Energy Consultant, Dr. Yussif Sulemana is calling on the government to create an enabling environment for the private sector to enter the renewable energy industry.

Government has over the years been unable to attain its renewable energy target, revising it from 2020 to 2030 due to the failure to implement policies towards achieving the goal.

Dr Sulemana believes the private sector can play a major role in the attainment of the country’s goal for renewable energy.

“If we are able to go to the word and letter of this framework, then we can achieve this target. I can even guarantee you that, within 5 years we can get more than 10 percent because we have the potential. Government of Ghana needs to do the investment but if they aren’t able to, then they have to create that enabling environment for the private sector to invest. Those with the licenses and the technical know-how who the government believes they can invest in the world of renewables should be allowed to do so. And the advantage is, if the investment portfolio of the world of renewables goes up, it will become competitive, efficient and competitive to the conventional. That’s what’s happening in Europe because of the amount of investment that has gone into the renewables. Assuming we have a lot of microgrids dotted around, and everybody is depending on his own solar panel, it’s going to reduce the pressure, and we are going to have the light available for the industries and that will propel industrialization.”

The Energy Commission’s data shows that as of the end of 2019, Ghana had only one percent penetration rate of electricity from renewable energy sources in its total generation mix.

Yet, in the midst of this, the country’s current electrification rate is about 85 percent, which is slightly a bit far off target.

To be able to achieve universal electricity access by the new set year of 2025, Ghana may be required to work hard to grow the annual access rate by at least 3 percent.