Electricity sector in Ghana
| Data | |
|---|---|
| Electricity coverage (July 2012100%) | 74% (total), 60% (rural) |
| Installed capacity (2014) | 2,100 MW |
| Share of fossil energy | 25% |
| Share of renewable energy | 75% (hydro, bio energy, thermal energy) 1% (solar, wind energy) |
| GHG emissions from electricity generation (2013) | 0.2 Mt CO2 |
| Average electricity use (2010) | 298 kWh per capita |
| Distribution losses (2012) | 3% |
| Transmission losses (2011) | 3% |
| Residential consumption (% of total) |
50% |
| Industrial consumption (% of total) |
37.5% |
| Commercial consumption (% of total) |
12.5% |
| Average residential tariff (US$/kW·h, 2011) |
0.0016 |
| Annual investment in electricity (2013) | 1,000,000,000 billion (40% public, 60% private) |
| Services | |
| Sector unbundling | Yes |
| Share of private sector in generation | 53% |
| Competitive supply to large users | Yes |
| Competitive supply to residential users | No |
| Institutions | |
| No. of service providers | 38 (generation), 6 (transmission), 22 (distribution) |
| Responsibility for regulation | GEC-Ghana Energy Commission Office |
| Responsibility for policy-setting | GEC-Ghana Energy Commission Office |
| Responsibility for the environment | National Environment Commission; Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
| Electricity sector law | Yes (2007, modified in 2012) |
| Renewable energy law | Yes |
| CDM transactions related to the electricity sector | 1 registered CDM project |
Ghana generates electric power from hydropower, fossil-fuel (thermal energy), and renewable energy sources. Electricity generation is one of the key factors in order to achieve the development of the Ghanaian national economy, with aggressive and rapid industrialization; Ghana's national electric energy consumption was 265 kilowatthours per capita in 2009. Ghana exports some of its generated energy and fossil fuels to other countries. Electricity transmission is under the operations of Ghana Grid Company. The distribution of electricity is under Northern Electricity Distribution Company and Electricity Company of Ghana.
The first Ghana government-sponsored public electricity supply in Ghana commenced in the year 1914 at Sekondi-Takoradi, operated by the Ghana Railway Administration (Ghana Railway Corporation). Power supply was extended to Sekondi-Takoradi in 1928. The Ghana Public Works Department had commenced a limited direct current (DC) supply in Accra during the year 1922. A large alternating current (AC) project started on 1 November 1924, and a small plant consisting of three horizontal single cylinder oil-powered engines was installed in Koforidua in 1925.
In 1926, work started on electrical distribution to Kumasi. A restricted evening supply commenced in May 1927, and a power station was brought into full operation on 1 October 1927. In the same year DC supply was installed at Winneba but this was subsequently changed to AC by extending an existing supply from Swedru and during the period 1929-30, a limited electricity supply was extended to Tamale until a new AC plant was installed in 1938. The next power station to be established was Cape Coast in 1932 which was subsequently taken over by the Ghana Electricity Department in 1947. A Ghanaian power station at Swedru was commissioned in 1948 and this was followed by the installation of generating plants at Oda, Dunkwa-on-Offin and Bolgatanga in 1948. On 27 May 1949, an electricity supply was made available at Nsawam through the building of an 11000 volt overhead transmission line from Accra. The Keta electricity supply which was included in the programme was delayed by staff difficulties and was not commissioned until 1955.
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