Toward universal electrification in Ghana

Abstract

In 1989, the government of Ghana set in motion an electrification plan that aims to provide universal access to electricity within a 30-year period, from 1990 to 2020. About 25 years down the line, Ghana seems to be inching closer toward universal electrification. However, a number of challenges remain. As is the case in many other countries, urban communities have greater access to the national electricity grid than rural communities. Also, electricity generation in the country has not matched demand. This has resulted in load shedding/power rationing that has become the bane of the power sector in Ghana, negatively impacting all sectors of the economy and leading to economic losses. The low generation capacity is partly due to poor fuel supply to existing thermal power plants, meaning that installed capacity is often not available for use. This is coupled with low investment in transmission and distribution systems' infrastructure. Going forward, the government of Ghana would have to explore alternative ways of obtaining fuel, such as regasification, to solve the chronic issue of poor fuel supply for electricity generation. Distributed generation systems, using community mini-grid and off-grid systems are other alternatives that could be explored within the framework of the access agenda in order to reach the unserved poor located in remote rural communities.

A Review of Commercial Biogas Systems and Lessons for Africa

“…Ghana uses a mix of policies, including grid access, FiTs, competitive bidding, and Renewable Energy Purchase Obligation to promote renewable energy development, including electricity from biogas plants [46,57,58]. The Ghana Renewable Energy Act states explicitly that "an operator of a transmission or distribution system shall connect a generator of electricity from a renewable energy source within the coverage area of the transmission or distribution system where a generator of electricity from renewable energy sources so request" [59].…”

“…One of the very critical infrastructural barriers is the issue of poor grid network in many African countries, which poses challenges even to existing power plants [57]. Grid infrastructure is not robust enough in some parts of the continent, and that affects their capability to grant grid access to renewable energy power plants in general.…”

“…Even with free substrates in most instances, biogas technology for electricity generation is expensive, especially in countries where technology is imported. Most analyses, and indeed FiTs published by governments (e.g., that of Ghana), show that other renewable sources like solar, hydro and wind are cheaper than anaerobic digestion based power generation [10,57]. FiTs have almost always been more expensive than existing electricity tariffs, and this is the main reason why South Africa's electricity utility kicked against the FiT scheme in South Africa, instead opting for competitive bidding.…”

Energized: Policy innovation to power the transformation of Africa’s agriculture and food system

“…235 Ghana's success has been driven largely by strong political will, clear policies reflecting long-term planning with clear targets, and smart, bottom-up implementation. 236 Large hydropower and oil-fired power plants provide most of Ghana's electricity, although there is a growing supply from renewable sources, particularly solar. 237 The country's mature policy framework for clean energy access is reflected in the RISE score too.…”

The geopolitics of South–South infrastructure development: Chinese-financed energy projects in the global South

“…Yet the benefits of this electricity infrastructure are not evenly shared. Ghana's electrification, as with patterns across Africa, shows a major urban bias with 85% of urban households having access to electricity, compared to 40% of rural households (Kemausuor and Ackom, 2017). The gas plant and the pipeline, in particular, affected farmers.…”