Ghana must urgently integrate at least 1,000 megawatts (MW) of solar energy into the national grid to permanently resolve the ongoing power outages, popularly known as Dumsor, according to civil engineer and energy expert, Captain Neil Armstrong.
Speaking on Oman Mu Nsem on Atinka TV hosted by Nana Owoahene Acheampong, Captain Armstrong lamented Ghana’s over-reliance on hydroelectric power and described the country’s solar contribution to the energy mix as alarmingly low — estimated at just 0.5%.
“Our population is now around 34.45 million, yet we are still dependent on a national grid that is not expanding fast enough. If the government is serious about solving Dumsor, it must commit to adding at least 1,000MW of solar power to the grid,”- he said.
He added that many qualified Ghanaian engineers are ready and willing to contribute to solving the energy crisis but are often sidelined in national policy discussions.
“We have top engineers in Ghana, but we are not using them to benefit this country. Instead, they’re being used in places like Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso,” – he stressed.
Armstrong noted that Burkina Faso, under its current interim leadership, has managed to produce over 1,500MW of solar energy in just a short time, and Ghana can follow suit if there is strong political will.
According to him, solar energy is cheaper to maintain than other sources of power and can drastically reduce the high electricity tariffs Ghanaians currently endure.
“The reason consumers are paying high tariffs is because we’re using expensive single-cycle power plants instead of the more efficient combined-cycle systems,” – he explained.
He also criticized Ghana’s lack of a long-term energy development plan. “After 68 years of independence, we still don’t have even a 10-year national energy plan. That’s a serious oversight,” he warned.
Captain Armstrong urged the government to engage professional engineers and technocrats in finding lasting solutions to the energy problem.
“If the government can prioritize and invest in solar power, Ghana will not experience energy crises again. It’s time for our leaders to put Ghana and Ghanaians first,” he concluded.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com| Barimah K. Saakwa