Delegation assesses progress of renewable energy project

An 11-member delegation from the Ghana Energy Development and Access Project (GEDAP) of the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum (MoEP) has visited Tip-Top Food Limited, a vegetable, livestock and food processing company at Anloga in the Volta Region, to acquaint themselves with the progress of the constructional works on the renewable energy project on the company's farm.

The project co-ordinator of the GEDAP, Engineer Andrew Tonto Barfour, who led the delegation, said the aim of the project was to assist small-scale businesses in the country with funds to start small projects on renewable energy production such as wind, solar and biogas.

He said to access the fund, the entrepreneur had to go through a rigorous selection process, starting with the fund manager and, finally, gaining approval from the board.

The Director of Renewable and Alternative Energy at the MoEP, Mr Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo, said the ministry was committed to increasing the contribution of renewable energy in the energy sector to enable the country to take care of 10 per cent of its energy requirements.

He said the GEDAP project had three components namely wind resources assessments; solar for remote off-grid communities, public institutions and teachers in rural areas; and the business development services component that supports businessmen.

He said the initiative was to ensure that electricity got to the very remote areas of the country.