The Ghana government says it is preparing to scale up renewable energy projects nationwide as part of efforts to accelerate Ghana’s transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient and sustainable economy.
The expansion drive will focus on solar power systems, mini-grids, rooftop solar installations and other off-grid renewable energy solutions aimed at increasing electricity access and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Dr Robert Sogbadji, Deputy Director for Renewable Energy and Green Transition at the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, announced this at the Second Edition of the Ghana Green Investment Dialogue and Capacity Building Workshop in Accra on Thursday.
The workshop was organised by the Climate Parliament in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Parliament of Ghana.
Dr Sogbadji said Ghana had reached a critical stage where it must move beyond pilot renewable energy projects and policy frameworks towards large-scale implementation and bankable investment pipelines.
“We must now accelerate the pace — moving from pilot projects and policy frameworks to large-scale deployment and bankable investment pipelines at the constituency level,” he stated.
He said the government had already made significant progress through the Scaling-Up Renewable Energy Programme (SREP), which had enabled the installation of solar mini-grids in island and lakeside communities.
The mini-grid systems, he explained, were delivering clean and reliable electricity to thousands of previously underserved residents, powering homes, schools, health centres and productive economic activities such as agro-processing and small businesses.
Dr Sogbadji noted that the renewable energy projects demonstrated government’s commitment to inclusive energy access and climate-resilient development.
He disclosed that the Ministry was also preparing to roll out a national net-metering framework that would allow households and businesses with rooftop solar systems to feed excess electricity into the national grid.
According to him, the initiative would help consumers reduce electricity bills while encouraging private sector participation and investment in distributed solar energy technologies.
The Deputy Director said government continued to prioritise mini-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems as critical tools for extending electricity access to remote and island communities.
He noted that Ghana’s electricity access rate had surpassed 89 per cent, placing the country among the leading nations in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of energy access.
Dr Sogbadji said the renewable energy expansion agenda was supported by key policy frameworks including the Renewable Energy Act, the Renewable Energy Master Plan and the National Energy Transition Framework.
He added that the revised Renewable Energy Master Plan would soon be launched to guide the country’s renewable energy development agenda.
The Deputy Director stressed that the Green Energy Zones initiative would play a major role in attracting sustainable investments, supporting local economic development and creating jobs in communities across the country.
Mr Samuel Arkurst, Director of the Real Sector Division at the Ministry of Finance, said Ghana’s transition to renewable energy and green growth was not only an environmental necessity but also an economic imperative.
He noted that climate-related disasters, including flooding, coastal erosion and erratic rainfall, continued to place pressure on the country’s economy and public finances.
Mr Arkurst said Ghana’s renewable energy transition remained central to the implementation of the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
He stressed the need for stronger collaboration among policymakers, investors, financial institutions and development partners to transform national climate priorities into investment-ready projects.
Mr Dickson Kyere-Duah, Member of Parliament for Berekum West, speaking on behalf of the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Environment, Science and Technology Committee, called for stronger partnerships, innovative financing and supportive regulatory frameworks to drive green investment.
GNA