around the world, will work with Swiss wind farm developer NEK Umwelttechnik to operate the Ayitepa Wind Farm, located 40km from Accra, the country’s capital city.
Aside from Ghana, MRP is developing nearly 8GW of offshore wind projects in England, Scotland and Germany, with an additional 4.45GW of offshore projects.
Commenting on the Ghana deal, Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo, the director of Ghana’s renewable energy at the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum Ghana said, “It is my hope that this agreement between NEK and Mainstream will accelerate the process towards the realisation of wind farms in Ghana and they can be assured of the full support of the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.
“The government has more than two years of bankable wind energy data along the south-eastern corridor of the country, where wind energy prospects are very encouraging.”
MRP’s chief executive Eddie O’Connor said the deal will make the company the leading supplier of renewable energy on the continent.
“Mainstream is delighted to further strengthen its position as the leading wind and solar developer on the continent of Africa. We have already developed and built the continent’s largest operating wind farm at Jeffreys Bay (South Africa).”
