Suspension of Issuance of Provisional Wholesale Electricity Supply Licences
The Energy Commission hereby gives notice to operators in the Wholesale Electricity Supply Industry and the General Public that the issuance of Provisional Wholesale Electricity Supply Licences and Permits for Utility Scale Grid connected Solar PV and Wind Power Plants has been suspended.
This decision has arisen from the following reasons:
- The Energy Commission has issued about 124 Provisional Wholesale Electricity Supply Licences for Utility Scale Grid-Connected Renewable Energy (RE) projects since the coming into force of the Renewable Energy Act, 2011 (Act 832), out of which only three (3) have been developed.
- The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has signed numerous Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in excess of 2,000MW.
- ECG has since the beginning of 2017 been directed by the Ministry of Energy to suspend the signing of new PPAs for renewable and conventional power plants due to the over-subscription in the Whole sale Electricity Market (WEM).
- Suspension shall not be applicable to;
- Volta River Authority (VRA) and Bui Power Authority (BPA).
- Private developers who want to sell directly to Bulk Customers or the West African market would be subject to the ability of the grid to evacuate the intended power at the point of connection to be determined by GRIDCo.
- New applications for Provisional Licences and renewal of Siting and Construction permits shall be accompanied by a Buyer’s Intent (a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Applicant and prospective Off-Taker other than a Public Utility) before an application for Wholesale Electricity Licence is processed by the Commission.