Target 7.1 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Seven (SDG 7) calls for the need to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services for all in developing countries.
Ghana’s projected electricity demand requires a baseload option that is resilient, secure, sustainable and modern energy for all.
As a result of this, Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh says Ghana is set to build its nuclear power plant to aid in achieving its sustainable development and climate change goals.
At a media briefing on Thursday, November 9, the minister said the best energy source to decarbonize the environment is through the building of a nuclear power plant.
“We are in a market looking for our first nuclear power plant and we’ve gone to the site. The vendors have come…But I’m being courted by everybody because everybody was to build Ghana’s first nuclear power plant” he continued.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh said his ministry is also working hard to introduce and intensify the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and promote Electric Vehicle cars to help achieve the target of the reduction of carbon emissions.
“LPG for cooking and LPG for domestic and LPG for commercial use. We hit a rate of about 50%. So, we are introducing LPG cook stoves, LPG, and a lot of things, even though most cars the taxi drivers have converted themselves, we all want to make sure that commercial vehicles can use compressed natural gas” he continued.
Outlining some of the developments in the petroleum downstream, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh indicated that, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has amended the MPA Act to ensure that Ghanaian content and local participation are included in the ACT.
To him, some areas in the downstream should not be left to foreigners.
He added that the Authority has also acquired land for a petroleum hub to bring Emor refineries and petrochemical industries in some parts of the Western Region while also working with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture to reduce prices of premix.
Dr. Mattew Opoku Prempeh emphasized, “That is why we introduced condensate as part of the premix administration to bring the prices at the subsidy down to where it is.”
Read also: “The Safety of Journalists is not Negotiable”- Oppong Nkrumah Advocates for Press Freedom
Source: Eric Sekyi/ATLFMNEWS
