President John Dramani Mahama announced that Ghana will build a 1,200‑megawatt gas‑fired thermal power plant, the country’s biggest single‑site power facility if completed. He said the government intends to sign an agreement for the project before the end of 2026.
Mahama made the statement during a town hall meeting with the Ghanaian community in New York on Friday, September 25. “We are going to build the biggest thermal capacity in Ghana. Before the end of this year, we're going to sign 1,200 megawatts of gas thermal power,” he said.
At 1,200MW, the proposed plant would exceed the 1,020MW Akosombo Hydroelectric Power Station, Ghana’s current largest single generating facility. The president said the decision to add new thermal capacity was driven by shifts in the global energy landscape, including the transition to renewable energy and the rise of electric vehicles.
Mahama added that the government wants to avoid investing in power assets that could become stranded as the energy mix changes. He noted that some Independent Power Producers (IPPs) who had previously threatened to suspend generation are now ready to invest an additional 500MW of capacity, though the government would prefer to develop more state‑owned generation.
The president also highlighted that the government has cleared the energy sector debts and reorganised the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to prioritise payments to power producers. “We brought IPPs, and everybody was threatening to switch off power. Today, I can tell you, we have paid off our energy debts. And we are current with the payments,” he said.
Mahama linked the planned thermal expansion to renewed investment in Ghana’s oil and gas sector. Oil production has risen by almost 38% since 2025, following investments by oil producers. Jubilee Partners is investing $2 billion to drill 20 new wells, while Eni is investing $1.5 billion to bring the remaining portion of its Sankofa field into production. He said the increased investment would boost gas availability for thermal power generation and lift government revenue. Major international oil companies, including ExxonMobil and Shell, are now exploring opportunities in Ghana.
The announcement comes as Ghana seeks to diversify its energy mix and secure a stable supply of electricity while capitalising on growing domestic gas resources.
