Ghana has a population of over 30 million. Of this, around 28.5 million
in 2022, a number gradually reached over the preceding years. For instance, as of 2001, only about nine million people could access electricity in the country. The prevalence of access is usually higher in
. Moreover, the total number of individuals without electricity in the country added up to around five million in 2022.
Despite the annually increasing supply of electricity nationwide, frequent power outages, also locally known as
, have remained problematic. These have often been attributed to electricity transmission challenges faced by the responsible energy institutions in the country.
Sources fueling electricity production
Between 2016 and 2023,
Ghana produced between six and 13 gigawatt hours of electricity each year. In 2023 alone, around 24,270 gigawatt hours of
electricity were generated. Fossil fuels contribute to electrical energy generation. In 2022, approximately 14.9 billion kilowatt hours net of
electricity were generated from fossil fuels, representing the main electricity source that year. Overall, the country heavily depends on thermal energy to boost its electricity sector. On the other hand, in 2022,
solar energy, a renewable source, accounted for around 132,000 kilowatt hours of the electricity output, while the contribution of
hydropower added up to roughly 7,000 gigawatt hours as of 2021.
How is Ghana dealing with rising electricity demand?
Ghana had a total
electricity customer population of more than 5.56 million as of 2022. In 2019, the
Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the government institution that provides electrical energy services, accounted for around 3.8 million of the total clients. The growing energy demand and customer base often outweigh the electricity supply in the country. In 2021, for instance,
electricity demand was expected to reach around 21,300 gigawatt hours. Contrary to this high demand,
generating companies sent out approximately 18,000 gigawatt hours of electricity to distribution companies, mines, as well as for exports in 2020. Overall, Ghana
exported nearly 2,530 gigawatt hours of electricity in 2023. Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, and Togo are some of its main electrical energy export destinations.
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Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date
data than referenced in the text.
