Ashish Khanna is the Director General of International Solar Alliance
Ghana is set to benefit from a major clean energy push as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) rolls out the Africa Solar Facility, a catalytic fund worth US$200 million.
This amount is aimed at unlocking private sector investment in solar technologies.
The first $75 million, expected to be operational by December this year, will provide risk mitigation guarantees to attract capital into distributed renewable energy projects.
ISA is targeting key areas such as solar pumps, mini-grids, and grid-connected solar, aligning with Ghana’s goal to achieve 10% renewable energy in its national energy mix.
The initiative is backed by policy and regulatory reforms designed to create a more investor-friendly environment.
Meanwhile, a country partnership framework is expected to be signed with Ghana this week, laying the foundation for long-term collaboration.
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In an interview with GhanaWeb’s Ernestina Serwaa Asante, the Director General of ISA, Ashish Khanna said; “We have created the Africa Solar Facility. It is a catalytic fund of about $200 million. The first $75 million should be operational before December of this year, which will provide risk mitigation guarantees for the private sector to invest in distributed renewable energy.”
He added that; “Second, we are opening up Centres of Excellence in African countries to build local capabilities to find homegrown solutions. Twelve countries will have such centres, including Ghana, before 2025. We will also connect them to a digital hub, because digitisation is the next wave of jobs and productivity in energy.”
Ghanaian startups are also gaining global traction through the Solar X Startup Challenge, which connects 20 African ventures including several from Ghana, with innovators from India, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.
The program is accelerating solutions in energy, agriculture, and water access, positioning Ghana as a hub for solar innovation.
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To build local capacity, ISA is establishing Centres of Excellence in 12 African countries, including one at Ho Technical University in Ghana by 2025.
These Solar Technology Application Resource Centres (STAR-C) offer hands-on training in operations and maintenance, support startup incubation, and house solar testing labs to ensure long-term reliability of installations.
“Digitisation is the next wave of jobs and productivity in energy,” said ISA Director General, Ashish Khanna.
“We’re helping African countries build their own capabilities and connect to global best practices,” he added.
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an action-oriented, member-driven collaborative platform focused on increasing the deployment of solar energy technologies to expand energy access, ensure energy security, and drive the global energy transition.
Currently, 124 countries have signed the Framework Agreement of the ISA, of which 105 have ratified it.
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