Albert Oppong-Ansah, GNA
Accra, Sept. 10, GNA – Ghana will pursue its energy transition on its own terms and pace, prioritising energy efficiency, renewables, and nuclear power while using natural gas as a strategic transitional fuel.
Mr Hubert Zan, the Manager in charge of Energy Efficiency Regulations at the Energy Commission, said already the country’s transition strategy was anchored on reducing dependence on fossil fuels while ensuring energy security and affordability.
He said energy efficiency remained the “first pool” of Ghana’s transition strategy because reducing energy consumption could lessen the need to generate additional electricity, he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Wednesday, ahead of the country’s participation in COP 30 in Türkiye come November.
“We believe that energy efficiency is the first pool. With that, we do not need to even produce the power in the first place, but maintain what we already have,” he said.
Mr Zan said Ghana’s energy transition pathway included gradually moving away from thermal generation, introducing nuclear power as part of the country’s baseload, increasing utility-scale solar and promoting energy-efficient appliances and technologies.
He noted that the country would also need international financing to increase renewable energy penetration and help households and businesses reduce their electricity bills.
On the continued use of natural gas, Mr Zan said Ghana’s domestic gas resources offered an important buffer against external shocks associated with the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.
He said recent geopolitical developments, including conflicts in the Middle East, demonstrated the vulnerability of countries heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels.
Mr Zan, who is Ghana’s Lead Negotiator for Mitigation and Energy Transition under the UNFCCC, described the Government’s decision to promote natural gas during the transition as a tactical measure to strengthen energy security while the country scaled up cleaner sources of power.
He said Ghana’s target of increasing modern renewable energy to about 10 per cent by 2030 represented an ambitious commitment.
He noted that government was also considering the establishment of a renewable energy authority to accelerate the development and promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The transition, he said, extended beyond electricity generation to transportation, with Ghana promoting electric vehicles as part of efforts to reduce emissions from the transport sector.
He said the Energy Commission was mandated to develop regulations for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and that draft regulations were currently before Parliament for consideration.
“We are promoting electric vehicles. The Energy Commission is mandated to come up with the charging station and infrastructure,” he said.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
10 Sept. 2026
Reporter: Albert Oppong-Ansah
Email: [email protected]