Ghana, he said, boasts of the required local capacity to deliver present and future energy projects to accelerate economic develop­ment.

Mr Kutortse made the call during a working visit to inspect the ongoing construction of a 50MW Solar PV generating power station in the Yendi District of the Northen Region by the members of Parliamentary Committee on Energy led by its Chair, Mr Owur­aku Aidoo.

He noted that the only way the country’s energy sector could be guaranteed was by harnessing the power of natural resources such as the sun, wind, and water in or­der to drive economic growth and reduce our reliance on imported energy.

The inspection visit was to offer first hand update on the progress of work on the first and largest wholly-owned Ghanaian initiative, which started a year ago, executed by First Sky Limited, a member of the First Sky Group and first-class road and civil engineering firm, on behalf of Bui Power Authority, the nation’s renewable energy leader.

Sharing a brief on the progress of work, executed on behalf of BPA, Mr. Kutortse disclosed that the Solar PV Project in Yendi, sits on about 140 acres land filled with solar panels to harvest 50 megawatt of renewal power in Ghana and stands as the first of its kind—a fully Ghanaian-owned renewable energy initiative.

He noted that, “It is also the second largest solar project in the country with the 55MW Solar PV Project at Bui, the first largest, undertaken by the Bui Power Authority.

“This project, a landmark mile­stone, is more than an investment; it is a statement. It says that Ghana will not be left behind in the global march toward renewable energy. It says that we are ready to lead, to innovate, and to create an energy system that is not only sustainable but owned, operated, and driven by Ghanaians,” he added.

“This is because across the globe, the energy landscape is shifting. Nations are moving away from fossil fuels, and the world is looking to renewable energy. Ghana cannot afford to lag be­hind. And today, with this project, we take a bold step towards that vision.”

“As the largest solar farm being undertaken by an indigenous company, it is important to note that all the experts on the project are Ghanaians, from the First Sky Limited and there is no foreigner working on this project” Mr Ku­tortse affirmed.

Commenting on the initiative, Chief Executive Officer of BPA, owners of the project, Mr Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, applauded First Sky Group for being the first Ghanaian company to build a solar plant in the country.

 Mr Aidoo indicated that as Bui power had the mandate to increase solar power penetration in the country, the Yendi project was in line with the government’s agenda of getting about 10 per cent of a total mix of energy coming from renewables and therefore, his committee was keenly watching the progress of the project.

The Deputy Chief of Staff, Emmanuel Adumua-Bossman, delighted with progress of work, explained that the most impressive part of the Yendi Solar Project was that if any of the panels within the 25-year period, there was a process to change the deteriorated ones to ensure the facility maintained the 50-megawatt capacity until a major replenishment was undertaken.

Board Chair of Bui Power Authority, Mr Kwesi Amey­aw-Cheremeh, said, “This is the first time I am seeing what has been done by the First Sky Groups of companies. I am truly pleased that a wholly indigenous Ghanaian company could do this, it means that we should continue to have faith in ourselves and if we do that, we will build ourselves and we will do things for ourselves and Ghana will be a better place for us.”