TITLE:
Techno-Economic and Environmental Analysis of Energy Scenarios in Ghana
AUTHORS:
John Abban, Albert Awopone
KEYWORDS:
Energy Demand, Mitigation (MITG), Reference (REF) Scenarios, Energy Potential
JOURNAL NAME:
Smart Grid and Renewable Energy,
Vol.12 No.6,
June
30,
2021
ABSTRACT: The electricity potential in Ghana has become a huge challenge to the
nation, which increases the country’s economic growth and reduces Nation’s
development. The study highlights the trends on the power grid of the energy
potential for the past ten years’ impact regarding the directions on the power
grid, and to determine the economic potential viabilities couples with the
sustainability of renewable energy sources in Ghana. The study relied on
substantial reviewed literature and revealed that Ghana’s energy generation has
passed through multiple stages, started from diesel generator supply systems
owned by industries and factories to hydroelectricity, thermal power electricity powered by natural gas or crude oil, and solar
electricity. The study showed that as of December 2017, Ghana had
installed a total capacity of 4398.6 MW comprising Hydro, Thermal, and Solar
Plants. Out of the full power, Hydropower generates 1580 MW representing 35.9%,
Thermal generates 2796 MW, which also
represents 63.6%, while 22.6 MW capacity represents 0.5%.
The Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system (LEAP) tools were employed
to consider three different scenarios: energy demand, cost-benefit, and carbon
limitation. 2018 was considered as the base year and 2048 as the end year. The
results show that 17,800 GWh was estimated as energy
demand at base year while 44,000 GWh at end year of 7% annual
growth rate. The share of renewable power plants was almost zero at the current
account. The share
of solar thermal plants may reach 90% due to direct cost and externalities. The
study adopted one-hundred-year direct GWP at the point of emissions to compare
the Mitigation (MITG) and Reference (REF) scenarios. The model indicated 1.3 Million tons of CO2 saving and 4.0 billion U.S. dollars saving with a 5% discount rate in power
generation until 2048, if only the country could afford to develop its
generation system with the high deployment of RETs, additional benefits in the
form of a sustainable safety environment and less emission carbon would be
achieved in the next 30 years.