Ghana to build 1,450 MW to phase out emergency power
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on MyJoyOnline
Ghana plans a 1,450 MW thermal power plant and a 600 MW solar facility to strengthen its electricity grid. Work on the thermal plant is due to start in December, with a phased commissioning through 2030, according to Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson.
Ghana plans to build a 1,450 MW thermal power plant at Ekafudzidzi, in the Central Region, to reduce its dependence on emergency power plants. Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson announced on Thursday 12 November that work would begin in December and that the project would be financed without borrowing, according to MyJoyOnline.
The first 600 megawatts are due to be available in the fourth quarter of 2028 and the remaining 850 MW in the third quarter of 2030. The plant will require about 150 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Sankofa and Jubilee fields, according to Cassiel Ato Forson. The government plans to phase out all emergency power plants by December 2030.
The thermal project will be complemented by a 600 MW solar power plant with a 2,000 MWh storage system, intended in particular to store electricity generated during the day for periods of high demand. According to the Finance Minister, these capacities are intended to support energy-intensive industries, including bauxite and manganese processing, steelmaking, cement production and agro-industry.
The announcement comes after the $1 billion investment in the Pwalugu Dam, announced on 13 November, which is also expected to strengthen Ghana’s energy capacity.
