Ghana • Growth, electrification and emissions: a fine balancing act

Key takeaways :

1. Emissions from the Ghanaian electricity
   sector stood at 2.71 million tons of CO2
   in 2017 compared with 3.52 million in
   2013. Meanwhile, electricity production has gone
   from 12.9 to 14.1 TWh;
2. A drop in carbon intensity of electricity
   can be explained by the development
   of gas-fired power stations, boosted
   by the discovery of local resources and a
   recurring shortage of electricity. However,
   hydroelectricity, the country’s main source of
   decarbonated electricity, is not being developed;
3. The Ghanaian electricity sector
   is being redeveloped after years of
   major difficulties. The poor financial
   health of public businesses places the onus of
   developing the country’s major renewable
   resources on private investments. Despite
   ambitious objectives and incentive policies,
   renewable energy generation, excluding major
   hydraulic installations, remains negligible.
   However, several projects are underway
   concerning solar, wind and wave farms;
4. The role of local governments
   in the production of energy is limited,
   they can mainly intervene via their
   economic development missions by supporting
   the electrification of local activity areas;
5. Civil society, and especially women,
   is as opposed as it is advocating by
   mobilizing against coal-fired power
   plant projects, while having an important role
   in training and sensitizing the population on
   energy issues.