Who

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Lekela Power (Lekela) is a renewable power generation company that delivers utility scale wind and solar projects across Africa. Lekela’s goal is to deliver sustainable, reliable and competitively priced power. Central to its strategy is a focus on creating long-term value for communities where they operate and to make a positive impact that last for generations.

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What

 

Lekela are the developers of the two-phase 150MW Ayitepa Wind Farm project (the Project) in Ghana. The Project, once completed, will provide approximately 400Gwh each year of clean economic and renewable energy to the national grid. It will also help Ghana avoid emitting 200,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year. Rosalind Kainyah and her team at Kina Advisory were engaged to provide social performance advice and support to Lekela to manage land acquisition as well as enhance the project’s social license to operate.

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How

 

Rosalind and her Kina Advisory team reviewed the Project’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) report and carried out additional research to identify any additional impacts, benefits and stakeholder issues since the ESIA was completed. With this initial information, Kina designed and delivered a two-day tailored and interactive Social Performance Masterclass for the Project and Operations Managers to provide a fundamental understanding and working knowledge of Social Performance management as it applies to the Project, and to identify the sources of the challenges to the land issues associated with the Project and options for resolving the challenges.

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Based on the outcomes of the workshop, Rosalind's Kina team advised and provided on the ground assistance to Lekela to develop and implement a land acquisition strategy. The strategy included identifying and engaging with the full range of stakeholders; developing and implementing innovative resolutions to disputes; identifying and engaging legal and other professional advisors to support the land registration process; engaging on a regular basis with the Land Commission; and advising more generally on doing business in Ghana.

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Result

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Lekela was able to successfully complete the land acquisition process for the project and gain the legal license to operate by having the Project land title registered. The Project also continues to enjoy the social license to operate (SLO) developed with the landowners and the wider community.

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The Project Managers and Community Liaison Officers have a better understanding of the Social Performance issues and the tools to ensure that Social Performance considerations are effectively taken into account in project discussions; enable better decision-making to protect project costs and schedule; enhance project delivery; and efficiently manage project Social Performance resources.