Accra, Ghana//-The World Bank Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer (MDCAO) Wencai Zhang has lauded Africa’s single largest rooftop solar project, located at the Tema Industrial Zone in the Greater Accra Region, during his three-day working visit to Ghana.
.He said this during his tour of the IFC Rooftop Solar Installation Project, which, with a capacity of 16.82 megawatts (MW), was commissioned in July 2024 to provide a cleaner and more cost-effective source of power for businesses in the Tema Free Zone.
Upon completion in 2024, the 16.8 MW project became the largest single rooftop solar project in Africa, ranking just behind Apple Park (17 MW) and Tesla’s Gigafactory (70 MW) globally.
The environmental benefits are significant, including a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the promotion of sustainable energy practices in Ghana, according to him.
Mr Zhang said: “This project stands as a flagship example of the World Bank Group’s commitment to promoting sustainable and resilient infrastructure in Ghana”.
He extended his appreciation to LMI Holdings and all partners involved in delivering this transformative project.
He also emphasized the critical role this project plays in reducing the enclave’s carbon footprint, cutting energy costs for businesses, and improving competitiveness in the region.
Addressing the management of LMI Utilities, a subsidiary of LMI Holdings, he said he was very excited about their cooperation in the project which began in 2022 and expressed the bank’s commitment to transforming Ghana’s energy sector.
“The World Bank is committed to getting results for our partners for supporting sustainable resilient infrastructure in Ghana”.
He added that the rooftop solar project would generate many economic, social and environmental benefits that could help power needs, reduce energy costs, and improve energy sufficiency, among others in the country.
After the successful execution of the project, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) which is a member of the World Bank Group deepened its partnership with LMI Holdings by signing a second investment in 2025 to support the development of a 150 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant.
This new project is designed to provide clean, reliable energy to power businesses across LMI’s Tema and Dawa special industrial zones.
“IFC’s catalytic role in enabling private capital to scale renewable energy solutions in Ghana is in line with the World Bank Group’s broader commitment to advancing climate action through private sector engagement. Such partnerships can serve as a model for scaling climate-smart investments across the African region”, Mr Zhang said.
The IFC Senior Country Manager for Ghana, Kyle Kolhofer who was also on the tour, was particularly proud that thousands of jobs would be provided for Ghanaians through the two projects.
He lauded that the government’s policy that supports renewable power enables the industrialisation of Ghana green which improves the country’s competitiveness and improves its market access.
In his welcome address, the Managing Director of LMI Utilities, Adlai Opoku-Boamah, explained that they are the only private sector energy distribution company in Ghana, and have successfully managed the distribution for this enclave which is about 1,000 acres and for 2,000 acres in Dawa.
“The utilities have become underpinning for industrial growth. This enclave is without a doubt Ghana’s most successful industrial park.
We have close to 170 customer accounts for electricity, and to support that Enclave Power Company which is our private distribution company has invested in the network and the support structures, that is the bulk supply point, a 165 MVA for 1,000 acres”.
That is significant. For those who know Ghana very well, that could be two regions combined, but serving the space of just 1,000 acres in size. So, there is a high intensity of electricity distribution within this enclave, he said.
In a solidarity message, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Abdulai Jinapor used the occasion to express the government’s appreciation to the World Bank for being a pillar and an ally for development.
To the LMI Utilities, he said: “I am also very proud of the LMI. You have my fullest support. Let’s continue to work together.
The government alone cannot achieve our energy needs. We can leverage the private sector as you do this, you won’t come to the government to demand capacity charges”.
For me, this should be the model, where you have an all-in-one approach you get the power available but then it doesn’t become a burden on the fiscals, Dr Jinapor added.
Later, Kojo Aduhene, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LMI Holdings the MD of LMI Utilities and other senior officials of the company conducted Mr Zhang and his entourage team around the rooftop solar project.
From there, the World Bank team also inspected the drainage works and Large-Scale Disaster Risk and Flood Management for Accra, financed by the Greater Accra Resilient Integrated Development Project (GARID) and visited the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum.
