The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) has organized a two-day training programme for civil society organizations (CSOs) and media actors to address the gap in disseminating and engaging the public in Ghana’s energy transition framework.

Dr Alex Ampaabeng, Senior Economic Analyst at NRGI, noted that the world’s dependence on fossil fuel is gradually shifting to cleaner energy sources such as solar, wind, and nuclear, which are all environmentally friendly.

The analyst explained the reasons for the transition as human activities such as deforestation and the use of fossil fuels (petrol and diesel), which he said is causing environmental pollution. He added that the release of toxic substances and gases into the atmosphere is causing the climate to suffer. “This has caused changes in rainfall patterns and unusual environmental events. It is therefore, essential for Ghanaians to reduce emissions so that we can sustain our livelihoods.”

Mr Denis Gyeyir, Africa Programme Officer at NRGI, explained that Ghana’s energy transition plan would guide the country’s transition from fossil fuel to renewable or clean energy. He stated that the pathways were outlined in the Energy Transition Framework, with several targets, such as 70 per cent penetration of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) use by households and 20 per cent electricity generation from renewables, to reach net zero by 2070.

Challenges of The Transitioning Process

Speaking on the challenges of the transitioning process, Mr Gyeyir stated that it would have an impact on communities where women are using fuel wood for cooking, transition minerals exploitation, gas financing and infrastructure, petroleum sector revenues, and the sustainability of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

Mr Gyeyir indicated that one of the government’s proposal to address the risks of the transition is to accelerate the development of the petroleum hub corporation, which includes the construction of three refineries and five petrochemical plants. “This will necessitate a significant financial investment, and GNPC has already spent $6 million on the Petroleum Hub Project,” he said.

However, the Africa Programme Officer at NRGI warned that these may not pay off in the medium to long term, particularly given that major economies had set 2030 targets for transition. He explained that major economies are increasing their manufacturing capacity for electric vehicles and Ghana being an importer is already on the receiving end of the electric vehicles. He disclosed that information from the energy ministry already indicated there are already nearly 2,000 electric vehicles in Ghana.

Science Energy — Participants at the programme

“Ghana must therefore set its transition targets mindful of technological innovations in renewable energy, domestic resource availability and the need to carve a niche for itself as the world transitions. Ghana must also pay attention to developing its critical minerals potential not for export, but creating local value chains that would feed into the green economy. Government’s plan to use gas as a transition fuel must be situated within its domestic gas reserves available, and the investment requirements to produce this gas, build processing plants and transport infrastructure among other considerations.”
Mr Denis Gyeyir

Members of the National Energy Transition Committee, Civil Society Organization on Oil and Gas Platform (CSPOG), Act Africa, Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND), and some media houses attended the workshop.

Mr. Noble Wadzah, Coordinator of Oil Watch Ghana, suggested that Ghana’s Energy Transition Framework be incorporated into the overall Energy policy.

“The transition framework must not be viewed in isolation. There should be a comprehensive document that situates the entire energy transition framework within the larger Ghana Energy Policy, so that whoever chooses the Energy policy can navigate around the entire Energy policy.”
Mr. Noble Wadzah

Meanwhile, to facilitate the development of Ghana’s energy transition plan, the government established a National Energy Transition Committee in December 2021. The committee was tasked to evaluate the current condition of the country’s energy sector, the effectiveness of existing policies and measures; develop national objectives and targets for the transition, and prescribe policies and measures to accomplish these targets.

The Committee was also assigned the task of assessing the benefits, risks, and costs of the global energy transition and determining risk mitigation measures, as well as addressing cross-cutting issues. Following countrywide stakeholder consultations, Ghana’s Energy Transition Framework was developed, unveiled in Egypt, and featured at an event during the first week of COP27.

The training was held in Koforidua, to provide in-depth knowledge and understanding of the existence of a national energy transition framework, the reasons for transitioning, and how Ghanaians could contribute to the energy transition conversation.