Parliament has approved an amount of GH500,964,480, being the budget estimates, of the Ministry of Energy for the 2019 fiscal year.

The allocation is to help the Ministry implement its programmes and activities for the year 2019.

Mr Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi, Chairman of the Committee on Mines and Energy, who moved for the adoption of the report of the Committee, outlined the vision of the Ministry to develop an energy economy with reliable supply of high quality energy service for the Ghanaian economy and for export.

Mr Gyamfi said the policy objectives of the Ministry is to provide adequate, reliable and affordable energy to meet the national needs and for export.

He said the aim is also to increase the proportion of renewable energy (solar, biomass wind, small and mini-hydro and waste to energy) in the national energy supply mix.

He said government intends to explore for options for nuclear, geo-thermal and tidal waves energy, adding that, government also plans to create an enabling environment for sustainable activities in the upstream and downstream oil and gas sector.

Mr Gyamfi said this is to ensure accelerated and integrated development of the oil and gas industry, and that, the Ministry aims to promote value-added investments, indigenisation of knowledge, expertise and technology in the oil and gas sector.

He said the outlook for the country’s power sector for 2019 was great, explaining that in 2019, the Ministry plans to complete 147MW (Phase 1) Early Power and 192MW Amandi Power projects to give a total generation of 339MW.

He said GRIDCO also plans to initiate processes in 2019 for the implementation the following transmission projects, a 161kv Aboadze-Takoradi line upgrade project, a 161kv Takoradi-Tarkwa-New Tarkwa-Preatea line upgrade and 330kv A4BSP (Pokuase)-Anwomaso line project.

Mr Gyamfi also noted the Ministry has targeted a total of 1,250 communities to be connected to the national grid to increase the access rate from the current level of 84.32 per cent to 87 per cent.

He assured that electrical conductors and cables purchased exclusively from local manufacturing companies would be used.

He announced that the Ministry intends to procure and distribute 100,000 units and solar lanterns as well as begin the installation of a 65kw solar rooftop system at the Ministry of Energy.