The Brew-Hammond Energy Centre at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has renewed its partnership with ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), through the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to advance renewable energy training and capacity building.

The renewed agreement follows a successful inspection visit by an ECREEE delegation, comprising Mr. Claudino Mendes, Certification Expert and Coordinator, Rev. Ing. Dr. Seth Dzokoto, and Mr. Collins Osae, Programme Officer for Monitoring and Evaluation.

Speaking on the development, Dr. Charles Sekyere, Chair of the Wind and Hydro Research Group and Coordinator for Short Courses at the Centre, noted that the initial MoU was signed in 2018, leading to the launch of a certification programme in 2019. The agreement expired in 2022, prompting renewed efforts to sustain and expand the collaboration.

“With the inspection successfully completed, we have now formalised the renewal through the signing of a new MoU,” he stated.

Under the renewed partnership, Dr Sekyere revealed that KNUST has been designated as an official examination centre for ECREEE’s certification programme in off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) installation. He added that the programme will initially focus on Level 1 certification, which targets technicians and combines both theoretical and practical training.

He noted that the MoU would run over a six-year period to enhance technical expertise in Ghana’s renewable energy sector, adding that ECREEE would provide the necessary logistics and certification support for the examinations.