Smart Grid and Renewable Energy | 2021
Techno-Economic and Environmental Analysis of Energy Scenarios in Ghana
Abstract
The electricity potential in Ghana has become a huge challenge to the \nnation, which increases the country’s economic growth and reduces Nation’s \ndevelopment. The study highlights the trends on the power grid of the energy \npotential for the past ten years’ impact regarding the directions on the power \ngrid, and to determine the economic potential viabilities couples with the \nsustainability of renewable energy sources in Ghana. The study relied on \nsubstantial reviewed literature and revealed that Ghana’s energy generation has \npassed through multiple stages, started from diesel generator supply systems \nowned by industries and factories to hydroelectricity, thermal power electricity powered by natural gas or crude oil, and solar \nelectricity. The study showed that as of December 2017, Ghana had \ninstalled a total capacity of 4398.6 MW comprising Hydro, Thermal, and Solar \nPlants. Out of the full power, Hydropower generates 1580 MW representing 35.9%, \nThermal generates 2796 MW, which also \nrepresents 63.6%, while 22.6 MW capacity represents 0.5%. \nThe Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system (LEAP) tools were employed \nto consider three different scenarios: energy demand, cost-benefit, and carbon \nlimitation. 2018 was considered as the base year and 2048 as the end year. The \nresults show that 17,800 GWh was estimated as energy \ndemand at base year while 44,000 GWh at end year of 7% annual \ngrowth rate. The share of renewable power plants was almost zero at the current \naccount. The share \nof solar thermal plants may reach 90% due to direct cost and externalities. The \nstudy adopted one-hundred-year direct GWP at the point of emissions to compare \nthe Mitigation (MITG) and Reference (REF) scenarios. The model indicated 1.3 Million tons of CO2 saving and 4.0 billion U.S. dollars saving with a 5% discount rate in power \ngeneration until 2048, if only the country could afford to develop its \ngeneration system with the high deployment of RETs, additional benefits in the \nform of a sustainable safety environment and less emission carbon would be \nachieved in the next 30 years.