Accra, Ghana, June 25, 2019//-Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Energy, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam has assured that the country is confident of achieving Universal Energy Access By 2025, even before the global target of 2030.
He made this known during a press conference at the sideline of the ongoing fifth Mini Grid Action Learning Event and Summit in Accra, Ghana.
Dr Adam revealed: “As at the end of 2018, National Electricity Access reached 84.32% with 93% Urban and 71% Rural coverage” in the West African country.
He explained that the country’s quest to achieve the last mile electrification within the framework of the 30 year National Electrification Scheme which expires in 2020, is elusive.
This was affected by the country’s recent prolong energy crisis spanning from 2014-2016.
In 1989, Ghana set out a 30-year National Electrification Scheme (NES) to achieve universal access of reliable electricity supply between 1990-2020. The baseline at the time showed a National Electricity Access of about 25% with only 5% Rural Penetration.
Speaking at the summit earlier, Dr Adam noted that; “we have therefore revised our target and developed new strategies to push the boundaries to achieve our overarching goal of universal access by 2025.
It is in view of this that mini grids and standalone renewable solutions have been developed to compliment national grid extension and intensification”.
“To ensure harmonization, speed of implementation of programs and the respect for our social and national constitutional structures, we have mainstreamed the mini grid program into the National Electrification Scheme to stimulate socio-economic development and promote growth of micro and small enterprises (MSMEs), curb rural-urban drift and improve quality of life and standard of living of our rural population”.
Additional effort
The Outgoing World Bank Ghana Country Director, Henry Kerali acknowledged the country’s effort at attaining universal energy access for all it citizens.
In his own words: “Although the universal access target is almost reached, there is a need for an additional effort from the government to achieve this target. This effort needs to be financial but also institutional to reach the last mile of the Ghanaian population which is the most difficult to reach”.
To this end, Mr Kerali called for a comprehensive new policy to be approved taking into consideration the new technological developments, new population needs and smart financing instruments to leverage private sector support and mobilize sufficient public funding.
Mini grids are the core solutions
Senior Director of Energy and Extractives at the World Bank, Riccardo Puliti, said: “Min grids are now one of the core solutions for closing the energy access gap. We see great potential for mini grid development at scale and are working with countries to actively mobilize public and private investment”.
“The world Bank has been scaling up its support to mini grids while helping countries develop comprehensive electrification programs. Our commitment to mini grids represent about one-quarter of total investment by the public and private sector in our client countries”.
By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, African Eye Report
