Education
EV boom: Ghana moves to standardise charging infrastructure to protect power grid – EnviroNews
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The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, has called for greater standardisation and regulation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure as Ghana prepares for rising electricity demand from the growing adoption of electric mobility.
He said the rapid expansion of EVs, coupled with increasing electricity needs from industries, mines, data centres and businesses, requires deliberate planning to prevent pressure on the national power grid.
Speaking at the 2026 Future of Energy Conference (FEC) in Accra, Dr. Jinapor said the government was working to ensure that the growth of electric mobility was matched by adequate investment in electricity generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.
“Our research shows that when you use EV vehicles, you save about 40percent on the cost of fuel alone. So naturally, Ghanaians are opting for EV vehicles,” he observed.
He said while the transition to electric mobility offered significant economic and environmental benefits, the uncoordinated expansion of charging infrastructure could create new challenges for the electricity distribution system.
According to the Minister, Ghana leads the African Market of EV vehicles, noting that some private operators were establishing charging stations using new technologies capable of charging vehicles within 10 to 15 minutes, but such fast-charging systems could draw significant amounts of electricity from the grid.
He cautioned that the concentration of high-demand charging facilities without adequate grid planning could put pressure on local distribution networks and transformers.
“So what we are saying is that you’d need permission to set up those EV charging stations from the Energy Commission. That gives us the opportunity to reinforce the grid to install more transformers to accommodate the charging stations,” he said.
The Energy Commission has already directed individuals, companies and institutions intending to install or operate EV charging stations and battery-swap systems to obtain prior approval from the Commission. The directive is intended to ensure that charging infrastructure complies with national safety, technical and operational standards.
The Commission has also been developing regulations covering EV charging infrastructure and battery-swap systems, in collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority. The proposed framework covers residential, workplace, public and commercial charging infrastructure, as well as safety and consumer protection.
Ghana’s move towards electric mobility forms part of a broader effort to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and cut emissions from the transport sector. The Energy Commission’s Drive Electric Initiative, launched in 2019, is intended to promote electric mobility while supporting the development of the necessary charging infrastructure.
The Commission has also demonstrated the potential of renewable-powered charging infrastructure through a solar-powered DC fast-charging station at its headquarters in Accra. The facility uses 105 solar photovoltaic panels with a combined capacity of 61.43 kilowatts, supported by a 60-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery.
Reliable power critical to industrialisation
Dr. Jinapor also stressed that Ghana’s industrialisation ambitions would remain difficult to achieve without reliable and competitively priced electricity.
He acknowledged no economy has industrialised without cheap power.
“You simply cannot industrialise without energy,” he stated. “Industrialision requires electricity at scale; not just the electricity buy reliable electricity, predictable tariffs so that industries can plan and good power quality.”
He said the country’s energy planning must therefore anticipate future demand rather than respond only after new loads have emerged.
The anticipated growth in electricity consumption is expected to come from several sectors, including manufacturing, mining, electric mobility, digital infrastructure, data centres, commercial businesses and modern agriculture.
The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Benjamin Boakye, said energy policy and industrial policy could not be considered separately if Ghana was serious about adding value to its natural resources.
“We have spent considerable time talking about industrailisation and adding value to our national resources… but industrial production requires competitive input, and energy is one of them the important.
“Processing requires energy, manufacturing requires energy, modern agriculture increasingly depend electricity while digital infrastructure depends on reliable power,” he noted.
Mr. Boakye’s comments underscore the growing importance of electricity reliability and affordability to Ghana’s industrial transformation agenda, particularly as the country seeks to move from the export of raw materials towards domestic processing and value addition.
Ghana currently has electricity access for about 89 per cent of its population, according to recent government and development-partner data, with universal access targeted by 2030. The country’s National Energy Compact also identifies reliable and affordable electricity as a critical enabler of economic growth and industrial development.
The expansion of EVs is therefore expected to add another layer to electricity-demand planning, making investment in generation capacity, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks increasingly important.
The government has also encouraged investment in solar-powered EV charging systems as part of efforts to ensure that the transition to electric mobility is aligned with Ghana’s clean-energy and climate objectives.
The FEC 2026, organised by ACEP, is being held under the theme, “Powering Africa’s Industrial Transformation: Energy Systems for Value Addition and Competitiveness.”
The conference brings together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, investors and young professionals to deliberate on Africa’s energy future and the role of energy systems in driving industrialisation, competitiveness and economic transformation.
By Kofi Adu Domfeh