The growing number of electric vehicles (EVs) in Ghana is putting additional pressure on the country’s electricity supply, Energy and Green Transition Minister, Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, has cautioned.
According to Dr Jinapor, Ghana currently has the highest number of electric vehicles in Africa, a development that, while offering significant economic and environmental benefits, is creating new demands on the national power grid.
“Research indicates that the use of EVs helps to save about 40 per cent of the cost of fuel alone,” he said.
The Minister made the remarks at the opening of the two-day Future of Energy Conference in Accra, held under the theme, “Powering Africa’s Transformation: Energy Systems for Value Addition and Competitiveness.”
Dr Jinapor said the rapid expansion of EV charging infrastructure had become a challenge to efforts to provide reliable electricity for industrialisation, particularly as charging stations were increasingly being established without adequate consideration of the capacity of local electricity networks.
He disclosed that legislation currently before Parliament seeks to regulate the establishment and operation of EV charging stations in the country.
According to him, the proposed regulatory framework would require operators to obtain approval from the Energy Commission before setting up charging stations.
“What we witnessed is that people set up EV charging stations and immediately the transformer gets blown. What we are saying is that you would need permission to set up EV charging stations from the Energy Commission,” he said.
Dr Jinapor explained that the regulation would also provide an opportunity for the government and relevant agencies to strengthen the national grid and install additional transformers capable of accommodating the growing number of charging points.
He urged the public and prospective EV charging operators to exercise restraint while the government works to establish appropriate standards to ensure that the increasing demand from EVs does not undermine electricity supply to households and businesses.
The Minister stressed that Ghana’s energy policy must prioritise reliable and competitively priced electricity as a critical input for industrial growth.
“Our industries cannot compete globally if electricity, one of the most cardinal inputs, is structurally uncompetitive,” he stressed.
Dr Jinapor therefore challenged participants at the conference to develop innovative approaches to harnessing Africa’s local energy resources to provide affordable and reliable electricity to support industrialisation and value addition.
He further urged African governments to move beyond rhetoric and commit to practical financing mechanisms capable of supporting the continent’s energy infrastructure and driving sustainable industrial transformation.
