Towards Ghana's Energy Security: An Analyses of Existing Natural Gas Legal Frameworks in Ghana

Abstract

Natural gas is considered one of the ultimate fuel for power generation and domestic consumption in the 21st Century due to its attractive environmental qualities. Due to this, the government of Ghana introduced a subsidized cylinder policy in the early 1990s to encourage the consumption of natural gas instead of charcoal and prevent deforestation. In addition, after the electricity reforms, policy makers initiated moves towards the construction of gas-fired thermal plants to augment the rain-fed power generation. Despite these policy interventions, Ghana has one of the highest rate of deforestation in the world. Again, over the past two decades, the country has experiences major load shedding and inconsistent power supply. The question is, what has been the effect of existing regulatory frameworks and policies on natural gas utilization in Ghana? Since Ghana requires investment in the gas and electricity sector to boost power supply, this study examines the existing frameworks and policies on natural gas and also provide recommendations for effective gas supply and utilization.