The Institute for Energy Security, IES, has stated that ample political will is required for Ghana to boost investment in renewable energy.
According to IES, Ghana would have to draw lessons from countries like Kenya that are leading in the renewable energy sources on the continent.
Speaking to Citi Business News, a fellow of the Institute, Beatrice Annagfio, said, “…we hope that even if we should achieve the target by 2030 and I say 2030 because the National Energy Policy of including 10 percent renewable energy was extended from 2020 to 2030, and so if as part of our ambition to make renewable energy part of the energy mix, we say that let’s have a 100% coverage; and we say it should be possible because if you look at Senegal, recently the President, Macky Sall, inaugurated a 158 megawatts wind plant and 2 million people are estimated to benefit from it. So, I think if Ghana takes the deliberate steps and government begins to have conversation around renewable energy, we should be able to achieve that target”
Ghana’s National Energy Policy (NEP) objective of using renewable energy for 10 percent of total energy production by 2020 was extended to 2030 due to the failure to implement the right policies towards achieving of the goal.
The Energy Commission’s data shows that as of the end of 2019, Ghana had only 1 percent penetration rate of electricity from renewable energy sources in its total generation mix.
Yet, in the midst of this, the country’s current electrification rate is about 85 percent, which is slightly a bit far off target.
To be able to achieve a universal electricity access by the new set year of 2025, Ghana may be required to work hard to grow the annual access rate by at least 3 percent.
This growth, the institute of Energy Security, believes is largely feasible with the support of renewable energy sources because a considerable proportion of the communities awaiting connection to the national electricity grid are currently difficult to access because they are lakeside communities, others are planted on islands that require connection by sub-marine cables.
The IES believes, the issues prevailing with electrification and renewable energy in Ghana is due to a lack of commitment by government towards advancing the country’s energy mix.
