ASEC BLOG

  Ing. Justice Ohene-Akoto, Executive Director The Africa Sustainable Energy Centre (ASEC) has lauded the Energy Minister, John Abu Jinapor for his bold initiatives, particularly the decision to privatize the commercial arm of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) within six months. According to ASEC, this move aligns with the recommendations outlined in its press releases in August 2024, September 2024, and January 2025. ASEC emphasised that the privatization should be limited to the commercial leg of ECG, focusing on revenue mobilization, debt collection, and plugging financial loopholes. The technical operations of ECG, which Ghana has the expertise to manage efficiently, should remain untouched. The energy and sustainability think tank also praised the minister’s decision not to privatize the Volta River Authority (VRA) and Bui Power Authority, two profit-making entities. “These institutions should instead be supported to maximize their profitability for national devel...

On December 7, 2024, Ghanaians voted to remove the ruling party from power. It was clear that the country wanted something different—a change that might also impact the fight against 'galamsey' (illegal mining).  Over the past year, galamsey had once again become one of the biggest issues in Ghana. News outlets like Adom and Citi News constantly reported on how illegal mining was destroying our rivers and water bodies. As a postgraduate student at UCC then, I saw the effects firsthand. Water shortages became common because the River Pra, which supplies parts of Cape Coast and Elmina, was polluted by illegal mining activities. This wasn’t just an environmental issue but a crisis that directly affected our daily lives. In his final State of the Nation Address in January 2025, the outgoing President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo admitted how much the fight against galamsey had cost his government politically. “The fight against galamsey led to the loss of several parliamentary se...

Photo Source: Muhammad Amded Hossain/Pexels  To the African, all separate entities, each existing particulate—on their own, even—participates in a shared energy. Energy, at its proper equilibrium, holds the universe in its balanced state. Within the broader concept of sustainability, energy renewability is a key pillar enshrined under Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) which aims to also be pivotal in closing the energy access gap, particularly in the African region. This, we essentially consider the backbone to sustainable development and consumption, in that, insufficient energy supply affects all aspects of development, more specifically social, economic, environmental and most especially, the quality of life of many Africans. Renewable energy studies and exploration focuses on increasing sustainable and clean energy usage. As we seek to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide and the dependence on fossil fuels on the continent, renewables become an even more increasingly impor...

Climate Action, the 13th key framework in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) drives yet again, another global conference where world leaders, negotiators, government representatives and civil society groups meet to deliberate on climate change, a menace which in the immediate, threatens global systems and society. Under the broader United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a perennial Conference of the Parties (COP) has been institutionalized to enable international communities, Africa included, to map out a roadmap to address climate crises around the globe.  In this think piece, we explore COP29’s overview and some key expectations of Africa in tackling global climate change. After the twenty-eighth COP (COP28), which was held in Dubai, from November 20th to December 13th 2023 saw intense negotiations amongst the over 85,000 participants worldwide, COP29 is expected to bring together an even much larger number of State Parties in Azerbaijan to revi...

Leading energy think tank, the African Sustainable Energy Centre (ASEC) has received four nominations in this year's Ghana Energy Awards. These nominations cut across categories including the Innovation Project of the Year, Energy Think Tank of the Year, Outstanding Local Content Initiative of the Year and Clean Energy Initiative of the Year in the 8th Ghana Energy Awards. The Innovation Project of the Year category seeks to celebrate organisations within the energy sector that demonstrate innovative thinking through creative ideas, technology, products, programmes or solutions to address challenges and enhance efficiency. ASEC is nominated along with other institutions like D. McHall Project Consulting, Helios Solar, Empower Playgrounds, Meinergy Technology, GYE NYAME Card Global, Energy Commission, GCB Bank PLC, Webber Energy, AGI Energy Service Centre.  Organised by the Energy Media Group (EMG) and endorsed by the Ministry of Energy and World Energy Council, this awards sch...

  A leading energy think tank, the Africa Sustainable Energy Centre (ASEC) is pushing back against the recent proposal to merge the assets of the Volta River Authority (VRA) and Bui Power Authority (BPA).   In their view, this move is unnecessary as it could spell disaster for the nation’s energy sector should the government proceed. In a press release, ASEC stated, "The merger of VRA and BPA and the separation of the VRA’s thermal power will usher in the collapse of Ghana's energy security. For years, VRA has managed a robust energy portfolio that includes solar, thermal, and hydropower, and dismantling this carefully balanced structure would jeopardise the country’s power stability.” The think tank’s response comes a few days after aggrieved staff groups of the VRA expressed strong opposition to a proposed draft bill that seeks to merge VRA with BPA, combine the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) and establish an independent thermal Power Authority from...

The Africa Sustainable Energy Centre (ASEC), is advocating for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to privatise part of its operations. This move, we believe, will enable the nation’s power provider to focus on its core technical duties such as maintaining and upgrading infrastructure while handing over administrative and commercial aspects to investors.  This comes amid growing concerns about the recent irregular power supply across the country. As a result, the average Ghanaian has had to endure spates of unstable electricity leaving them in search of alternative sources of power that are relatively expensive. Historically, ECG has been plagued with numerous operational and financial challenges, outdated infrastructure, inefficient technology, and rampant electricity theft that have all contributed to frequent power outages, colloquially known as ‘dumsor.’  The company’s massive debts, partly due to unpaid bills from residential, commercial, and governmental bodies, furth...