Energy

Ghana’s bid to increase the nation’s solar capacity is taking place across a number of fronts. Most of this capacity is derived from the 20-MW photovoltaic (PV) plant operated by independent producer BXC Ghana. The government has expressed its determination to end reliance on kerosene lanterns in rural regions – which are known to be...

Ghana’s energy sector is in a moment of transition. In 2017 oil was the largest source of energy in the country, at 42.5%, closely followed by biomass at 40.6%. This mainly consists of the firewood that has historically been used to heat homes and small businesses. While some traditional energy sources remain popular, new developments are...

Although the world remains largely dependent upon fossil fuels for power generation, a gradual transition towards renewable sources has been taking place since the 1990s, underpinned by multilateral deals such as the Kyoto Protocol, the Doha Amendment and, more recently, the Paris Agreement. Investment and development in renewable technologies...

The expansion of the oil and gas sector adds momentum to a trend that has seen Ghana move from traditional forms of energy, such as firewood and charcoal, towards energy provided by the national grid. The share of biomass in Ghana’s energy mix declined from 52% of total primary energy supply in 2009 to 37% in 2016. Conversely, Ghana’s grid-...

The main benefit of a domestic refining industry is that value is maintained in country, reducing the need to import expensive refined products from elsewhere. This benefit is particularly pronounced with complex refineries, which produce high-value products, such as petrol, and middle distillates, such as home heating oil for the domestic...

In early September 2017 Bahrain’s state-backed hydrocarbons entities made a major new tight oil and gas find in the Khaleej Al Bahrain basin. The discovery, which covers more than 6000 sq km, contains probable reserves of around 81bn barrels of oil and 14trn standard cu feet of associated gas.