1. Manager, Environment and Sustainable Development Department, VRA-Ghana
ENVIRONMENTAL BEST PRACTICES TOWARDS GREEN ENERGY PRODUCTION THROUGH HARNESSING RENEWABLE NATURAL RESOURCES (WIND AND SOLAR) FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – VRA’S INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
Emmanuel M. K. Amekor
Manager, Environment and Sustainable Development Department, VRA-Ghana
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

2. 17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet
PRESENTATION PLAN
Introduction: VRA establishment and Mandates
Hydroelectric and Thermal Power Plants
Ghana Power Plants, Capacities and Producers
The Case for Introduction of Renewable Energy
Planned Renewable Projects and Selection Factors
Institutional Arrangements
Project Implementation
Conclusions
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

3. VRA ESTABLISHMENT/MANDATE ESTABLISHMENT
Established under the Volta River Development Act 1961 (Act 46)
MANDATE
Primary function is to develop the hydroelectric potential of the Volta River (through the construction of a dam and creation of a lake/reservoir) for the generation, transmission and supply/distribution of electrical energy for industrial, commercial and domestic use in Ghana and neighbouring countries
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

4. AKOSOMBO DAM+LAKE VOLTA+HYDROPOWER STATION

5. VRA MANDATE AMMENDMENT AMMENDMENT LAW
The Volta River Development (Amendment) Act 2005 (Act 692) revised the VRA mandate:
Transmission component of original mandate entrusted to a new National Grid Company.
VRA now a purely power generation company
Focus now on core business of development of various power stations for electricity generation.
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

6. GHANA’S CURRENT ENERGY MIX AS AT SEPTEMBER 2011
PROVIDER
TYPE
CAPACITY
VRA/AKOSOMBO
HYDRO
1020MW
VRA/AKUSE
160MW
VRA/ABOADZE (TAPCO)
THERMAL
330MW
TICO/ABOADZE (JOINT VENTURE)
220MW
VRA/TEMA (TT1PP)
110MW
VRA/TEMA(TT2PP)
50MW
VRA/TEMA (MRP)
80MW
SUNON ASOGLI (IPP)
200MW
T3 (UNDER CONSTRUCTION )
132MW
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

7. 17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet
CURRENT ENERGY MIX
AS AT SEPTEMBER 2011
TOTAL
INSTALLED CAPACITY
PERCENT
CONTRIBUTION I
HYDRO GENERATION
1180MW
47.93% II
THERMAL GENERATION
1122MW
45.57%
VRA
570MW
23.15%
17.06%
IPPs
420MW
T3 (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
132MW
5.36%%
III
PLANNED RENEWABLE GENERATION (GREEN ENERGY) BY VRA
WIND POWER
150MW
6.09%
SOLAR POWER
10MW
0.41%
TOTAL RENEWABLES BY 2015
160MW
6.50%
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

8. JUSTIFICATION OF INTRODUTION OF RENEWABLES INTO ENERGY MIX
THE CASE FOR INTRODUCTION OF
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
Environmental problems associated with the combustion of fossil fuels are well known and documented worldwide.
Both developed and developing nations are grappling with for solutions to the CO2 and other GHGs and the associated global warming and climate change impacts.
VRA since 1998 actively engaged in diversification of its power generation sources from the predominantly hydro to crude oil and lately natural gas thermal plants, gradually reducing the carbon footprint of generation.
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

9. JUSTIFICATION OF INTRODUTION OF RENEWABLES INTO ENERGY MIX
HISTORY OF VRA DIVERSIFICATION PROGRAMMES
GENERATION PLANT
TYPE
INSTALLATION YEAR 1
AKOSOMBO
HYDRO
1961 2
AKUSE
1982 3
TAKORADI (TAPCO)
THERMAL (CRUDE+DIESEL)
1998 4
TEMA (TT1PS)
THERMAL (CRUDE +DIESEL)
2008 5
TEMA (TT2PP)
THERMAL (DIESEL)
2010 6
TEMA (TT1PS)
CONVERTED TO GAS 7
TEMA (TT2PS)
2011 8
T3 (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
TRI-FUEL FIRING (GAS AS PRIMARY FUEL) 9
TAKORADI (TICO)
TO BE CONVERTED TO GAS
SOON
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

10. JUSTIFICATION OF INTRODUTION OF RENEWABLES INTO ENERGY MIX
INTRODUCTION OF
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
Data from earlier studies carried out by the Ghana Energy Commission were reviewed to decide which types of renewables to introduce.
VRA’s RE Development Programme phase 1 (REDP1) aims at developing about 160 MW of installed renewable energy capacity over the next five years.
The program consists of three components:
Wind Power Phase 1 (150 MW)
Solar Power Phase 1 (10 MW)
Renewable Energy Planning & Development Integration
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

11. SOLAR POWER PROJECT PHASE 1
Renewable Energy Development Program Phase 1:
SOLAR POWER PROJECT PHASE 1
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

12. JUSTIFICATION OF INTRODUTION OF RENEWABLES INTO ENERGY MIX
INTRODUCTION OF
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
Project objectives:
Develop & construct a 10 MW Solar PV plant.
Asses the technical/financial feasibility of developing Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Plants in Ghana.
Provide training to VRA’s planning, development and operational staff on Developing and operating a solar power plants as well as integrating wind generation into our generation supply and expansion plans.
Register the wind farm projects as Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project in order to utilise CDM proceeds for co-financing of the project.
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

13. JUSTIFICATION OF INTRODUTION OF RENEWABLES INTO ENERGY MIX
THE CASE FOR INTRODUCTION OF
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
Factors taken into consideration include:
Availability of the natural resource (wind/sunshine)
Quantity and quality of resource (wind speed, direction solar luminance etc)
Quantity of power to be generated in a cost effective manner
Availability of land for infrastructural development
Environmental and Social impacts in riparian communities
Ease of power evacuation through tie-in to the existing national grid system
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

14. JUSTIFICATION OF INTRODUTION OF RENEWABLES INTO ENERGY MIX
INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
1 Establishment of E&SD Department
Under the Guidelines for Environmental Assessment in Ghana, Energy projects have been classified under the category of projects for which environmental assessment is mandatory
VRA therefore charged the Director of the Environment & Sustainable Development Department with the responsibility of satisfying the regulatory requirements of the Ghana EPA
Permanent interactive/consultative meetings were put in place to obtain Permits from various other institutions. Eg Energy License, Building permits, Environmental Permits etc.
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

15. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS 2 Community Consultations
An identification exercise was carried out to detail all potential communities that could be impacted either positively or negatively by project activities.
Community meetings were arranged to serve as consultation fora to receive the views of community members about the projects
Traditional Chiefs, Opinion leaders, Political representatives and Local Government officials were consulted at separate meetings to enable frank expression of ideas.
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

16. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
3 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
Liaison between VRA and Arrangements including meetings and communication with the Ghana EPA confirmed the level of the environmental assessment that is required for the projects.
4. Multi disciplinary Project Implementation Team
A multidisciplinary team from relevant VRA stakeholder Departments including: Engineering Services , Environment &Sustainable Development, Real Estate and Survey Department headed by a Project Director has been set up as a Project Implementation Unit for the Projects.
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet

17. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT – MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH
DIRECTOR, ENGINEERING
PROJECT MANAGER
CIVIIL COORDINATOR
CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR
AND STAFF
SURVEY
RESSETTLEMENT
ELECTRICAL
MECHANICAL SUPERVISORS
DIRECTOR, ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL COORDINATOR
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY TECHNICIANS

18. Questions & Answers THANKS YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
17th UPDEA Congress Hammamet