After an approximately 2-year process, the Ghanaian authorities have issued the so-called Airspace Safety Permit for the 200 MW Konikablo Wind Farm, which is mandatory for the construction and operation of the wind farm.
After a process lasting several years, which began with an information campaign for the local population, the farmers affected and the landowners, the development of a so-called scoping report and as a result of an extensive environmental report on the environmental compatibility of the wind farm, NEK has now received from the Ghanaian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the final permit for the wind farm.
In order for the realisation, construction and operation of wind energy projects in Ghana to conform to the zones and comply with the applicable regulations, extensive planning and project development services must be provided for the respective projects, which serve as the basis for the corresponding rezoning. This also includes the involvement of the local population, landowners and farmers, who are informed and enlightened about all aspects of a wind farm project in various sessions and field visits to the relevant land.
As is well known, The Gambia is pursuing very ambitious goals with regard to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement as well as the results of the COP26 event in Glasgow. The government wants to achieve that the entire population has access to electricity by 2025 and that the majority of this should come from renewable energy sources.
After NEK had concluded land lease contracts with a duration of 30 years for its wind projects in Ghana some time ago, the process of registering these contracts with the Lands Commission has recently started, for which this development step has not yet taken place. This requires extensive field work to determine the exact coordinates of the leased land.