Ghana targets 742 MW installed solar capacity by 2030: minister

   Ghana aims to achieve 741.3MW installed solar capacity by 2030 to ensure sustainable energy security, an official disclosed Wednesday.

   Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister for Energy, disclosed this in a speech read for him during the Power and Energy Ghana Expo conference and exhibitions in the Ghanaian capital of Accra.

   Prempeh said the target for solar is part of the broad medium-term target to achieve 10 percent or 1,350MW installed renewable capacity in the national energy mix.

   He said this would support the country’s vision for energy transition, which is at the heart of global energy discussions, and broaden electricity access.

   The minister said the country needed huge investments to achieve these targets for energy transition, adding that some partners were assisting in developing an investor-friendly energy transition plan for Ghana.

   “This, when completed, helps us to leverage over 540 billion U.S. dollars of investments into the clean energy space in Ghana by 2070. The installed capacity would reach 83GigaWatts, comprising Nuclear, Natural Gas, and renewable energy to lead to the achievement of our net-zero goal,” Prempeh added.

   Thermal generation accounts for 66 percent of power generation, with hydro accounting for 33 percent of power generation in Ghana, leaving one percent for solar. The electricity access rate in the country stands at 86.6 percent, according to official data.