World Bank to upscale Ghana’s renewable energy, help manage flood

The World Bank has promised to boost Ghana’s renewable energy. This will help provide accessible, low-emission, reliable, and affordable electricity. The goal is to benefit both businesses and individuals.

Additionally, the Bank will support initiatives to address flooding in the country. This includes improving infrastructure development.

Mr. Wencai Zhang is the World Bank Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer. He made these commitments during a recent visit to Ghana. He toured several World Bank-supported projects over the weekend.

One project he visited is Africa’s largest solar rooftop installation. It has a capacity of 16.82 MW and was commissioned in July 2024. This project aims to offer cleaner and more cost-effective power for businesses in the Tema Free Zone.

Mr. Zhang also inspected drainage works related to flood management projects. These include improvements in the lower Odaw channel and Korle Lagoon under the GARID project.

These efforts aim to enhance flood risk management and solid waste handling in the Odaw River Basin. They also seek to improve access to basic infrastructure for targeted communities.

His tour concluded at the redeveloped Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, funded by the Ghana Tourism Development Project (GTDP).

During discussions with LMI Holdings, Mr. Zhang emphasized ongoing support for sustainable infrastructure projects. He believes these initiatives will generate social and economic benefits.

He expressed confidence that the solar rooftop project would lower energy costs and improve efficiency while reducing emissions in Ghana.

Looking ahead, Mr. Zhang mentioned plans for new projects supporting industrialization and renewable energy development in Ghana. He stated that these initiatives could elevate cooperation between Ghana and the World Bank.

He assured that they would provide financing resources along with global best practices for energy sector reform, including rooftop solar energy development.

John Abdulai Jinapor is Ghana's Minister of Energy and Green Transition. He praised the World Bank for its support of solar projects and committed government backing for similar initiatives.

He encouraged LMI Holdings to focus on existing projects that can offer competitive prices for solar energy as part of a broader plan for streetlight systems powered by solar energy.