Ghana must balance energy security with green transition - ASEC

The Executive Director of the Africa Sustainable Energy Centre (ASEC), Justice Ohene-Akoto, has urged government to pursue a balanced energy strategy that strengthens energy security while accelerating Ghana’s transition to cleaner sources of power.

His call follows government’s plan to develop a 1,200-megawatt thermal power plant and a second gas processing plant, as announced in the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review.

Ohene-Akoto welcomed the proposed investments but cautioned that the expansion of thermal power generation must be matched with stronger commitments to renewable energy and other low-carbon technologies to avoid undermining Ghana’s clean energy targets.

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“Energy security and the green transition should advance together, not compete with one another. While additional generation capacity is essential to support industrialisation, economic growth and grid reliability, Ghana must simultaneously accelerate investments in renewable energy, battery storage and other clean technologies to safeguard its long-term energy future,” he said.

ASEC noted that renewable energy currently accounts for about two percent of Ghana’s electricity generation mix, despite the country’s target of increasing the share of renewables to 10 percent by 2030.

The organisation warned that adding another 1,200MW of thermal generation capacity without corresponding investments in renewable energy could make the target increasingly difficult to achieve.

ASEC, therefore, called on government to accelerate investments in utility-scale solar and wind projects, battery energy storage systems, and distributed renewable energy initiatives.

The energy think tank also expressed disappointment that the Mid-Year Budget Review did not adequately reflect the government’s green transition agenda, despite the recent renaming of the Ministry of Energy to the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition.

It further criticised the retention of the GH¢1 fuel levy, calling for greater transparency in the use of the proceeds and a clear roadmap for its eventual removal.

Meanwhile, ASEC supported efforts to increase domestic gas processing capacity but called for broader stakeholder consultations and careful negotiation of fiscal terms to ensure the project delivers maximum long-term value for Ghana.

ANAS/MA

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