ACEP’s Dr Charles Ofori Questions Feasibility of NPP’s 2,000MW Renewable Energy Pledge
Dr. Charles Ofori, Policy Lead for Climate Change and Energy Transition at the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), has raised concerns over the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) manifesto pledge to add 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy to Ghana’s energy mix.
Speaking on TV3’s NewDay program on November 19, 2024, Dr. Ofori highlighted the importance of aligning such promises with comprehensive planning and feasibility studies.
“At the heart of this conversation is the need for a plan to ensure that the additional supply aligns with demand, avoiding an imbalance that could lead to inefficiencies,” he remarked.
“Manifestos often fail to consider the feasibility of proposed projects, and this includes whether there is sufficient demand for the new supply and whether the projects are financially and operationally viable,” he added.
Dr. Ofori referenced Ghana’s Integrated Power System Master Plan, which outlines strategies for expanding the country’s power generation capacity up to 2040. This plan incorporates diverse energy sources, including thermal, gas, renewables, and nuclear.
He emphasized that the NPP’s proposal must adhere to this framework to ensure cost efficiency and sustainability.
Competitive Procurement and Transparency
The ACEP policy expert stressed that adding energy capacity is not just about the numbers but also about how the process is managed.
“To drive down the cost of power generation, capacity additions must be competitively procured with clear transparency mechanisms around the contracting process,” Dr. Ofori stated.
He warned that the failure to address procurement, contracting terms, and tariff impacts could undermine the long-term affordability and reliability of power for consumers.
Call for Strategic Planning
Dr. Ofori called on political stakeholders to ground their energy policies in detailed strategic planning. “It’s not enough to make ambitious promises; we need to consider the broader implications on tariffs, procurement processes, and the overall energy mix,” he concluded.
His remarks underline the critical need for transparency, competitive procurement, and adherence to Ghana’s long-term energy planning to ensure that renewable energy ambitions translate into tangible benefits for the economy and the population.
Meanwhile, Dr. Steve Manteaw, Chairperson of the CSO Alliance on Political Manifestos, has described the 2,000 megawatts renewable energy target by the NPP as overly ambitious.
“Currently, renewable energy constitutes just about 1% of our energy mix, and the NPP had earlier promised to scale this to 10%. We are far from achieving that target. So to promise we will add 2,000 megawatts implies generating more from renewables than we currently do from fossil fuels, which is practically impossible,” he said.
