For the first time in Ghana, a wind energy project receives after a long lasting application and consultation procedure the construction licence: The wind farm Ayitepa, located east of Tema at the Atlantic coast, got by the end of October from the District Assembly in Ningo-Prampram the final and definitive building and construction permit.

This project, which is developed by NEK for our partner Upwind International AG and which is one of the biggest wind energy projects in Africa with a planned electrical power of 225 MW, has taken with that permit another hurdle during the complex permitting process. As per today, the project is now only missing from the Energy Commission (EC) the construction and operation licences in order to be fully permitted. We are convinced that EC will issue these last permits during the coming months.

In parallel, we are negotiating with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and with the grid operator GRIDCo a Grid Connection Agreement, which hopefully also should be concluded in the next few months.

As announced earlier, the project at Ayitepa was acquired by Mainstream Renewable Power from Ireland for construction and operation earlier this year. We are convinced that this wind farm will be fully permitted in the first half of 2015, what will make Mainstream to start construction right afterwards.

This project will contribute at least partially to close the gap in the electricity supply which affects the population and the industry of the country drastically.