Toward universal electrificationrnin Ghana

摘要

In 1989, the government of Ghana set in motion an electrification plan that aimsrnto provide universal access to electricity within a 30-year period, from 1990 torn2020. About 25 years down the line, Ghana seems to be inching closer towardrnuniversal electrification. However, a number of challenges remain. As is the casernin many other countries, urban communities have greater access to the nationalrnelectricity grid than rural communities. Also, electricity generation in the countryrnhas not matched demand. This has resulted in load shedding/power rationingrnthat has become the bane of the power sector in Ghana, negatively impacting allrnsectors of the economy and leading to economic losses. The low generationrncapacity is partly due to poor fuel supply to existing thermal power plants,rnmeaning that installed capacity is often not available for use. This is coupled withrnlow investment in transmission and distribution systems’ infrastructure. Goingrnforward, the government of Ghana would have to explore alternative ways ofrnobtaining fuel, such as regasification, to solve the chronic issue of poor fuel supplyrnfor electricity generation. Distributed generation systems, using communityrnmini-grid and off-grid systems are other alternatives that could be exploredrnwithin the framework of the access agenda in order to reach the unserved poorrnlocated in remote rural communities.