Electricity in Ghana in 2021

Ghana's electricity consumption in 2021 is comprised of fossil energy and low-carbon energy, including gas and hydropower. The consumption of fossil energy stands at around 13.64 TWh with gas accounting for approximately 10.13 TWh. On the low-carbon energy front, Ghana produces 7.3 TWh, of which hydropower is the major contributor at 7.21 TWh. This presents a rather skewed energy mix with fossil energy dominating, and low-carbon energy forms being less prominent. This level of power consumption per person is significantly lower than the global average of 410 watts/person. This relatively low level of electricity generation can impact negatively on the economy, impeding industrial growth and infrastructure development.

Suggestions

To increase the generation of low-carbon electricity, Ghana could learn from successful countries in this domains such as Brazil and the People's Republic of China. For instance, Brazil generates close to 94 TWh of electricity from wind and around 49 TWh from solar. Ghana's climate and topographical features are quite favorable for these forms of energy. Therefore, investments in solar and wind sectors like Brazil could effectively increase Ghana's low-carbon energy capacity. Additionally, looking at powerhouse nations like China, which generate a remarkable 964 TWh and 523 TWh from wind and solar respectively, can provide invaluable insights into how to maximize low-carbon energy production.

History

Hydropower has been the primary form of low-carbon electricity in Ghana since the early 1980s. The history of hydropower in the country has been characterized by slight fluctuations in energy generation. For instance, in the early 1980s, there was a decrease in hydropower generation, with a drop of 2.3 TWh in 1983 and of 0.8 TWh in 1984. This was followed by a slight increase in the mid-1980s and then a gradual rise throughout the 1990s. The beginnings of the 21st century saw some significant declines in hydropower generation, with drops of 3 TWh in 1998, and then 1.5 TWh and 1.1 TWh in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Recently, the years leading up to 2021 have seen some instability in hydropower generation, with dips and peaks, culminating with a slight increase of 1.2 TWh in 2019.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources