Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has revealed the government of Ghana is committed to moving toward renewable energy by 2070 but is still focused on utilising our existing oil and gas reserve.
Speaking during the 5th Edition of the Ghana International Petroleum Conference (GhIPCon) in Accra on Wednesday, 28 September 2022, Dr Bawumia said a balance must be struck between the two positions.
“…Ghana has set a target of 2070 to fully transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. So, even though as a government, we are fully committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2070, we also have to take steps to accelerate the production and utilization of our oil and gas reserves,” Bawumia said.
“What this means is that even though we want to contribute to reducing emissions, we are of the view that a balance must be struck and maintained in the context of our social, economic, and environmental requirements.
“So, fossil fuels, particularly natural gas will continue to be part of Ghana’s energy mix in the short term, whilst strategies will be put in place to increase the share of renewable energy in the mix from medium to long term,” Dr Bawumia said.
Speaking during the conference, the Chief Executive Officer of NPA, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid reiterated government’s commitment to reducing the emissions from the consumption of petroleum products.
“We at the NPA are committed to support government’s agenda in reducing the emissions from the energy products we consume in Ghana. And I’m glad to mention we were the first west African country to reduce sulphur content in transport and industrial fuels from a maximum of 5000ppm to a maximum of 50ppm” he stated.
The 3-day Ghana International Petroleum Conference (GhIPCon) is on the theme “Energy Transition in the African Petroleum Downstream Context: Prospects, Challenges and the Way Forward”.
The conference is being organized by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in collaboration with the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD).
Source: theGhanaianVoice.Com