The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has completed the construction and final integration of a 4-kilometre, 161kV transmission line connecting the Yendi Solar project to the Tamale-Yendi transmission network, marking a significant milestone in Ghana’s renewable energy infrastructure drive.
The project was executed entirely by GRIDCo’s own technical teams, making it the longest transmission line project completed in-house by the company to date .
A Technical Feat for GRIDCo
The work covered tower erection, line stringing, testing, commissioning and energisation of the line. GRIDCo’s teams also integrated a 66MVA transformer into the transmission system as part of the project, bringing together expertise from multiple technical units to complete the works .
The integration of the 66MVA transformer is a critical component of the project. Transmission systems operate at high voltages to move electricity over distance with lower losses, and transformers enable power to move between different voltage levels at various points across the network .
GRIDCo said the achievement demonstrates its growing technical capacity while strengthening the national grid’s ability to integrate renewable energy .
Powering Ghana’s Renewable Energy Ambitions
The Yendi Solar transmission link will connect the renewable power project to Ghana’s transmission network and support the expansion of clean energy generation .
The completion of the line is particularly significant as Ghana pursues a broader transition towards cleaner sources of electricity and seeks to increase the contribution of renewable energy to its power generation mix .
The project addresses a critical part of Ghana’s renewable-energy infrastructure chain by providing the pathway through which electricity from the solar project can enter the interconnected transmission system. While solar generation facilities provide the electricity, reliable high-voltage transmission infrastructure is required to transport that power safely and efficiently to the national grid and ultimately to electricity consumers .
Background: The Yendi Solar Project
The Yendi Solar project, also known as the Galgu Solar Plant, is a 50-megawatt facility being developed by the Bui Power Authority with First Sky Limited under an engineering, procurement, construction and financing agreement .
The $59 million project sits on approximately 140 acres of land at Galgu in the Yendi Municipality of the Northern Region and is expected to create over 300 direct jobs .
First Sky Group, the financier and contractor, has described the project as the first and largest wholly Ghanaian-owned renewable energy initiative in the country. Under the arrangement, Bui Power Authority will generate and sell the power while repaying the financing over an eight-year period .
The solar panels have a warranty of 25 years, and the land provided by the Overlord of Dagbon is sufficient for 100 megawatts, with plans to potentially add an additional 50 megawatts after the completion of the first phase .
Strategic Significance for Northern Ghana
Northern Ghana presents a particular opportunity for renewable-energy development because of its solar resource and the availability of land for utility-scale projects. However, the region is geographically distant from some of Ghana’s largest electricity-demand centres .
The completion of the Yendi transmission line therefore becomes strategically relevant as Ghana develops additional generation in the north. The line links the Yendi Solar project into the Tamale-Yendi network rather than leaving the new generation capacity isolated from the wider electricity system, allowing renewable electricity produced in the area to participate in the national power market and contribute to meeting demand beyond the immediate locality .
Aligning with National Targets
The project aligns with Ghana’s target of achieving 10 percent of its energy mix from renewable sources by 2030 .
GRIDCo has been actively strengthening its capacity to integrate variable renewable energy into the grid, including through training programmes focused on renewable energy integration and system planning. The company has also been working with international partners including the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to advance its renewable integration capabilities .
The successful delivery of the Yendi transmission link demonstrates GRIDCo’s expanding technical expertise and its ability to undertake major transmission infrastructure projects using its own engineering and operational resources .
As Ghana’s electricity infrastructure requirements become more sophisticated, the experience gained from delivering projects internally is expected to strengthen GRIDCo’s institutional knowledge and its ability to undertake or supervise future network developments .
