The government plans to procure 1,200 megawatts of new combined-cycle thermal power capacity by 2029 as part of efforts to improve electricity reliability and lower the cost of power generation, Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Hon. Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor has said.
Hon. Dr. Jinapor disclosed the plan at the Future of Energy Conference, where he said the government had taken the decision to develop the additional capacity using Ghana’s own resources.
According to him, the investment is expected to significantly strengthen the country’s electricity system and could transform the energy sector by providing more efficient and affordable power.
“We have taken an ambitious policy to procure 1,200 megawatts of thermal capacity with combined cycle on our own as a country so that it can reduce the cost of power,” he said.
The minister said the government was targeting completion of the project by 2029 but acknowledged that additional electricity supply would be required before the new plants are operational.
He said measures were therefore being explored to meet the country’s power needs and prevent supply gaps during the period leading up to the completion of the project.
Hon. Dr. Jinapor said the planned generation capacity would help reduce dependence on costly sources of electricity, ease pressure on consumers and provide the reliable power needed to support businesses and industrial growth.
He stressed that Ghana’s energy strategy must focus on ensuring that electricity is not only available in sufficient quantities but is also dependable and affordable.
The government, he said, would continue implementing reforms and investments aimed at strengthening the financial sustainability, reliability and competitiveness of the electricity sector.