Pwalugu Hydroelectric Power Station

Pwalugu Hydroelectric Power Station is a 60 MW hydroelectric power station, under construction in Ghana. When completed, it is expected to connect to the planned 50 MW Kurugu Solar Power Station to form the 110 MW Pwalugu-Kurugu Hydro-Solar Hybrid Power Plant, the first of its type in the country.

Location
The power station, which sits across the White Volta, is located near the town of Pwalugu, in Talensi District, in the Upper East Region, approximately 142 km, northeast of Tamale, Ghana, the capital and largest city in the Northern Region of Ghana. This is about 765 km, north of Accra, the capital and largest city in Ghana.

Overview
The Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam that supplies this power station has several purposes, including (a) creation of a reservoir lake that measures 350 km² (b) supply of water to the power station, whose energy output will vary between 16.5 megawatts and 60 megawatts, depending on the rate of water release from the reservoir and (c) supply of water to an irrigation scheme that measures 25000 ha, benefiting 15,000 people dependent on agriculture for a living. The energy output of this power station, will be augmented by a planned 50 MW, solar power station in Kurugu, a neighborhood in the town of East Mamprusi, North-East Region, approximately 90 km southeast of Pwalugu.

Construction costs and funding
The infrastructure development project is budgeted at US$993 million. The Parliament of Ghana approved the budget item in March 2020. The procurement, engineering and construction contract was awarded to Power China International. However, other credible sources have reported the EPC contractor to be Sinohydro.

In June 2020, Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina), began site clearing and other pre-construction activities in Pwalugu. The budgeted cost includes the cost of erecting the 50 megawatts solar plant in East Mamprusi. Completion of construction and commercial commissioning are expected in 2024.