The Energy Commission of Ghana has signed an agreement to use energy modelling company Energy Exemplar’s modelling software to understand the entire energy landscape across Ghana, including gas and electricity, the company said this week.

The Ghanian government aims to increase the proportion of renewables in the national mix from 42.5 MW to 1 363 MW, or by more than 30 times. The Energy Commission of Ghana has signed a two-year agreement to use Energy Exemplar's PLEXOS modelling software in supporting the country’s energy aspirations. The agreement was funded by global body the World Bank.

Modelling with PLEXOS will help Ghana work with neighbouring countries to adopt wider use of renewables. Interconnectivity between African countries will allow them to cooperate to meet energy requirements and keep costs affordable for consumers all year round, Energy Exemplar said in a statement.

Ghana is looking to expand and optimise its existing hydropower, which already accounts for 29% of total installed electricity generation capacity in 2021, as well as wind and solar. The Energy Commission of Ghana will also use PLEXOS to obtain a greater understanding of fluctuations in the price of gas, 20% of which comes from Nigeria through the West African Gas Pipeline.

“Working with Energy Exemplar is a significant step forward to realising Ghana’s clean energy objectives. Ghana and its neighbours in the West African Power Pool have enormous renewable energy potential which we now have the opportunity to understand, to harness and to optimise to a level previously unattainable, said Energy Commission of Ghana executive secretary Oscar Amonoo-Neizer.

“We hope that our innovative approach provides an example to the whole continent of how to adapt and respond to growing climate, market and geopolitical challenges,” he added.

PLEXOS, already in use in Senegal and Morocco, is fast becoming a common language for African States wishing to harness the continent’s wealth of resources and reduce dependence on biomass for thermal energy by 2030, such as that envisioned in Ghana’s Renewable Energy Master Plan, Energy Exemplar said.

Clean energy investment can be difficult to secure in Africa, which is why international support was again stressed at the twenty-seventh United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, in Egypt.

Cooperation will prove crucial to meeting COP27 targets that have a particular focus on the centrality of water, agriculture, biodiversity and decarbonisation, which are key themes in Africa’s accelerating renewable aspirations, noted Energy Exemplar senior VP and Europe, Middle East and Africa head Michael Schneider.

“We are excited and humbled that our software is contributing to the energy transformation towards zero carbon emissions in Africa, especially by providing a shared sector language for all States looking to optimise their energy systems supporting collaboration and exchange.

“Having historically invested less in carbon-intensive oil and gas, Africa is in a prime position to take a clean leap towards renewables. PLEXOS will help in making that transition as risk-free as possible,” he highlighted.