Techno-Economic and Environmental Analysis of Energy Scenarios in Ghana

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 electric ity 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 gene rates 2796 MW, which also represents 63.6%, while 22.6 MW capacity represent s 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 CO 2 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.