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Harnessing The Wind

The Swiss renewable energy company NEK Umwelttechnik AG (NEK) has been in existence and developing wind farms in Ghana since 1998 through its Accra branch NEK (Ghana) Ltd.

NEK is carrying out several wind energy projects in locations in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana between Tema and Ada, consisting of 6 large-scale wind parks which are ready for construction.

The total capacity to be installed is approximately 1,300 MW. These will produce per year about 3,400 GWh of clean, sustainable, home-made, never ending, and cheap electricity for the Ghanaian population and the industrial sector and contribute with a yearly average production capacity of 450 MW to the electricity supply of the country.

The Government of The Gambia, represented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, and Swiss renewable energy firm NEK Umwelttechnik AG have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a 200 MW onshore wind farm and a 350 MW offshore wind farm over several phases.

NEK carried out from 1999 onwards first wind measurements in the District of Ada East. Almost 25 years later and after a process lasting for more than two years, which began with an information campaign for the local population, the farmers involved and the landowners, NEK has now received from the Ghanaian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the final environmental permit for the wind farm.

NEK has carried out during the past decades a lot of wind measurements in Ghana, also along the coastline. This led to the development of 6 land-based wind energy projects in Ghana, located between Tema and Ada in the Greater Accra Region.

Having in mind the quickly increasing demand for new energy generation capacities both in Ghana and in neighbouring countries, the question arises where such installations could be placed. A lot of countries have signed in the past obligation declarations to steer their energy policy towards net zero, meaning that in the future, the main part of new generation facilities will be renewable. This, together with the fact that along the coastline of Ghana the windiest sites are already taken for NEK’s wind projects and there is not much space left onshore for additional large wind energy installations, has led us to starting the process for the development of offshore wind projects in Ghana in 2022.

The pervasiveness of environmental concerns in today’s world and conversations about sustainability make renewable energy a non-negotiable imperative, if the world must reverse its current course.

This feature article explores the transformative power of renewable energy and highlights its numerous advantages in shaping a sustainable future.