The acting President of Switzerland, H.E. Doris Leuthard, paid an official two days visit to Ghana earlier this week. The main focus of her journey was the launch of a cooperation strategy for 2017 to 2020 between Switzerland and Ghana, which aims to strengthen the bilateral relationship between these two countries

During a business dinner at the Kempinski Hotel, NEK’s CEO Dr. Christoph Kapp had the opportunity to meet the Swiss President along with Ghana’s Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Hon Markus N.P. Dutly and other politicians. Topic of their conversation was the progress and finalization of the 225 MW Upwind Ayitepa Wind Farm and in particular the need for a governmental guarantee, which is required to achieve Financial Close of the project.

During a state lunch at the banquet hall of the Flagstaff House in Accra on the following day, Dr. Kapp had another opportunity to meet with the high ranking delegations from Switzerland and Ghana, including H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, the Swiss President and various Ministers and Secretaries of State, whereat the talks about the wind project were successfully continued.

The 225 MW wind farm Ayitepa will be constructed and operated by Lekela Power BV., a pan-African renewable energy business, that has over 1’290 MW of projects in its current pipeline which it plans deliver into operation over the next five years. Lekela is owned 60% by Actis, the leading growth markets energy investor (US$13bn funds raised across three asset classes since inception) and 40% by a consortium led by Mainstream Renewable Power (over 9,000MW in development, construction and operations across five continents) which includes investors such as the IFC and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.